As I close out my 26th year as a speaker and author, I find myself in a place I didn’t expect, but sincerely appreciate. I’m not tired. I’m not reflective in a “looking back only” way. I’m energized. Curious. Almost restless in the best sense of the word. As I look ahead to 2026, I feel the same excitement I felt when I first stepped on a stage, except now it’s paired with perspective.

Over the years, I have been fortunate to share ideas that resonated. I have encouraged people to Enjoy The Ride, even when the road was bumpy. I reminded them to Hide Your Goat, and to stop letting small irritations steal their focus and joy. I offered a blueprint for Making a Difference, not someday, but right where they are. I challenged people to put The Cherry on Top in everything they do, because adding value is never accidental.

I warned that life will always have a Detour or two, and that sometimes the bravest thing you can do is Turn The Page. I pushed back hard against the passive comfort of the It Is What It Is mindset, replacing it with something far more empowering: It Is What You Make It. And this past year, I laid out the blueprint for If Leadership Is a Game, These Are The Rules, because leadership, like life, isn’t about position, it’s about choices.

But here’s what I’ve been thinking about lately.

As a new year begins, we are almost programmed to chase resolutions. Big ones. Bold ones. Often unrealistic ones. We declare war on habits we have had for years and expect victory by February. And when that doesn’t happen, we quietly decide that maybe next year will be “our year.”

What if 2026 isn’t about dramatic declarations at all?

What if instead of obsessing over what you haven’t done, you paused long enough to recognize what you have done?

Think about that for a moment.

You survived a year you once worried you wouldn’t get through. You learned something, maybe the hard way, that changed how you see people, work, or yourself. You adapted. You showed up on days when motivation was nowhere to be found. Those aren’t small things. They’re evidence.

So, before you write a single resolution, make a different list first: What did I achieve this year personally, professionally, and emotionally that I rarely give myself credit for? Then, and only then, make a second list, not of grand goals, but of small improvements.

Not “I’m going to lose 30 pounds,” but “I’m going to eat half the portion on my plate.”

Not “I’m going to run five miles a day,” but “I’m going to walk somewhere every day.”

Don’t measure the distance. Measure the decision. You walked. That counts.



Progress doesn’t come from massive overhauls nearly as often as it comes from quiet, consistent adjustments.

Celebrate what you have, not just what you want. Gratitude isn’t denial of ambition; it’s fuel for it. When you start every day by being grateful for just one thing, you change the lens through which you view everything else. And what you focus on expands.

Here’s the real question I want you to wrestle with as 2026 begins:

What would change if this year weren’t defined by what you didn’t do, but by what you did differently?

Different conversations.

Different reactions.

Different priorities.

Different self-talk.

Maybe the biggest shift isn’t external at all. Maybe it’s deciding that you don’t need to wait for permission, perfect timing, or perfect circumstances to show up as your best self.

Twenty-six years into this career, I know this much to be true: life doesn’t reward intention nearly as much as it rewards action, especially small, repeated action. The ride will never be perfectly smooth. There will always be detours. Pages will need turning. Goats will try to escape. But it’s still your ride.

So, as you step into 2026, don’t aim for flawless. Aim for intentional. Don’t chase a version of yourself you think you should be. Build on the person you already are. 

Make this the year you look back on and say, “I didn’t do everything. But I did things differently, and that made all the difference.” And that, my friends, is Why 2026 Shouldn’t Be About Resolutions..