2026 Resolutions (1st Month Update)

“Who’s this update for,” you ask? It’s for me. You know the old saying about goals … something, something … write them down … make them measurable.  Something, something.  Adjust, evaluate, and …something, something … don’t give up.

Smart guy Gary Vaynerchuk says it over and over again … “you have SO MUCH time.” I do (especially with football almost over). But I need to assess how I use my time and what better way than to look at the first 30-days of 2026 and see how I’m doing on my Resolutions.

I’ll do this monthly (there’s another Resolution). No way to know how I’m doing if I’m not tracking.

Work at work and only work at work 8:15-5:15 every day. No hobbies or silliness or errands during the workday

• January had 19 Workdays. This has been exhausting, believe it or not. But I’m doing it. Fixed up my morning routing and when I leave-the-house to arrive and be ready-to-work by 8:15 and I’m pretty close. I don’t keep a daily log, but longer-than-needed lunch hours have been reduced, third and fourth cups of coffee ain’t happening, and I’m Timeblock Planning every day. Every minute has an assigment.

Wake up at 5:25 and have a strict morning routine Mon-Fri

• 100%. I’m not even hitting my snooze. The “routine” that follows that 5:25 a.m. wake-up call needs work and discipline, but 100% on the 5:25 a.m. thing (helped by my refocus on strict “reading in bed by 10:15 p.m.)

Write in my journal for 15-minutes every day

• 60%.  In 31 days, I made 19 journal entries

Read for 15-minutes before bed

• 5% … I’m still in the bad habit of watching YouTube on my iPhone in bed rather than reading

Every Month and Every Quarter, Review and Assess my New Year’s Resolution Progress

• One for one.

Develop a Strict Morning Routine that starts at 5:25 a.m.

• See above. I’m 100% on the 5:25 a.m. wake-up.  I’m working on the “routine”.  It should be (a) craft a cuppa coffee, (b) journal-for-15, (c) deep breathing and stretching, (d) dishwasher, (e) breakfast, shower, get dressed, morning chores, (f) leave for work @ 7:55 . . . there’s this gap between 7:15 a.m. and 7:55 a.m. where I need to do something.

Power Weekends (aka have a plan for each weekend and don’t just sleep in and do nothing … writing ths, it’s currently 9:52 a.m. on a Sunday and I haven’t even had breakfast or done anything)

• Fail. 4.5 weekends and I’m kinda “loafing”.  Part of me says, “that’s what weekends are for” and part of me says “loafing leads to Sunday Scaries”

Work-Only while at Work (8:15 a.m. – 5:15 p.m. daily)

• Gonna say 80%.  I *know* I’ve been lazy and procrastinated a couple times, at least

Restart my Journal Project (reviewing and editing all my old journals)

• No progress

Be able to do 10 Pull-Ups, 10 Chin-Ups, and 100 Push-Ups

• No progress

150 Minutes of Exercise Per Week (75 Minutes of it being Strength Training)

• I’m averaging about 60 minutes. Derailed by a stomach flu and now a bad head cold

Block out 3x daily for 5-Minute Slow Breathing (aka meditation)

• 100% … I look forward to it so I’m doing it

Spend less time on my iPhone (goal:  < 2 hours)

• No progress. I was keeping a chart last year but didn’t do anything in January

Work every day for min. 15-minutes on finishing my two books

• No progress

Read 1-Book Per Month (but my actual goal is 2-Books Per Month … 1 fiction, 1 non-fiction)

• 100%. I finished a book about breathing.

Start a Podcast with my College friends

• No progress

Go to 10 Moth events with the intention of telling a story

• I might go 2/5 if I can kick this head cold

Organize my YouTube Channel

• No progress

Organize my Photos

• No progress

Implement Walter Green’s “Say It Now” (video below) into my year

• I made a list. I talked to my Father-In-Law.  It felt great to tell him great things.

And finally, I’m adding things as I think about them. Looking above, I’m not sure how to give myself a letter grade, but I don’t feel like I’m failing. I’m making progress. See you next month.

New Stuff:

• Learn about Investing and Make a 10- and 15-Year Plan
• Plan Weekends (Don’t Float and Coast thru the Weekend)