# Personal Year 1: new beginnings

Personal Year 1 opens a new nine-year cycle. It is the year to start: a project, a job, a habit or a direction that the next eight years will build on.

## Make the most of it

- Start the thing you have been putting off
- Set clear goals for the cycle ahead
- Back your own ideas and act on them
- Take the lead

## Be careful with

- Waiting for permission
- Holding on to what ended last year
- Going so fast you leave everyone behind

## Love and relationships

A good year to meet someone new or to bring fresh energy to a relationship. Independence matters more than usual, for both of you.

## Work and money

Launch, apply, pitch, start a business. Effort now sets the direction of your income for years.

## How to tell if this is your Personal Year 1

Add your birth month and birth day, each reduced to one digit, to the current year reduced to one digit, and reduce the total. In 2026 (2 + 0 + 2 + 6 = 10, then 1), someone born on 4 May gets 5 + 4 + 1 = 10, then 1 + 0 = **1**. The [Personal Year calculator](/personal-year-number-calculator) does it for you.

## What comes next

Next year is a [Personal Year 2](/personal-year-number-2). Last year was a [Personal Year 9](/personal-year-number-9).

## Frequently asked questions

### When does Personal Year 1 start?

On 1 January, in the most common convention, and it lasts the calendar year. Some numerologists count from your birthday instead.

### How often does Personal Year 1 come around?

Every nine years. Personal Years run in a cycle from 1 to 9, so your next Personal Year 1 is nine years after this one.