Goals are glorious…until they vanish

A few weeks back I asked everyone in a room I was in what their goals were for 2026 - any resolutions? Crickets. I felt like a fish out of water. Is it because so many of us have let ourselves down that our goals just vanish like mist? Where do we find the courage to dream again?

Something I Learned This Week

As the world somehow seems like it more closely aligns with a spy thriller novel, I have been fascinated by the difference in opinions on socialism and capitalism. I found that some polls in recent years show a growing segment of Millennials and Gen Z favor socialism over capitalism - some see this as a bad thing - some as a good thing - their sentiments stem largely because the ‘American Dream’ isn’t working for them - So much so that Gen Z - is so fed up with the dream being a fantasy that 37% have turned to sports betting and other forms of addictions (not alcohol) in hopes something will help them escape the doom loop of not being able to enjoy and afford the life they dreamed of.

Last year I had 3 goals:

Best physical shape of my life - Mirror mirror on the wall says - Success ✔️

Best biomarker condition ever - Function Health and Whoop say - Success ✔️

Write another book - KingMakers - I started it, but about halfway through I realized, this isn’t the right book for this season of life. - On Pause - I still say success - ✔️

This year, I’m hoping to build on the first two but I’ve got another one I will share about in a few weeks that has been my dream for nearly 15 years.

Successful Goal Strategy

What I have found helps me achieve the goals I have:

Make it bitesized

Make it pleasurable

Make it a daily routine

If for example, your goal is best shape of your life - what are the habits of someone who is in the shape you want to be in? Do you believe if someone practices those habits consistently over the course of a year or two they will look and feel differently? When I think of guys like Mark Wahlberg who are in amazing shape, they didn’t do that overnight - they created a habit that they repeat most days every week.

James Clear makes the best case for this idea that small habits repeated lead to big goals achieved.

If I could give you any encouragement this year it’s this:

1 - Start with a goal you want to enjoy in your life in the next 12 months.

2 - What are the daily habits that someone who enjoys this goal likely has? Write those down.

3 - Take out your calendar and add at least 15-30 minutes of these new habits into your daily schedule that if repeated 3-5x per week will likely lead to outcomes that people with those habits enjoy every day.

One more thing - this study shows the secret to achieving goals is that you need to enjoy the journey.

Confession - It’s ok to ask for help

Two years ago, I realized I was lazy. I sat most days, I did some farm chores but if I was being honest - I was lazy. So I found an app where I could have a trainer nudge me each week to workout and help me create workouts that challenged me but that I enjoyed. I knew that someone who lifts heavy weights 3+ times per week has muscles, has more testosterone, has more energy, thinks better and lives longer - I wanted all those things. Those workouts made their way into my calendar and now I can say my life is drastically different - but it took identifying habits that if repeated lead to results. Not setting a goal and then just holding my breath until it magically happened.

This will be your best year yet, I’m committed to sharing tools and insights that I have learned that I think will encourage you in your journey each week.

-Jared

P.S. - My wife has a beautiful newsletter where she shares her perspectives on tending the land, recipes, women’s health and more.

I’d love to hear your goals for 2026.

I write this newsletter each week because I feel my best when my body, mind and soul are all healthy. I want the same for you. If you feel like you’ve seen something valuable here, please do me a favor and forward this newsletter to a friend or let me know what you think by replying to this email or texting me - (310) 879-8441

P.S. - This newsletter does not provide medical advice. The content, such as graphics, images, text, and all other materials, is provided for reference and educational purposes only. The content is not meant to be complete or exhaustive or to be applicable to any specific individual's medical condition.

Here are a few other links to things that have changed my life:

Whoop - Track your HRV and REM Sleep

Function Health - Optimize Your Health via 160+ BioMarkers

Here are a few topics I think you’ll love if you haven’t checked them out before:

How to Breathe for Better Health

How to Supercharge Your Sleep

The Power of the Sauna