Stop Doing These Things to Achieve Financial Success in 2026

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In this episode, Brad Nelson, founder of Debt Free Dad, flips the script on financial advice for the new year by focusing on what to stop doing in 2026. Highlighting key points such as avoiding the perfect start, not treating January as a reset button, and ceasing financial comparisons, Brad emphasizes how reducing certain behaviors can lead to more financial clarity and less stress. He also discusses the importance of acknowledging small wins and setting simple, clear priorities. Brad shares success stories from the Roots support and accountability program, encouraging listeners to join the wait list for more structured help in achieving long-term financial freedom. 

Chapters

• 0:00 Set The Stage For 2026
• 1:05 Host Intro And Mission
• 1:48 Free Resources Tease
• 1:48 Stop Waiting For Perfect Timing
• 2:46 Ditch The January Reset Myth
• 3:37 Break Free From Comparison
• 4:23 Avoid Fixing Everything At Once
• 6:02 Celebrate Small Wins Consistently
• 6:33 Key Reminders For 2026
• 6:56 Roots Program Invitation
• 8:47 Gratitude And Year Close
• 9:18 Outro And Links

Transcript

Brad: 0:00

Hey guys, so as we wrap up this year, there's a lot of noise telling you what you should start doing with your money in 2026. New goals, new systems, new plans. But before you add anything new, I want to flip that conversation because sometimes progress doesn't come from doing more, it comes from doing less. Now, last week we talked all about creating a vision for 2026. And today I want to talk about what to stop doing so that vision actually has room to work. No pressure, no hype, just a few things you can leave behind this year so you can move forward with more clarity and less stress in 2026.

Announcer: 0:38

You're listening to the Debt Free Dad podcast with Brad Nelson. Brad and his co-hosts experienced the anxiety of living paycheck to paycheck before learning the fundamentals of financial success. They are now on a mission to empower regular people to pay off their debt for good and enjoy happier, less stressful lives. Keep listening for inspirational interviews, tips, tricks, and practical advice to gain financial freedom.

