The Year That Changes Everything: How to Enter the New Year With Clarity, Conviction and Control

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most people enter the new year emotionally charged, but strategically empty. And that's what this, this segment is really gonna be about. It's, it's kind of like taking out the idea of motivation and leaning more towards habits, towards systems, things, things that actually sustain themselves. Because I think, I think what happens during the new year is a lot of people, they're really excited and they have all this motivation and all this new year excitement, but then the motivation kind of fades as, as the days go by, life is life and bills are billing, and it, it just kind of fades after a while. But this is a big reason why with within our community, we start weeks prior because you want to get momentum. You wanna have systems in place, habits in place, and habits that just don't happen overnight, right? Habits are things that you have to kind of work on over a prolonged period of time. So as a community, we, we start early for that reason. We wanna go into the new year just with that momentum. Now, I know that typically for a lot of people, Christmas, new Year's, it, it kind of knocks people off of, of their, their systems, their rituals, their daily method of operation, if you will. And right now, since we're kicking off the new year, it's a great time to just get reset with everything. Okay? And, uh, that's what we're gonna be covering a lot on, is really just going over a lot of systems, habits, things that could actually sustain. Now, uh, remember this January doesn't change lives. Decisions do motivation fades fast, but identity lasts long. So this year won't be different unless you are. Okay. So that's, that's one of the biggest aspects of what we're gonna talk about, is really changing yourself from within. So this episode isn't gonna be about hype, it's more about alignment. It's about entering 2026 with intention instead of just hope. Okay? And I know hope, hope is a beautiful thing. I, I believe hope can be a weapon, you know, a weapon in, in a positive way. When, when you're down and out, when you're, you're kind of navigating through the valley of life. Uh, hope can be a very, very powerful thing. But you also wanna be a person that takes action. You wanna be a person that is moving with intention, not just hope, but also intention on what, what you want for your life. So let's get us kick started with some life hack hacks and fun facts. The very first life hack that I'm gonna share with you guys before we jump into today's main topic is choose a non-negotiable identity. So instead of resolutions, decide this year, I am the type of person who, for example, keeps promises to myself, does hard things, even when it's uncomfortable, moves daily toward my goal. So it's more identity centered, right? Instead of just resolutions, it's, it's focusing on changing yourself from within, uh, which is powerful and identity-based behavior beats goal-based motivation every single time. So identity is a big part of just your personal development journey. I talk a lot about identity. And, uh, reason being is because oftentimes, uh, I, I remember hearing my, my mentor say this, he, he mentions how the most powerful force in, in the universe is the human's personality's desire to be congruent with who it believes it is. So think about it, if your identity is someone who's in shape, right? Like I had these last few weeks I've been slacking in the gym, I probably have been averaging anywhere from two to maybe three workouts a week. And, uh, there was one week I, I may have even worked out once or twice for the week and, um, I was kind of like just feeling off. And one thing that I can say about identity is identity will naturally kind of reel you back on on track. So if you're someone who identifies as. A, a person who's fit, a person who has a lot of energy, a person who's in shape or sexy or whatever, then a lot of the times you're going, you're going to do things that are congruent with that. You're gonna do things that are in alignment with that. And the moment you devi deviate off that path, you're going to start to feel off, right? If, if you're someone who identifies as a go-getter, someone who's productive, someone who's ambitious or driven, a lot of your actions are gonna reflect that. So it's super important to remember that identity's a big, big part of your personal development journey. And there's a really good book, uh, that I always recommend, that, uh, I believe it's The Psycho-Cybernetics. Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, I believe is the author. And it, it talks all about identity, self-image, all of those things. And it is a big part of your journey. So. Again this year it's, it's less about resolutions and it's more about the type of type of person you want to become. Okay, next up we have life hack number two is design your days before life designs them. It's really, really good. And what does that even mean? So you wanna choose one daily anchor habit. So it can be movement, reading, journaling, prayer, meditation, planning, whatever it is. But choose one daily anchor habit and you, you wanna stick to it. Um, and I, I know I have multiple. Uh, let, let's just say, you know, habit anchors, if you will, uh, that I have throughout the day. So prayer, meditation is a big, big part of my life. Like even just before jumping onto this breakfast club, I'm like in my closet doing prayer, meditation, and it, it is just a really great way to set the tone for the day to be connected. And, you know, I'm just a firm believer as well that we are children of God, right? So God, God dwells within us and it's having a connection with your spiritual life and, and being very in tune spiritually is by far. Maybe, I don't even wanna say, maybe it's, it's, it's, it's definitely the most important aspect or the most important thing you can do with your life is just going, getting connected with your, your creator, getting connected with source, because that's where we came from and that's where we're going. And throughout the course of your life, it will absolutely help you in a lot of different ways. So for me, connecting with that aspect of myself coming home to myself, if you will, because it's so easy to get distracted with the everyday world. It's so easy to get inundated with so many different aspects of life. Right. But getting in tune spiritually is just really a, a coming back home to yourself. And it's just a great way to, to keep yourself grounded and to also persevere through life because there, there are gonna be a lot of moments throughout your life where it's just very difficult. It's very tough, and life is life in, and you need that perseverance. And having that, that sense of connection with, with your, with your creator is just powerful. And it most certainly has helped me through, through so many different, you know, seasons of my life. Next, uh, is stack it with something they already do, right? So, in terms of designing your days, you wanna stack it with something that you already do. So maybe you already go for a walk in the morning and I, I like to refer to this as pleasure stacking, so. If you like personal development