You’ve set the goals.
You’ve named the intentions.
You may even have written down the resolutions.

Now comes the part that actually determines whether any of them come to life: setting yourself up for success.

This time of year, I’m reminded of something my friend Mary used to say when she was training her puppy, Parker, who also happened to be my boyfriend wink, wink, nod, nod. 😍😎

Whenever she would ask me to work on the new command, she’d pause and say, “Set him up for success.” Start with something he already knows, build his confidence, then move into the new lesson.

Every time she said it, I had the same quiet realization:

Do I set myself up for success in general, and clearly when I am working on something new?

It’s a simple concept. And yet, it’s one of the most overlooked.

So here’s a question worth sitting with as you step into 2026:

What would it look like to prepare yourself for what you
want to achieve, rather than demand it of yourself?

One powerful way to do this is to reverse-engineer your intentions.

If you want to experience, create, achieve, or learn something in the next 12 months, ask yourself:

What needs to happen daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly?
What are the small, repeatable steps that lead there?
Which actions are actually sustainable, not just aspirational?
Think of it like pole vaulting.

If you wanted to clear a new height, you wouldn’t walk onto the field cold and set the bar at its highest point. You’d warm up with jumps you already know you can make. You’d pay attention to your form. You’d stretch your capacity gradually, so that when the bar rises, your body and focus are ready.

Success isn’t achieved by leaping straight to the highest bar.

It’s achieved by intentionally building toward it. And sometimes, when you slow down enough to plan this way, another truth emerges:


Do you actually want this goal, or is it something you’ve been carrying out of habit, expectation, or pressure?


So, here’s my invitation to you:

, if what you've identified what truly matters, take a page out of Parker's playbook and set yourself up for success. Give it the respect, time, and focus it deserves: a real plan that builds confidence, momentum, and capacity over time.

And if it doesn’t?

Let it go, without judgment, and make room for what does.

Either way, clarity sets you up for success.