As we head into a new year, most people default to the same approach: new goals. Lose weight. Get in shape. Be more disciplined. Try harder.
But if goals alone worked, you wouldn’t need a new calendar year to try again. Here are a few mindsets worth adopting (or leaving behind) as you step into 2026.
Set New Habits, Not New Goals
If you’re heading into 2026 thinking about losing weight, getting in shape, or being more disciplined - chances are, those goals aren’t new to you.
The problem isn’t that your goals are wrong. It’s that goals don’t create change on their own. Daily behaviors do.
This is why the workouts you don’t feel like doing matter so much.
Showing up on your worst days (even if it’s only for a few minutes) is often more important than crushing it on your best days. A short, imperfect workout might not move the needle physically, but it strengthens something deeper: the belief that you are someone who doesn’t quit when motivation fades. Don't sleep on this.. it's powerful!
If you had to choose just one habit to prioritize, regular exercise would be a strong contender. How your body functions affects nearly everything else, your energy, your mood, your discipline, and your resilience. When your body is working well, everything downstream improves.
(Many of these habit principles are inspired by the work of James Clear, author of Atomic Habits. - His work has really impacted the way I approach goals and habits!)
Don’t “Goal It Alone”
Big goals rarely come true in isolation.
If what you’re chasing actually matters, you shouldn’t try to rely on willpower alone. The fastest, most sustainable path forward includes people in your corner.
Here are a few people worth having around you:
- The Trailblazer – Someone who has already done what you want to do.
- The Mentor – Someone who offers wisdom, perspective, and honest feedback.
- The Cheerleader – Someone close enough to encourage you regularly and remind you why you started.
- The Coach – Someone who gives you the playbook, challenges you, and holds you accountable.
Success is a team sport, stop trying to win it solo.
Think in Updates, Not Overhauls
Imagine yourself as an operating system.
Every so often, a new update is released. Not a total rewrite; just a few improvements, some bugs fixed, maybe a new feature added.
That’s how growth actually works.
If you’re 45 years old, this is Version 45.0. When you make a small improvement; better sleep, more consistency in training, tighter boundaries.. you’re on Version 45.1.
You’re still you. Just slightly better.
Give yourself permission to make updates throughout the year instead of chasing some massive reinvention every January.
Don’t Be a SALY
SALY stands for Same As Last Year.
Don’t be one.
Status quo might have been acceptable last year, but that doesn’t mean it will help you thrive this year.
To borrow from The Shawshank Redemption:
"Get busy living, or get busy dying."
Living doesn’t mean reckless change. I mean intentionally growing. I mean challenging what’s comfortable and refusing to coast.
2026 doesn’t need a new version of you or your goals. It simply needs a slightly better version of your habits, your systems, and your support.
Get busy living.
Nick
