New Year’s Resolutions after 2/3rds of 2026

For some reason, my New Year’s Resolution Updates are my most-read Blogs. So, OK. Hello to seven of you.

Not only has another month gone by, it’s September 1st and we’re 2/3rds of the way through 2026.

Ahem . . . my 2026 goals. Not exactly crushing them, but I’m ticking some things off my list.

Here’s one thing I did . . . I put my Resolutions into a spreadsheet. This is like organizing your desk and sharpening your pencils when you sit down to do your taxes (aka procrastination), but I think that’s human nature. Because, making the spreadsheet (like actually doing your taxes or balancing your checkbook) forces me to come face to face with my failures. As the kids say, whatevs. Is what it is. The spreadsheet does feel a little like “winning.” It’s a conglomeration (I know fancy words) of New Year’s Resolutions, Lenten Promises and my soon-to-make-me-famous “Resolution A Day”!

The biggest thing I’m missing is (a) look at my list every morning, (b) look at my list every night, (c) track my progress and activities, and (d) execute. Did I say “the biggest thing?” I think I meant to say the four biggest things.

WORK AT WORK (8:15 P.M.-5:15 PM.) – 100%. This has been a gamechanger, even if it probably makes me look antisocial at times. Focusing on not picking up my phone to look at social media, or text with my college buddies, or with the fam’ about non-important stuff (aka “who ate the rest of the bean dip” or “anyone need anything at Costco”) is highly satisfying. Exhausting at times. And maybe everyone else does it easily and naturally (tho not from what I’ve observed over the years). But it has shown tangible, measurable benefits and unseen benefits of better evenings and better sleep becuase I feel a sense of “I couldn’t possibly have done more at work than what I did, today.” I’ve been Time Block Planning to keep me on course each day.

WAKE UP AT 5:25 A.M. EVERY DAY AND STICK TO A STRICT ROUTINE: 50%.

WRITE IN MY JOURNAL FOR :15-MINUTES EVERY DAY: 33%. This is something every guru and self-help coach says to do. Good for calming the mind. Good for the brain because you slowly write by hand and create letters and handwriting slows your mind and your thoughts versus typing or dictating into a recorder. I really do love it, but sometimes I grab that super cool, paper, charming journal . . . open it . . . and write something like, “last night we had pulled pork sandwiches and WOW were they good. I love Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ sauce. Hey, this is a nice pencil.” I’m OK with writing when I have something to say to my journal.

READ FOR :15-MINUTES BEFORE BED: 100% I’m really happy with this one. It’s helped because I created a Book Club with my college buddies and on top of that, I’ve finished 2 John Grisham novels, 3 books about money and finance, and I re-read So Good They Can’t Ignore You. 7 books! For me? That’s a record. Plus, I don’t remember ever having a sleep-streak like this (“sleep streak” being days-in-a-row of not waking at night and/or waking and feeling panic and dread).

Every Month and Every Quarter, Analyze New Year’s Resolution Progress: 100% This is pretty easy, actually. I’m learning to deal with my failings and celebrating my successes.

FOLLOW A STRICT MORNING ROUTINE THAT STARTS AT 5:25 A.M.: 50% See above.

POWER WEEKENDS: 100%. I kinda was already doing this, but I go into the weekend with a detailed To-Do list and plan. Makes Sunday night feel very fulfilling.

JOURNAL PROJECT: 15%

Work Toward 10 Pull-Ups, 10 Chin-Ups, and 100 Push-Ups: 20%. I can do 1 pull-up starting at a dead hang. I can do 2 chin-ups starting from a dead hang. I can do 55 push-ups.

150 Minutes of Exercise Per Week (75 Minutes of it being Strength Training): 0%. Haven’t been tracking. But I think I’ve been doing about 1/2-hour daily.

Block out 3x daily for 5-Minute Slow Breathing (aka meditation): 0%. I may not do this because I’m doing deep breathing while driving.

Reduce Screentime to < 2 Hours Per Day: 75%

Write my books 15-30 Minutes Per Day: 0%

Read 1-Book Per Month (but my actual goal is 2-Books Per Month … 1 fiction, 1 non-fiction): 100%

Start a Podcast with my College Friends: I’m going to say 50% … because I do have a Podcast and figured out how to do it. Now gotta write a show and invite my college buddies.

Go to 10 Moth Events (with plans to tell a story): 20%. I’ve told stories twice so far this year.

Organize and Use my YouTube Channel: 20% This is fun but I’ve been terrible about my YouTube Channel. It’s everything. It’s some home videos. It’s some random challenges and funny things from various moments. It’s a portfolio of my advertising clients. It’s a disaster. I might just Unpublish everything and rebuild it. Some stuff has no business still being up on YouTube.

Organize my Photos: 30% Here’s something else fun and I would devote lots more time to organizing my photos but I have well over 500 old photos (in boxes and album) and then THOUSANDS of digital photos and I have an idea for a system that will be scanning, Folders (on my computer), Categories, and getting everything sequential and then Tagging photos with names and places. Is it ultimately going to be worth it to anyone? I’m gonna say definitely maybe … maybe my kids and grandkids will all appreciate my hard work some day.

Learn about Investing and Make a 10- and 15-Year Plan: 100% Thanks to Mike O’Brien at Schwartz & Co. in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan … I have a plan. I felt a little embarrassed asking a real-life financial advisor to help me put a plan in place for my finances. Embarrassed because I’m pretty small potatoes. My primary goal is this… when I turn 65, don’t be living in a box. Turns out, by doing the absolute bare minimum and being married to someone also doing the bare minimum, we won’t be living in a box. And we might be able to afford shelter, a car, and groceries. My approach to retirement had been Bury-My-Head-in-the Sand and Hope Things Just-Kinda-Work-Out. Mike O’Brien showed me a very different way to look at retirement and I’m incredibly grateful and my quality of sleep (because I have one less thing to worry about) improved immediately.

Do Walter Green’s “Say It Now”: 0%

NEW STUFF ADDED MID-YEAR

Then, of course, I’ve added some other things as the year went along.

Livoing More Green and Sustainable: I started a compost bin. I’m using wood pencils instead of pens. I’m using bar soap that’s earth friendly and comes in a recyclable cardboard package made from recyclable paper. I continue to recycle plastic, glass, and paper (even tho I know that might be mostly pointless). I converted my wardrobe to Cotton and Wool only as well as my bed sheets. I’m experimenting with line drying only (and loving it).

Weigh 155 pounds: I’m at 171. Started at 178.

NEW STUFF I’M ADDING RIGHT NOW

Restart Homework for Life:

Eat Like My Doctor Told me I Have High Cholesterol: Small, sensible breakfast. High quality oatmeal for lunch. My super green super smoothie daily (because I need my green and veggies and I hate eathing them). No snacking at night Sunday night through Wednesday night. Maybe Thursday, too.

And there you have it. I’m (we’re) 2/3rds of the way through the year.