Speaker: 1:05

Welcome to today's show. My name is Brad Nelson. I'm the founder of Debt Free Dad. I paid off about $45,000 of debt. I've been debt-free now for more than 12 years. I've also been fortunate to help thousands of other people save and pay off tens of millions of dollars with the work that we do here at debt free dad. Now, after listening to this episode, if you are ready to take things to the next level, you're ready to break free from living paycheck to paycheck, you want to reduce financial stress, you want to build savings and finally pay off your debt for good, which is probably why you're listening to this show. But maybe you're like a lot of people, you're not sure where to get started. Well, we've created some incredible free resources for you here at Defree Dad, and I'll be sharing some details about how you can get some of those later on in today's episode. One of the biggest things I want you to stop doing in 2026 is waiting for the perfect time to start. There is no perfect paycheck, no perfect month, no season where life suddenly slows down and makes money easier. Waiting usually isn't about timing, it's about fear. It's really an excuse at the end of the day. And sometimes that fear could be fear of messing up, fear of starting and not finishing. But progress, it doesn't come from perfect starts, it comes from imperfect action. It comes from getting started right where you are today. And if you're always waiting, you're standing still. So in 2026, start where you are with everything that you have right now. I know it's not going to feel perfect, but just be committed to getting started. Now, another thing to stop doing is treating January like a reset button. Listen, you're not going to erase your debt, your habits, or your progress just because the calendar changes. Starting over every single year, this constant fits and starts, it gets exhausting and it keeps a lot of us stuck in the same exact cycle. And if you start and stop so many times, eventually you get so exhausted, you're like, what's the point? Why even do this? So instead of starting over, just again, start from exactly where you are. Look at what work you did in 2025. Look at what worked. Like, what success did you have? Look at what didn't work. Carry forward those habits that helped you and adjust the ones that didn't, because momentum is gonna beat reset every single time. Also, in 2026, I want you to stop comparing your financial life to other people. Gosh, the guys, this is so, so important on your financial journey and getting out of debt. Things like social media. Social media gives us fake timeline and highlight reels. You don't see the debt, you don't see their stress or the trade-offs behind the scenes. Comparison, it creates a lot of pressure, it creates a lot of shame. And neither of those things lead to good financial decisions. Your journey, it doesn't need to look like anyone else's. Your pace, it's not behind. It's yours. So focus on your numbers, focus on your goals, like we talked about last week's episode, focus on your vision, focus on your progress, and focus on where you're going. This one's big. Stop trying to fix it all at the same time. This is a big mistake a lot of us make as New Year's resolutions roll around and we try to make this next year better, which I think is all a great thing. It's a great attitude to have. But too many goals create overwhelm. Overwhelm leads to inaction. And then people give up and they think that they're bad with money, right? Uh, and the reality is a lot of people who have new years resolutions, they will quit by the second or third week of January and they're done, right? So here's the thing: you don't need a perfect plan, you need one clear priority, one habit, one system, which you're gonna find many of those little tips and tricks right here on this podcast that you can repeat. Depth beats speed, simplicity beats complexity. So just pick one thing and build from there because a lot of us are already living really busy lives. We got a lot of stuff going on. And if you try to cram too much new stuff, man, you are gonna be mentally and physically exhausted. So again, keep it simple. Pick just one or two simple things that you can start working on in January and then build on that throughout the year. Last but not least, guys, big one stop ignoring your small wins. Small progress is still progress. Paying an extra $50 towards a debt, that really matters. Saying no once to something that you usually say yes to, that matters. Saving a little consistently over time, that really matters and it adds up. But here's the thing when you ignore those small wins, you drain your own motivation. But when you acknowledge them, confidence grows, and confidence is what keeps you moving forward. What you're gonna notice, you're going to repeat those same actions that are getting you those same results. And the amazing part about this, guys, is that those small wins eventually turn into huge wins over time. And before you know it, you're gonna turn around and look at how far you've come and you're gonna be like, holy cow, I can't believe how much we've saved or how much debt we've paid off. I never could have imagined that we could have done that. So again, focus on those small wins. Every single one of them really does matter. All right, guys. So as you head into 2026, instead of asking, what do I need to start doing? Ask yourself, what do I need to stop doing so I can move forward with less stress? Leave behind waiting, leave behind comparison, leave behind the pressure to fix everything at once. Your vision for 2026, it doesn't need perfection, it just needs consistency, needs that clarity, and it needs that support, which is what we're here to help you with. Now, again, if you want help building those simple systems and staying focused as you move into the new year, make sure you jump on to the Roots wait list. Now, Roots is my support and accountability program that has helped thousands of people over the years, save and pay off tens of millions of dollars. In fact, I just got a message from Sonia. Sonia was in Roots and she recently just messaged me in the month of December here in 2025. She is getting ready to make her last credit card payment, becoming completely debt-free. And she's like, I never could have imagined that I could have done this. She is now opening up her own business, and uh, she says, like, the this stuff was life-changing for her. We're actually gonna have Sonia coming on the podcast here in 2026 to share a little bit more about her journey. And she got started with all of that by going through Roots of Personal Finance. Now, here's the thing, guys, we only open up a number of spots each month. All right, and especially coming into January, we're gonna have some spots open, but again, they are limited. So jump on the Roots wait list. All you got to do is head over to defreedad.com and you will find the Roots wait list under our tools and resources page. You can jump on that wait list right there, and we will get you on that list and we will notify you as soon as Roots Personal Finance opens here in the new year. And again, if you've been listening to this podcast, you already know everything that you should be doing, right? You know all the steps. We talk about it openly here. The biggest thing that most people are missing is that support and accountability to keep doing it. Because it's easy to do it for a month, maybe two months, maybe if you're lucky, three months, but a lot of us end up falling off that wagon. Well, Roots is the system that keeps you on the wagon. It keeps you on your path, it keeps you on your journey, it keeps you motivated. We are a support and community group that helps people stay focused on their goals. So if that's something that interests you, again, jump on that Roots Personal Finance wait list. Lastly, guys, hey, thanks for spending some time with us here uh this year with the DevYDED Podcast. It's been a pleasure to do another year of this show. I know we took a break earlier in the year for a few months. And as we wrap up our last episode here of 2025, I just want to let you guys know we appreciate you guys listening and sharing and really taking steps to improve your financial life. We'll see you guys here in 2026.

Announcer: 9:18

Thanks for listening to the Debt Free Dad podcast. Connect with us on Facebook, TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram. Just search Debt Free Dad. If you found value in today's episode, please leave us a rating and review. We so appreciate it. For resources, show notes, and links mentioned in today's show, visit debtfreedad.com. Catch you next week.