and podcasts and maybe the Breakfast Club, then you can stack the Breakfast Club. For example, let's say you're on Facebook or Instagram or tuning into the podcast, you can just go for your walk and stack it. Or if you're going for a workout, you can do the workout plus the audio and, and stack these, these, these values if you will, or stack things that you, you know, that are, are conducive to your overall wellbeing. So stack your habits. It, it definitely helps in a lot of ways. Some, sometimes I'll have seasons where I'm, I'm really adamant about getting back in shape and I'll stack my shower, for example, with 50 pushups right before I jump into the showers. Things like that, that, that go a long way. Next we have protected like a meeting with your future self. So in terms of designing your day, you wanna be very intentional about just protecting your day. And it's, again, it's protecting it like a meeting with your future self. So every, every time you do something that's good for you, remember it's, it's something that your future self can thank you for. It's something that, I mean, think about, think about your life over the last five to 10 years. There are things that you may have done over the last five to 10 years that you're, your, the version of you today can thank you for things that you did, that you are reaping the benefits from five to 10 years ago. Isn't this true? Maybe it was getting that college degree, maybe it was putting in that work with the business. Maybe it was building your brand, maybe it was just staying consistent with your workouts. But there are things today that you are reaping the benefit from that you did. Right. 5, 10, 15 plus years ago. So I, I think for example, um. You know, when it, when it comes to my life and my family life, there are a lot of, I would say, emotional deposits that I've made into my family over the last several years that I'm reaping the benefits from today. So I have a great relationship with my, my children, with my wife, and there's been a lot of time invested nurturing this relationship, right? I have great relationships with my friends, but there have been a lot of those emotional deposits, a lot of that time that the, you know, the greatest resource that you have really is your time. So, yeah, you can help people financially, you can help people by just giving them resources, but ultimately, your time is going to be by far one of the best things that you can do to invest in relationships is, or the best gift that you can give, right? They say the, the present, the best present is the present moment. So. Investing, investing that, that time investing, those emotional deposits go a long way. I think about even, even with the Breakfast Club, right? So I, I started the Breakfast Club over, uh, about 10 years ago. I, I, if I'm not mistaken, probably around like 20 15, 20 16 is when I started meeting with our community in person. And to think that I've been doing this every single week now for over 10 years is just crazy. And when I reflect back on it though, those, those, the deposits, if you will, the time spent nurturing the community, it most certainly has led to the work that I do today in podcasting, coaching, consulting, speaking around the world, all of that, it most certainly has benefited me. So there, there are things in your life, and the reason why I even bring this up is because there are things in your life today that you can do. Five years from, from from now, 10 years from now, you're still reaping the benefits from things that you've done, even traveling. For example, my wife and I were reflecting on this the other day. We were going for a walk and we were just kind of reflecting on our past year, and one of the things that we spoke about was our trip to Spain and Portugal. And it probably wasn't the best timing in terms of everything we had going on, but when we think about the benefit of it, right, making that sacrifice, even sending our kids off to The Bahamas for the summer with their grandparents, that that was most certainly a sacrifice and it was absolutely worth it because they got to really cultivate that relationship with their grandparents and, and spend that quality time. And it's a blessing to have grandparents, right? It's a blessing to even be able to travel. And I want you to think about just this upcoming year, what do you really want for yourself? What? What are you going to do this year that your future self will thank you for that next year? When you look back at this year, you're like, wow, I'm so happy that I did that. So again, it's moving with intention. That's really the biggest thing. And you wanna protect your days, protect your weeks, protect your time overall, be very intentional and deliberate with who you spend your time with and what you spend your time doing. Okay? Now remember this, your calendar reveals your priorities more honestly than your mouth. How powerful is that? Your calendar reveals your priorities more honestly than your mouth. There's a lot of people who talk, talk, but they don't walk the walk. There's a lot of people who talk a good game, but when it really comes down to it, when you, when you look back at their actions, it doesn't necessarily necessarily reflect that. So what are you going to do differently this year? Not just talking about it, but being about it, okay. And, and being intentional about how you go about your calendar. You guys, if you follow my work. You know that I, oftentimes, I talk about calendar optimization, I talk about daily method of operation, weekly method of operation, right? Your DMO or WMO, and that's how you essentially structure your, your day-to-day life. And you have to, you have to set your intention for how you live. I can't stress this more than, more, more than anything. Like I, I always talk about it because it just boggles my mind how people wanna take their lives to the next level, but they don't schedule certain things in, like, there's no way I'd be able to sustain like a family of five, multiple businesses commu a community of thousands of people all around the world. There's no way a, a, a podcast that, you know, I'm shooting episodes all the time, working, pushing out content all the time, taking care of my health. There's no way I'd be able to sustain that if those things weren't scheduled in. Just, I, I mean, because what happens is you do things when you feel like doing them, not when you know you should be doing them. And I remember a mentor of mine saying to me years ago that you have to do what you know, not what you feel because you're not really ever gonna feel like going through resistance. You're not ever gonna feel like subjecting yourself to pain and getting up earlier and lifting the weights or going for the run, right? Or having those hard, hard conversations or getting rejected with your business. Like it's not something that comes natural to us. So if you're going to go through this resistance, you have to armor yourself, if you will. You have to armor yourself. And when I say armor yourself, I really talk about armor symbolically with just ways that, that you go about your life that are actually assisting you. When you're battling through life and you're going through all these different obstacles, these different challenges, right? How do you armor yourself? How do you put systems in place? How do you just, let's say, partner up with, with people who are on this journey and, and load up the troops, armor yourself. So now like you're really equipped to take on whatever it is that you need to take on for the day. Because the fact of the matter is when it comes to like things that are great for you, like things that you really wanna do with your life, those things require resistance. You going through resistance, you going through challenges. The hard is the heart is actually what makes an opportunity an opportunity. I talk about this all the time, like embracing the heart, because if it weren't hard, everybody would have it. Everybody would do it. And if everybody had what you want, you probably wouldn't value it as much. So you have to get really good at doing hard things. That's really what it comes down to. You've gotta get good at perseverance. You've gotta get good at resilience. And that's why systems and habits and rituals, all these different things are essential on your journey because those things are the armor, right? And, and having strategic alliances with, with people that could help take you to the next level. That's what it's about. That's how you armor yourself and, and essentially, let's say, grow your troops, right? Getting with people who are in alignment or getting with people who are on a similar mission to you. So we're gonna be talking a lot of stuff about that now, life hack number three is create a personal end of year filter. Create a personal end of year filter. What does that mean? So you want to ask before saying yes. This year. Does this align with my values? So before you say anything or yes to anything, ask yourself that. Does this align with my values? You know, it's interesting. I remember in my younger years, and I, I, I wasn't, I clear about my values as I am today. And I remember just getting approached about a lot of different business ventures. Everybody, like every, every month there was just something new. Some, some type of business opportunity, some different business venture people would come to me and I noticed that as I got more and more clear on my values, more and more clear on what I'm here to do and my purpose and alignment, the less those opportunities presented themselves. It, it, it's interesting. It's almost as if people can sense it, right? Like, I'm not even gonna bother reaching out to this brother because he is locked into what he ha he has going on. And remember the man that, or the woman that chases multiple rabbits, catches none as the Chinese proverb states. So if you're all over the place chasing this thing, chasing that thing, remember, clarity of intention is power. So you have to be very crystal clear about what it is that you want. And if you're all over the place, if your brain, your brain is, is one moment doing this goal, the next moment having this dream and this dream. And I, I used to hear people say all the time, like, yeah, I wanna open up the, the hair salon, but I also want to get into real estate and I also want to write a book. And I also want to, you know, do like 1,000,001 things. And the downside to that is you, you sort of become the jack of all trades and the master of nothing. You're just all over the PA place and you're spread very thin, so you have to get good at being very intentional and simplifying what whatever it is that you're doing, like if you want to increase the odds of following through on your goals. This year, my recommendation. Bring it down to like one to three goals, one to three big goals. Like maybe your, your big goal this year is to save up a certain amount of money or restore your credit or buy a home, or lose 20 pounds, whatever, whatever it is for you. And by the way, if you guys don't mind, drop a comment. Let us know what's your big goal for this year? I got some big financial goals. Big business goals, of course. And I'm, I'm really excited for me over the years, as I got more clear on what I'm here to do, I, I noticed that over the years that there aren't like a bunch of new goals. It's pretty much just doing what I'm doing bigger and better. And I'm not sure how many of you guys can relate to that. Like when you're locked into your vision, when you're locked into your purpose, the New Year resolutions is really just expanding upon whatever it is that you're doing. Okay? But you have to ask yourself and get very clear. On these questions. So does this align with your values? Second is, does this move you forward or distract you? Does this move you forward or distract you? Some things that you take on, maybe it's a new passion project. It's just a distraction, and you'll have these things that are taking you away from the things that you really want with your life, okay? So you have to be mindful of that. Don't just take on a bunch of projects because they ultimately do become distractions. Another thing to ask yourself is, will future me? Thank me for this will future me. Thank me for this, as I mentioned earlier. So do stuff today that you can thank yourself for a year from now, five years from now. So these questions instantly upgrade decisions, boundaries, and personal momentum. So they're important to ask yourself right? Next, we have some fun facts for you guys. The very first fun fact we have is most New Year's resolutions fail by January 19th. Not because of laziness, but because people rely on motivation instead of systems. Okay? This is super important and you guys hear me mention all the time, that system can be an acronym for saving yourself some time, energy, and money. Okay? So what systems do you have in place? Those systems can be things like infrastructure for your business. Maybe you're implementing some kind of CRM or or AI automation or whatever for your business, that that system may be calendar optimization. So. Having your calendar booked out for the entire week on the things that you need to be doing. Maybe it's KPIs for your business, maybe it's a workout regimen that you follow, but having a system in place, super important. Okay, fun fact number two, your brain physically rewires itself. When you repeat a habit for roughly 21 to 66 days, depending on complexity, you are literally building a new version of yourself. So why don't most people have certain things become habits, they just haven't stuck with it long enough. You guys who've been a part of my community for years now, you know that I've done tons of 21 days to transformation challenges. And this is just a always a great way to reset. And the 21 Days to transformation challenge has always been super, super beneficial in a lot of ways. And the reason why I I even do it is because it's 21 to-dos. To essentially build momentum in your life. So it's 21 to-dos for 21 days. And by 21 days, these things sort of become ritualized, if you will. They, they become a part of your daily or weekly method of operation. And that's what it's about, right? It's, it's about systems. So last but not least, the, the last fun fact is people who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them, yet fewer than 15% of adults actually do this consistently. Super important. And I, I know I've always been hardheaded when it comes to writing down my goals. I'm just like, yeah, it's already up there. But listen, there's power in actually writing down your goals. So I would encourage you guys, if you don't have any anything to write with, take out a pen and paper, take down something you can write with if you don't have access to a pen and paper at the moment. Uh, or, or just something to write with physically, then just, or you could just have your phone, right? Put it in your notepad or something. But there's power in actually writing out your goals. And less than 15% of people actually take advantage of this. But think about that. If you wanna load yourself up with armor, if you will, from a, you know, symbolic standpoint standpoint, think about it. 40, you're 42% more likely to achieve your goals. And so why not just give it a shot? Okay? If, especially if, if you've been really, really intentional about accomplishing a specific goal, what do you have to lose by writing it down? Okay, so let's jump into today's main topic. And again, today's topic is going to be the year that changes everything. How to enter the new year with clarity, conviction, and control. Okay, let's jump into it. Part one is gonna be on why most people start the year strong. And finish the same. Okay. Um, so why most people start the year strong and finish the same? Um, so the idea is finishing the same, so starting the year strong, but also finishing the same. And we're gonna be talking about, uh, predominantly, uh, emotional versus strategic goal setting. So a lot of people, for example, you're, you're kind of starting out the new year, maybe you, you saw the ball drop like I did and not in person, but we, we were watching it on, on tv, uh, with our kids and you know, we had some friends over and, and family, and we were watching the ball drop. Just super exciting. And the emotions are high and you're just like, wow, we made it through the new year and now we're kicking off the, well, we made it through last year. Now we're kicking off the new year. And everything is emotional. It's built off of emotion. It's built off of excitement. Now, there's nothing wrong with that because oftentimes when we take massive action, typically it's in highly charged emotional states. When we make that decision that enough is enough, right? But oftentimes it just doesn't last. Long term. Long term. Zig Ziglar used to always say that. People always come to him and say, oh, motivation doesn't last. Right? And he was a motivational speaker. For those of you who don't know z uh, he, he passed away many years ago, but he always had powerful stuff that he would say, and he said that people would come to him and say, motivation doesn't last. That's why he always recommends it, like bathing. You gotta do it every day. You, you have to motivate yourself every single day. It's not like it's just gonna last forever. It, it comes and it goes. But that's why strategic goal setting is so important. Having systems, having habits, things that you can do every single day is essential because that's what actually sustains you throughout the course of the year. Another thing is co copying goals. Instead of choosing aligned goals, a lot of people are just copying goals that everybody else has. So, oh, I wanna lose 50 pounds, or, I wanna get married, or I want to start a new business, or whatever. And you're copying everybody else's goals, but when was the last time you kind of reflected on what's most in alignment with where you are in this season of your life? It's, it's so, it cliche to say, oh, well I wanna lose the weight, or I want to just get married, or whatever. Right? But what about goals that are actually in alignment, which is where you are. There's no rush for a lot of these things. And, and it is just important to know what season you're in in your life, because maybe you are not in a baby making season. Maybe you wanna have a child, but maybe, maybe the season right now that's best for you is just getting your financial household in order, right? Just getting, getting things on track. Or maybe spending a season where you're focused on your career and not so much getting into a new relationship. So just seeing what, what, what aligns the most with your values, with also just the season you're in. Another thing is living reactively instead of intentionally. A lot of people are just reacting to life, going with emotion, rolling with the punches, right? And you're like a ping pong ball in a vast ocean, you have no personal power. Everything is always reacting to, to life. Like life sort of is happening to you instead of for you, or at least that's what it feels like. And it isn't important to make sure that you're living with intention intentionally every single day. You have intention with what you're doing with your day. So remember this, if you don't decide what the year means to you, life will decide for you. How powerful is that, right? If you don't decide what the year means to you, life will decide for you. And I always used to share that if you don't live your life with intention, you'll fall into the intentionality of those who do so possibly your, your life. If, if you reflect back on it, if, if you work for someone else, for example, that person you worked for may have had a lot of intention or the company you worked for, there was someone who had intention for what they wanted their life to be like. Hence why they may have started their business or started their company. Right? And oftentimes, people who are just living reactively will maybe just take on a job because they're, they're desperate for income or they just need something to get by and survive. And it's more living reactively instead of intentionally. Whereas if you're building your dreams, you're building a business, right? It's, it's a different ball game. You're living with intention. You actually are, are building something for yourself, okay? And, and a lot of people who go and build their dreams, oftentimes there, there are a lot of people that are naturally gonna gravitate towards that because the person who's building their dreams is living with intention, right? So you don't wanna fall into the intentionality of other people and what they have going on. And that's why it is essential to always be clear on what you're doing with your life. Next pa. The next part of today's segment is, uh, the three pillars of a breakthrough Year. Okay, so the first pillar is clarity. Clarity. What do I want and why? What do you want this year and why? What is it? Or sometimes it, it helps to just think about how you wanna feel, right? Because it's everything that we do is a means to an end emotion. You may want, for example, to start a family, and perhaps you wanna start a family because you're looking for a specific feeling. You don't wanna feel lonely, or you want to feel significant, or you wanna feel a sense of variety or excitement with a new relationship. Or maybe you want financial stability and you just want peace of mind. So it does help to know like, how do you genuinely want to feel? And oftentimes that'll lead you to getting clear on what it is that you truly want and why. Right? Next is what am I no longer available for? Being very clear on what you're no longer available or what you choose not to be