A New Start in 2026

3:05

I never make a New Year's resolution on December 31st, as the data suggests that only a tiny percentage of people are able to stick to their resolution. I tend to think about my habits, things I do daily, etc.

Habits outperform resolutions every time. Even small, repeatable actions tend to compound over 365 days. While resolutions rely on motivation, discipline wins and moves you forward. If you want to pick up Atomic Habits by James Clear.

The Cost of Keeping Outdated Identities

You must love a holiday that promises you a new start in the New Year. Maybe you want to leave your current job and find a role doing something that you have always wanted to do. Or you may decide to leave your current work and find something that you finally know you will engage with and feels like you are right where you need to be.

Choosing What You Will No Longer Tolerate

You might decide to remove certain people who should no longer be part of your life. It is true that who you spend time with will cause you to adopt their beliefs and their habits. When I was nineteen, I removed a number of friends because their standards were not in line with my decision to raise the caliber of every person that I spent time with. There is a hope of finding a new group of people who will invite you to join them because they find you have the right mindset.

Some want wealth or money, believing that it would change their life. At some point, you are going to decide that your health matters as much as your money, or that you would trade your money for your health. I have been looking at this tradeoff more closely.

Some of us will promise to take better care of our health by eating better, exercising daily, getting seven to nine hours of sleep, or 25 minutes of meditation. I have been trained by two Zen Masters, and one told me that if I woke up in the middle of the night, I should sit on a chair with a blanket over my legs until I fell asleep. Even if you don't sleep, you will feel better. There is no need to cross your legs, just breathe in and out.

Yesterday, I collected the Barnes & Noble cards that allowed me to buy $125 of books. I have to be careful about buying books, as both my office bookshelves and my basement library are running out of space for more books. I may have to give away a number of books and replace them with new ones.

From my family, I picked up a book of Rome, and one recommended Joan Didion's Notes to John. I have been looking for writers who write about writing.

I am going to reboot my One-Up Book Club. I might have to provide you with some books you might have missed, like: