The 2026 Game Plan With No R-Word Required
Batteries optional.
Happy 2026!
Since today’s newsletter publishes on New Year’s Day, I really wanted to come to you with a fresh angle for the whole resolution business. Like, something ground breaking that you’d never thought of before.
I put a lot of thought into this.
Listened to podcasts. Watched a lot of YouTubes.
My conclusion?
The only thing more exhausting than thinking of your own resolutions is coming up with enticing ways for others to make and keep their resolutions.
I mean, seriously.
If I’m not sure what resolutions I’ll be following in 2026 and how long I’ll stick to them… what kind of an authority am I?
RIGHT?
So, while I knew I’d have no trouble coming up with links and tips about how to welcome in 2026 (as you’ll see in the next section), I didn’t have any grand revelations on how to make the most of the upcoming year.
I hadn’t seen anything new or especially profound…until I was scrolling on LinkedIn and read a post that made me think about how I wanted to live my life in the New Year (and in general).
The post came from Javier Suarez Sanchez, the Wellness Director at Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas:
Further, Javier included a graphic that looked like this:
Which I recreated and decided to adopt in 2026…
After reading the story of the fisherman & the banker, I realized that any resolutions I might make are just part of my life’s “big picture” that I work on each day.
While I’m not exactly looking to move to a coastal village (or am I?)… I will follow the fisherman’s philosophy… to work hard, take care of my health, spend time with my family & friends, and do the things I need to do to live my best life.
This doesn’t mean I’ll be slacking off or not going for big things.
Instead, I want to focus on the important things that will help me achieve my goals—and spend less time on the “extra stuff” that gets in the way, like stress, clutter, nonsensical obsessions, and things I don’t need.
Simplicity and common sense will be my guide, not a list of do’s and don’ts that I may or may not follow.
Now, I’m not saying my New Year’s philosophy is the end-all-be-all. I’m also not dissing resolutions.
I think when it comes down to it, it’s about fine tuning our lives in order to feel better, do better, and spend more time doing what we love, with the people we love.
Less nonsense, more good sense in 2026.
How does that sound?
Happy New Year!
And with that… let’s get to the first links of 2026!
Nothing like starting 2026 with good advice:
First, advice from readers of the NY Times Newsletter The Morning by Melissa Kirsch:
On decluttering: If you didn’t own it, would you buy it again? - Margaret Roberts, Kodiak, Alaska
On being more present: Put away your phone whenever there is a human being in front of you. - Emily Herrick, Vashon, Wash.
If you’re working on your 2026 game plan:
Got 12 minutes? Jesse Itzler (you might have heard of his wife, Spanx Founder Sarah Lively) is the founder of the Big A## Calendar and has a way to plan a fabulous 2026. Great video.
Here’s how to become unrecognizable in business and in life in 2026.
Mel Robbins tells us how to make 2026 the Best Year with these six questions.
Maybe you don’t even care if 2026 is your best year; you just want it to be easier. Here are 19 ways to catch a break.
I’ve shared a lot of methods to help us get some Z’s. But have you tried a dark shower before bed?
Calling all SuperAgers… here are the top longevity books of 2025 (to read in 2026).
Eating in 2026 - let’s just try to be clean & healthy:
Need something quick and easy for your next brunch? How about this super simple quiche?
Also, I just want