available for. So perhaps you were investing a lot of time in relationships that weren't necessarily serving you. You were spending a lot of time doing things that weren't really getting you to where you wanna be in life. And you have to, you have to be intentional about how you use your time if you're gonna make some changes in the new year. Next is clarity on what does a successful year actually look like for you? So think about that and again, take notes on this, or at least write the questions down so you can re reflect on it throughout the day. So clarity on what do I want and why? What am I no longer available for? What does a successful year actually look like for you? I know for me, there were businesses that I've had to just kind of. I don't wanna say let go, but I had to shift my focus on the businesses that were actually moving the needle in my, my financial life, that were actually building the career that I essentially want for myself or envision for myself. So sometimes it's letting go of things. Sometimes it's coming to the realization that, you know what? These things no longer serve me and I have to pivot. Okay? And there's nothing wrong with that. It's not quitting. It's just adapting to the times, adapting to whatever is right for you in that specific season. Now remember this, if this year goes perfectly, what changes about your life? I want you to remember this question. Write it down if you can. If this year goes perfectly, what changes about your life? I. These are questions that essentially provoke thinking around, again, intention and and what it is that you ultimately want. Being very clear on what the year looks like ahead. So I know for me, for example, if this year goes perfect for me, I'm gonna be doing a lot more traveling. There's gonna be a lot more financial abundance, of course, there's going to be a lot more strategic relationships that are built throughout the year. There's going to be a lot more time spent with my children, a lot of those different things. So think about what the perfect year ahead looks like for you. What changes about your life if this year goes perfect. Pillar number two is discipline over motivation. Discipline over motivation. So remember this, motivation is emotional. It's an emotion, and there aren't any emotions that last forever. Like sometimes you're, you're an emotional rollercoaster. There's times where I know at 2025 for me, honestly. You know, people, people think like, oh, because Josh does life coaching. Like, I got all my shit together. And it is just, that couldn't be further from the truth. I, I also have my emotional rollercoaster seasons. It's like you go through challenges, especially if you have a family, especially if you run multiple businesses. There's so many different challenges that you're naturally gonna go through, and there are gonna be a lot of days where you just don't feel like doing it. You don't feel like doing the work. Okay, so motivation is emotional now. It's a powerful source of fuel. Right. And that's why it is important to take some time throughout the day to find ways to motivate yourself. It is a powerful tool, but it's not necessarily sustainable. Okay. So you don't wanna just rely on your emotions. Uh, emotions can be very helpful, but don't rely on them. Okay, because there are just gonna be a lot of days where you are not super motivated. Even getting up this morning, I went to bed around midnight last night and I was not so just energetic and motivated getting up at five in the morning. Okay? Remember this discipline is structural. So discipline is structural. And in 2026, if you're going to take your life to the next level, you need structure. You need to focus on structure more than just motivation. So the idea is systems over willpower. Don't just bank on willing your way to doing what you need to do. Have systems in place, daily method of operation. I'm, you guys are gonna always hear me preaching this to the choir, dmo, right? Getting very clear on, on what you should be doing throughout the course of the day. Okay, so remember discipline over motivation. That's the idea. So motivation is emotional, discipline is structural, and you want to focus on systems more than just willpower. Okay? And some examples of this can be morning routines, having the same morning routine, weekly planning. I know I like to Sunday evenings. I kind of like to just look at the week ahead and see, you know, what I have going on throughout the week. And then you can have accountability structure. So for me, the Breakfast Club has been an accountability structure. I've had accountability groups, coaches, masterminds that I'm a part of. All of that stuff that absolutely has helped. Now, quick Pit stop this year. Uh, talking about accountability, it actually just reminded me we have our, uh, five day challenges that I've been running with our community for the last few weeks. Now, some of you guys, it was the holidays. I get it. You couldn't really participate in the five Day Challenge. I know a lot of you guys, uh, locked arms with me. And the Five Day Challenge is very unique. It's something that I had never done before with, with our community, and it's basically one-on-one. Coaching with me five days, right back to back or five days over the course of a week, and you work with me on whatever it is that you're working on for the year. So it's really just an opportunity to reset and get yourself reboot and get momentum launching into the new year. And I had, uh, some open slots for January specifically. I opened up my calendar for you guys. I don't have slots for everyone. Of course, I had a lot of people reach out to me regarding the challenge. So just DM me the word challenge, send me a personal message, write the word challenge, and I'll be more than happy to at least send you some information on how you can be a part of it. Maybe you don't get, get on it this go around, but maybe next month. Possibly if I still have some open slots for next month or if I'm continuing it on next month. You know? And more than likely, I, I probably will because, uh, there's just no way in the world I'm going to be able to work with every single person. It's just one of me. But it is an amazing opportunity. I've been really. Um, enjoying the, the process of working with you guys one-on-one over the course of a five day period. Just learning a lot more about you, helping you with your dreams, your goals, all that stuff. So if you're looking to, it could be launching a podcast, it can be writing a new book, launching that business or taking that business to the next level, getting in shape, whatever it is that you're working on. Like take my advice. You will absolutely want to be a part of this five day challenge at some point in time. And, um, I don't know what the year ahead looks like, but right now, um, I'm opening up my calendar for this specifically. So DM me the word challenge and I'll send you some more information on how you can be a part of it. Now the last pillar is emotional mastery. Emotional mastery. So man, managing stress, for example, there's a lot of ways you can go about managing stress. This is a big, big part of my everyday life. Um, now some of the ways that I manage stress and yes, I do get stressed out too. You