There used to be a moment at the end of every December where I felt that quiet tension in my chest...
The year is almost over…the next one is knocking at your door…and you start asking the same question every person asks…
“What am I going to do differently next year?”
Most people answer with resolutions.
Resolutions are wishes…dressed up as commitments...
Goals are different...goals require clarity…action…urgency…and accountability...goals demand you become someone bigger than your current habits.
Resolutions let you stay the same as long as you feel guilty enough...
2026 is too important for resolutions.
This year has to be different…this year has to matter…this year has to be the one where you stop circling your potential and start stepping into it.
Here is how you build the greatest year of your life…starting now.
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Make the Important Things Urgent
We treat the most important parts of our lives like they can wait.
Family…Growth…Purpose...Health…Wealth…
We all say these words with conviction...
But our calendars tell the truth.
Urgency is not panic…urgency is clarity...urgency says:
Put the first things first.
My health cannot wait.
My wealth cannot wait.
My marriage cannot wait.
My kids cannot wait.
My mission cannot wait.
My inner work cannot wait.
Write them down...if you skip this step, you will likely fail.
There is something about writing down your commitments and reading them regularly...I read mine out loud to myself, in the morning and before I go to bed...sounds crazy, but you believing in you is half the battle...
Urgency is how you respect the future version of yourself...sadly, most people only become urgent once one of these fails (ie health)...don't let that be your reason.
Family…Your Real Why
I have turned down big jobs with big salaries because they would have cost me time my family...
Weekly travel…no time with Chantale…missing the moments that matter.
Money is great…but your family is your legacy...nobody on their death bed says they wish they had spent more time at work...
Make 2026 the year your family feels your presence…your leadership…your love…your strength…your integrity…your time.
You cannot win the world and lose the people waiting at home.
Self Growth…The Work No One Sees
Here is the truth…the version of you who can build the life you want…is not the version of you who is reading this.
Growth is uncomfortable…but staying the same is infinitely more painful...trust me, I know this better than most...
I had a ton of work to do...picture me having to walk up a mountain...that was the amount of growth I needed...
Reading…reflecting…eliminating existing bad habits that were taking me in the wrong direction…getting around the right people (and shaking off some dead weight at the same time)…asking for help (harder than it seems for some)…and telling the truth to the person in the mirror, even when your voice shakes.
The good news is that ALL of this pain from growth has incredible value...
Your stories matter.
Your experiences matter.
Your scars matter.
They have and will continue to shape you…and they will help someone else when you start sharing them.
Your voice is more powerful than you think.
2026 is the year you stop whispering your story…and start using it.
Health… The First Pillar
Your body does not lie.
It tells the story of your habits…your stress…your choices…your discipline...your priorities.
I distinctly remember a conversation about my health, with my brother Tim (who runs a gym), during a time when I was making loads of money but definitely not concerned about what I was shoving in my face or the lack of exercise in my routine...and I very proudly proclaimed I was knowingly sacrificing my health in order to make money...like that was some sort of badge of honor or something...stupid, stupid, stupid.
The thing about health is, if you keep waiting, it actually gets harder...so you might as well start sooner rather than later.
You want a powerful year…start with a powerful body.
Move every day…not to look good…but to become capable…resilient…strong from the inside out.
When you train your body…you train your mind…your spirit…your leadership…your confidence.
2026 will not be your best year if you drag your tired body through it.
Build the foundation now...commit to daily walks and build your routine from there...you'll be surprised how much easier it gets when you start small versus jumping into the deep end and bailing on that gym membership before the end of January...
Wealth…Not for Ego, For Freedom
I have carried financial pressure ever since our first child was born (2002) and we decided that Chantale would be a stay at home mom (one of our best parenting decisions ever, if I do say so myself)...
And even though, if we got a mulligan, we would make the same decision again, it has not been without stress and sacrifice...
I've lived in the space where every decision feels heavier than it should...I've had to dig into investments just to keep the lights on…and still show up for my family like everything was fine.
Now I'm not saying that money will bring you happiness...but I've had money and not had money, and, given the choice, I choose to have money.
Wealth is not about luxury…it's about breathing room…stability…options...and freedom.
We found that we needed to really work (and continue to work) at budgeting and finances...
Get control of your expenses...build multiple streams of income…protect your peace (stop buying things you don't really need)…build your skills…make moves you will thank yourself for later.
2026 is the year you stop surviving…and start building.
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Here are 2 Questions That Change Everything
The first one is probably what you expect...
What would your life look one year from now if you made the important things urgent?
Nothing mindblowing yet...but can you see it? What your life could look like?
The one that finally made me move was this:
What does your life look like if you change nothing? And what does that picture look like?
If you don't like how that looks or feels, then you've got your marching orders.
Your family…your growth…your identity…your health…your wealth…your mission.
Not someday…not eventually…not “after the holidays”…
Now.
Urgency creates greatness…discipline sustains it…alignment makes it meaningful.
2026 is not going to be your best year by accident.
It will be your best year because you made it impossible for it not to be.
You have to start by making the decision...write it down (DO NOT SKIP THIS)...and get going.
Coffee is done…but the work starts now...your best year ever is loading...you up for this?
WHAT I’M LISTENING TO
Always have some Luke Combs playing (my #1 artist this year)… “Better Together”… because the right people in your life make every year stronger than it should be.
WHAT I’M READING
"Grow" by Mike Fata…seems appropriate given the theme of this newsletter!!!
WHAT I’M WATCHING
Yellowstone...making sure I've got my Rip fix...that dude is a DUDE.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“Do something today your future self will thank you for.”
COFFEE WITH CHRIS REFLECTION
What is the one area of your life that can no longer wait?
And what is the smallest possible step you can take today to honor it?
Take that step today...make it urgent...let urgency reshape your entire year.
