How To Get Ahead of 99% of People in 2026

New year, new you… right?

Well… not exactly.

If we’re being honest, every January comes with the same energy: pressure, noise, “fix your life in 30 days” challenges, and the sneaky feeling that if you’re not doing something intense (75 Hard, launching a business, waking up at 4am), you’re already behind.

It’s overwhelming.

So much information. Very little relevance.

So if there’s one New Year post you actually need to read, it’s this one.

Why? Because this one is you-centred.

And here’s a gentle reminder: blog posts are just entertainment unless you translate them into action. So before you keep reading, do this:

• 📱 Set two reminders on your phone: one for 2 weeks from today and one for 6 weeks from today titled:

• “Review: Am I actually implementing what I said I would?”

Okay, let's dive into how we'll make 2026 our best year yet.

1. Get real about what you actually want

This part can feel the hardest.

Not because you don’t have dreams, but because it’s so easy to be influenced by what everyone else is doing. Should I want a promotion? A gym body? A business? A partner? A house?

Let’s strip it back.

Grab a blank piece of paper and write down these 7 areas:

• Finances

• Relationships

• Health

• Career

• Travel & Experience

• Emotional wellness/mindset

• Impact on the world

First, look back at the past year.

For each area, give yourself a score out of 10 and write a sentence or two explaining why.

For example:

Health – 5/10: “I was inconsistent with movement, lots of stress eating, but I started walking more in the last few months.”

Then, on the same page, look forward to the end of 2026.

For each area, describe what you want it to look like in the present tense, as if it’s already true:

• “I move my body 3–4 times a week in a way I enjoy.”

• “I feel confident managing my money and I save consistently.”

• “I pour into a few meaningful friendships and feel supported.”

Think big. Don’t let your current circumstances shrink your vision.

If you can, I’d also recommend taking a short break from social media while you do this. Other people’s lives can quietly convince us to want things that we don’t actually care about.

This part is about you.

2. Build systems, not just goals

Goals are cute. Systems are powerful.

In the words of James Clear, “You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”

Your systems are the bridge between where you scored yourself last year and who you want to be by the end of 2026.

So ask yourself:

What does someone with a six-figure business actually do weekly?

What does a healthier version of me do with my evenings?

How does someone who’s growing in their career treat learning?

How much time does Future Me spend scrolling?

Now, turn that into systems.

Systems are simple, repeatable patterns you follow daily, weekly, and monthly. For example:

• Daily system (health): “I go for a 20-minute walk after lunch.”

• Weekly system (finances): “I do a 30-minute money check-in every Sunday.”

• Monthly system (career): “I complete one mini-course, tutorial, or project.”

Get specific. “Be healthier” is not a system, “stretch for 5 minutes after my shower” is.

Your life changes when your rhythms change.

3. Review, review, review

This is where most of us fall off.

We set beautiful intentions in January… and then don’t look at them again until October and wonder what happened.

Your goals need contact.

I like to build this into my mornings through journaling. At the start of the day, I ask myself:

> “What’s one thing I can do today that moves me closer to my goal?”

Just one thing. Not twenty.

Some ideas:

• A daily reflection question in your notes app

• A weekly review on a Sunday evening

• A quick monthly check-in where you re-read your vision for 2026

You want your goals to be so familiar and so deeply woven into your days that you start moving towards them almost subconsciously.

Remember those reminders I asked you to set at the start? When they go off, come back to this: Am I actually doing what I said I wanted to do? If yes, celebrate. If no, gently recalibrate.

4. Don’t do it alone

You are not an island.There’s a popular African proverb:

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

Personally? I don’t fully agree. I believe the right community helps you go fast and far.

So let 2026 be the year you:

• Tell someone you trust about your goals

• Find an accountability partner or group

• Host a “goal-setting brunch” or “vision night” with friends

• Do regular check-ins, monthly or quarterly, to share progress

There is something so life-giving about doing this journey with other people. You are more likely to keep going when you feel seen, supported, and reminded of who you said you wanted to become.

Let people walk with you.

I did this in 2025, and the way it transformed my year was wild. Don’t let 2026 pass you by.

I am so excited to hear how you thrive this year.

Until next time,

Ruth