know, I, I thought I, it's interesting because I thought that, um, I had it all together and I thought that I was like all, you know, personally developed. But when life started really, really lifeing, I realized like, man. Like it. You'll have those moments where life will bring you down to your knees, and it doesn't matter how much personal development you have. Listen, we're all human beings and be unapologetically human. It's okay. It's okay to be vulnerable. It's okay to wear your heart on your sleeve sometimes. It's okay to be authentic and transparent with where you are. It's o It's okay to go into a humble season. It's okay to ask for help, right? And like be unapologetically human, right? Like we're all going through this journey and we all have those moments where, yeah, you may be stressed the hell out. In fact, I think that if you're not stressed out at all, you're probably not playing life big enough. Your dreams probably aren't big enough because the reality is if you're going for big dreams. Chances are you're going to have a lot of obstacles come your way. You're gonna have stressful moments. And it's not to say that you have to live your life neurotic or live your life in a constant state of anxiety, stress, and overwhelm. Right? But as you progress, as you level up, as you take your life to, to new evolutions and and stages, you are going to encounter some degree of stress. And knowing how to manage that is essential. So, for example, and this helps with resilience, it, it really, really does because you don't wanna get to a a a point where you just encounter burnout and now you don't have the capacity to do anything. So for me, when it comes to managing stress, going for walks outside, going for walks in nature, getting some sunlight, and a lot of it is, it's, it's, it's your biochemistry, right? It's those happy chemicals in your body. The dopamine, the oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins. It's lowering your cortisol, which is your stress hormone, right? Increasing those happy chemicals, decreasing the cortisol, and it's, it's all science. So managing stress is very practical. There are certain things that you're going to be able to do to calm your nervous system. I mean, it can be sound bowls, it can be going for that walk. It can be a great workout, it can be eating healthier, getting more sleep, getting hydrated. All of these things essentially help manage stress. You better know what to do when life starts lifeing, because this is what's going to help you with your resilience, help you persevere through those very difficult moments. Next is responding instead of reacting. This is the foundation of emotional intelligence, responding instead of reacting. So rather than just going off on somebody, it's just taking the time to think through, well, what's the best way to respond to this? That's the idea. And then when it comes to emotional mastery, it's also staying consistent When progress is slow, sometimes you're not gonna see a light at the end of the tunnel, but you know that eventually you will see it and you just have to take it one day at a time. That's why my motto is always winning the day. Just focus on on winning the day, specifically the morning. I always say if you win the morning, you're more likely to win the day, because sometimes you just have all kinds of things hit you throughout the course of the day. But if you focus on winning the morning, at least you knock out those important things early on. Okay, now here's a really great quote. Your ability to regulate your emotions will determine how far you go this year, and it's so true. You have to get good at regulating your emotions. Okay. If you guys don't mind, drop a comment on what you do to regulate your emotions. Is there anything specific that you do to just calm yourself? I know some people, they may read scripture, some people may go and do prayer, meditation, yoga. Some people will go out in nature. Some people, again, it could be sound bowls or listen to certain music that's soothing, whatever it is. But how do you go about regulating your emotions and what are a few things that, that you can do in the new year to just help yourself regulate your emotions? And there's tons of things I, I oftentimes recommend the tapping method, where you just tap on specific meridians in your body. You can YouTube it and find out a little bit more on the tapping method. Breathing exercises. I always recommend box breathing, for example, inhaling. For four seconds, holding your breath for four seconds, exhaling for four seconds, and then holding those empty lungs for four seconds and doing it four times. And box breathing absolutely helps regulate your emotions and your nervous system as well. Really, really important to understand. Next, we have part three, which is the Future You framework. Really, really great framework, and I wanna walk you guys through, uh, a framework here or this, this specific Future You framework. And there's a few core steps. Okay? The first is visualizing yourself on December 31st, this year, on December 31st, how would you like to think about, let's just say your, your prior year or, or 2026, how would you like to bring in December 31st? I know for me, I wanna bring in, in. F just truly proud of myself. I wanna bring it in fulfilled. I wanna bring in, bring it in with peace, with happiness, with excitement. That's how I wanna bring in my, my December 31st. So really just getting clear on how do you wanna feel towards the end of the year? How, what do you want? What do you want life to look like for you? Okay. Also asking, what did I do consistently? What did I do consistently? Okay, what did I stop tolerating? What did you stop tolerating? I, I, I always love this saying, uh, you wanna go or you wanna be in environments that celebrate you, not tolerate you. Okay? And you have to really, really do some personal inventory of it. Certain environments that you're in. That are just, again, tolerating you, not necessarily celebrating you. Sometimes it's your job and it may be time for, for a new job. And you have to really get intentional about where's going to be the next place that you work or what, what's gonna be the next chapter of your life, because you should not have to go through life just being tolerated. Okay? Now, also, you wanna look, let's say December 31st and ask yourself, who did I become? Who did you become? Did you grow as a person? Did you become more aligned? Like, did you lose that weight? Right? All of these different things and then connect, okay, with daily actions, identity and outcomes. Okay? So think about your daily actions, think about your identity in 2026, and then specific outcomes that you're looking for. And it does help. Like I, I always share the, the book Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey. And one of the things that I love that he shares is keeping the end in mind. He always talks about keeping the end in mind, and it's, it's important to, because you can't hit a target that you can't see. So oftentimes people are just like, there, there, they're, they're just shooting, right? They're, they're taking action, but there's no intention there. There's no clear target on what it is that they're shooting for. So you don't wanna