Ajan Lori A.

I’ve been living in Japan for over two years, and during this time, I’ve become much more intentional about my health and nutrition. Moving abroad changed a lot for me. My diet changed, my daily routine changed, and so did my lifestyle and exposure to sunlight. As an African woman with dark skin, I also became more conscious of nutrients that I wanted to make sure I was getting enough of especially when my everyday diet wasn't always as balanced as I would like. Over these two-plus years in Japan, I’ve tried and used the supplements on this list, gradually figuring out what works best for my lifestyle. I’m sharing my personal supplement picks because I know how easy it is to feel overwhelmed when you're trying to figure out what you actually need. This isn't about taking every supplement under the sun. It's about knowing what's out there, understanding your own body, and being more intentional about your wellness. If you're a Black woman living abroad or simply a woman trying to take better care of herself, you might find a few of your new favorites here too. These are based on my personal experience and aren't a recommendation for everyone. Your nutritional needs are individual, so it's worth checking with a healthcare professional before starting new supplements.

I’m learning that building the life you want isn't just about making more money or achieving more goals. Sometimes, it’s about becoming a different version of yourself. A version that knows what matters. A version that protects her time, makes better decisions, builds meaningful relationships, takes risks, and isn't afraid to change direction when something no longer fits. So this year, I’m adding books to my library that speak to more than success. These are books about habits, purpose, time, courage, relationships, career, money, and becoming the person I want to be. I don't want to simply build an impressive life. I want to build a life I actually want to wake up to.

For so many years, I believed personal finance was just about numbers: budgets, percentages, spreadsheets. I always set up savings goals that felt more like a punishment than real progress. With these savings goals and personal finance plans, I failed woefully. As I get older, I realise that money is rarely the real problem. It’s fear, habits, silence. It’s what we were never taught and what we learned too late in life. For me, 2026 feels like a turning point. It’s not that I have all the answers, but I finally understand something important: ‘how I think about money shapes how I live my life.’ Here are the personal finance books I believe are must-reads for 2026. They don’t promise quick wealth, but they changed how I see money, success, and security.