be that person. You wanna be that person that knows exactly what the target is. Okay, next we have part four, which is the cost of staying the same. I want you to take some time really to reflect for a moment on what is the cost. Staying the same, the same person you were in 2025. Maybe you love you and maybe there, there's nothing that you have to improve about yourself. And if that's the case for you, by all means, like continue doing what you're doing if it's working for you. But if you're like me, yeah, there's aspects of yourself that you probably should evolve. There's aspects, aspects of, of your yourself or the way you go about life that you probably can enhance. So I know what comes to mind for me is just like distractions. If there's anything that has been the the greatest enemy. And in 2025, for me it was definitely just distractions and get, I know that in 2026 I have to get better at eliminating distractions. Sometimes for me it's like eliminating social media for the day and I'll just, I'll post, I'll delete it and then I'll re-upload it whenever it, it is, you know, that I need to hop back on to post again. And that helps me again, save some of my time throughout the course of the day. Alright. Things like that. Um, and sometimes it's just being consistent with the gym or scheduling things in. I know that that was a big thing for me in 2025. That was another enemy of 2025, not being intentional about scheduling my day. Okay. I know when I schedule these, like my day, I'm far more likely to actually follow through. Okay. So think about that. If you stay the same, I want you to think about missed opportunities. For example, I know there are people that have led over the years that their biggest crutch. Just being on time, punctuality. Hello. I mean, I'm preaching to the choir here. I, I've had my, my seasons where I'm like, man, I need to get to these events earlier because I'm missing out on the opportunity. That opportunity may be you just having that small talk with someone that you meet. Just, just networking, right? How many missed opportunities? Sometimes it's missed opportunities because people don't have good things to say behind your back. Maybe they're talking about how you're always late. Maybe they're talking about how they can't rely on you because of your punctuality, because of your lack of follow through. So think about those silent killers. Think about how people talk about you behind your back, or do they have good things to say? Now, can you control certain people saying bad things about you? Absolutely not. But give people more good things to say about you behind your. Like, man, I don't really like them that much, but one thing I can say is they are always on time or they are disciplined. They are consistent. Don't give people that kind of leverage over you where they have even the ability to say that you're not a punctual person to say that you don't follow through to say that you're, you lack consistency. Okay? Those conversations that happen when you're not around, sometimes that can lead to that next promotion. That can lead to that next opportunity. So it is essential to kind of do some personal inventory on different aspects of yourself that you have to improve. Another thing is regret versus temporary discomfort, right? I remember during my football days, there was always that saying that pain is temporary. Pride is forever. That pride that you feel and the work that you put in, right? Like feeling proud of yourself. That pain is just, it's, it's gonna be very, very temporary. But the way that you feel about following through in spite of the pain, that's, that's a lot more long lasting. Okay? So you don't wanna be that person that's left with regret because you were not willing to go through temporary discomfort. Usually what you're gonna regret in life are not necessarily the things that you did, but the things that you didn't. And oftentimes, people don't pursue their dreams simply because of that temporary discomfort. So you have to get good at being able to press forward even when you don't feel like it. Another thing is the compound effect of inaction. There's a compound effect of action, but there's also a compound effect of inaction. So if you've been going the last two to five years, I want you to reflect on that. The last two to five years. I'm gonna give you a few seconds to just think about the last two to five years of your life. Have they been going the way that you wanted? Has your life been going in a direction that you want it? Now, chances are the next two to five are gonna look very similar to the last two to five. If you don't make some changes. There is a compound effect of inaction. If that's been the case for you over the last two to five years, if you struggle with taking action, remember it's compounding because what that leads to is lack of belief in yourself. What that leads to is apathy. What it leads to is guilt or shame, resentment. And if you think that life is challenging now, do you think it's gonna get any easier in five years, 10 years? Don't, don't, don't think for a second, oh, well I'm just gonna get around to it when I'm older. No, especially for you young folks don't, don't just say, oh, well I'm young, right When I'm 40, I'll do those things that I always, no, no, it doesn't work that way. Life doesn't work that way. You just don't know where you may be five to 10 years out. So now is the time, the future is now. It's not somewhere down the road, years down the road. If you want the next two to five years to not look like the last two to five, you have to make those changes. Because remember, there is a compound effect of inaction. Okay, here's a power question. What is it costing you to not change? What is it costing you to not change? Is it costing you income? Is it costing you your time? Is it costing you your happiness, your peace? So let this question sit heavy for a moment, but in a good way. Let it permeate your consciousness where you're thinking about, man, what is it costing me to just not change my ways? What am I losing in the process? Okay. I remember a mentor of mine, he had us reflect one time on what it was costing us by not taking all out massive action. So he did an exercise, and I remember the, the exercise from my mentor. It was something along the lines of, think about people in the world think about a millionaire. If, if someone, if let's just say someone who made over a million dollars for the, would you guys agree that there are people that have figured out a way to make over a million dollars for the year? Absolutely. There's millions of people who have made over a million dollars last year. They figured it out. So would you say it's possible. Now, is it probable? Maybe, maybe not, but is it possible for you to figure out a way that you could possibly make over a million dollars a year? Ethically speaking? Absolutely. It is possible. So if it is possible and you, you can, you can figure out a way then every single day that goes by that you do not take action. You are losing money every single day by not figuring it out, by not taking the action, you are losing money. And it's just a different way to reframe the way that you look at action and inaction, the way you look at consistency, the way you look at execution on what it is that you should be doing. Okay. For example, um, next week I'll be speaking at podcast, uh, I believe on the 15th or something like that. I'll be speaking at podcast, which is like one of the biggest podcasting conferences in the world. And the thing about it is I had launched my podcast a couple years back and I've been doing the Breakfast Club, which is a form of podcasting now for over five years. And what would it have costed me to just wait? It, there's no way in the world I'd be speaking at Pod Fest next week, right? What would it have costed me, right? There's so many opportunities that have presented themselves from just jumping into it, even though I wasn't necessarily ready, I didn't have it all figured out, right? But I just jumped into it. And that can be the case for you writing that book for you, launching your speaking career or your coaching business. So whatever it is that business that you want, it's costing you every single day. By not taking action. So you have to reframe the way you look at time, the way you look at action. Now, part five is going to be, which I'm really excited to share this a seven day reset challenge. So from now to the next Breakfast club, I want you guys to think about seven days of just all out reset. No matter what your last few weeks have looked like, maybe you're finally out of holiday mode. And you know, I know tomorrow for those of you who are Latino as the three Kings, they like, you know, la a lot of Latinos, um, you know, close out the Christmas season, January 6th and oh, today, actually January 6th, I still have up my Christmas tree. I have a real Christmas tree, so I like to get the most out of it. So that thing is staying up until it no longer looks like a Christmas tree. But, um, all in all right, uh, whether you're in holiday mode or not in holiday mode. Like, I would encourage you guys to do some kind of a seven day reset where you start getting some momentum, okay? And, uh, these are a few different ideas on what you can do day over day. So, for example, day one, you can write out your identity statement. So your identity statement can be alluding to what I, what I was talking about earlier. So who you are going to be and who you're not going to be in 2026. What are you going to tolerate and not tolerate? So maybe your identity statement is you now being a punctual person. You now being aligned with your values. Maybe your identity statement is perhaps just the new version of yourself. So day one being an identity statement. Day two can be cleaning your physical environment. I know, I know for myself, like I still haven't done my new, I usually do like a new year cleaning and I'm still behind on that. I've just been so super busy these last couple days, getting through the holidays, hosting family and friends and all that stuff, but cleaning your physical environment, getting your feng shui on. And I know whenever I want to improve my life, I always start on the inside. Like a, A cluttered home is a cluttered mine. A cluttered mine is a cluttered life. You wanna take care of your home, okay? So cleaning your physical environment can be something that you do day two, or maybe you even start at day one, but this can be a part of one of the things that you do over the next seven days. Day three can be designing your ideal morning. So imagine you went about your life, it's lifestyle by designed and you designed your ideal morning. How would you like to wake up and just kind of get your day going? And design it. Maybe you go for that walk. Maybe you listen to that, that personal development or read scripture or prayer, meditation, whatever. It's day four is move your body intentionally. Move your body intentionally. And this can be centered around your fitness. It can just be centered around your overall health, but moving it intentionally. Maybe you need to do a lot more stretching. I know in 2026 I've definitely gotta do a lot more stretching. And what, what do, what does your body need the most in this season? Okay, day five. It can be, have one courageous conversation, one courageous conversation. That's power. That's a powerful thing to do. Think about it. That power that, that, that. Courageous conversation, that powerful conversation. It can be a conversation that includes forgiveness. It can be a conversation that you're wearing, your heart on your sleeve, and risking rejection. Maybe you're pitching someone on your business, courageous conversation. Maybe it's a conversation to end a relationship or to ask someone out on a date, whatever it is. But what's one courageous conversation that you can have this week? I love that. Day six. It can be planned the next 30 days. Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Get very clear on what the next 30 days look like for you. And day seven can be reflect and recommit. And maybe you do a combination of these things. Maybe you do all of them in one day, whatever it is. But just to recap, you wanna write down your identity statement this week? Clean up your physical environment. This is your call to action. By the way, design your ideal morning. Move your body intentionally have one courageous conversation. Plan the next 30 days and reflect and recommit. That's your weekly method of operation, if you will. And, uh, another thing is, uh, as we, as we get ready to close out, um, share your progress as you make progress. Let's say on, on, uh, social media, as you make, I mean, not social media, but as you make progress with, you know, your fitness, as you make progress with your business, just share it, talk about it. Bring people in on your journey. You'd be surprised at who you inspire in this season and be a blessing to other people. We, your, your wins are other people's wins. You'd be surprised at how many people you inspire. Pay it forward by. Sharing a big, big part of the process. Okay? So remember, you don't need a perfect plan. You need a committed version of you. This year isn't about improving anything to anyone. It's about alignment, growth, and execution. So remember that momentum starts now, not someday. When is the best time right now, like literally as I wrap up the Breakfast Club, I, I pray that you guys go out and get after it, get very clear, get excited, dream again. Re-sparked that flame, right? Don't let your your dreams die with you. This is the time to just leverage the new year, leverage all of the excitement, but more, more importantly, set up that daily and weekly method of operation. Set up those systems, set up those habits so that it can sustain you throughout the year so that you're not a part of the population that's quitting on National Quitters day this month. Okay, and last but not least, share this episode with someone who can get value from it, like, comment, share, tag, all of that stuff most certainly helps. If you got value, drop a v in the comment thread for value. And thank you so much. Breakfast is officially served, and for those of you who want information on the five day challenge, one-on-one coaching with me specifically, uh, hit me up in the dms, DM me the word challenge, and I'll be more than happy to send you some information on that. Take care. God bless, and I'll be seeing you guys soon. Breakfast is served.