Hey, just quick note before we get into it.

You probably noticed there was no newsletter from me during January, and that was intentional.

I needed space to reset my focus, recharge, and make sure I came back energised and ready to provide quality value, direction and support.

I’m back now, and this is how I want to start 2026: calmly, deliberately, and grounded in reality.

I know many of you will have started the month of strong - motivated by the new year, new goals and a refocus on your priorities.

And I truly hope it was a consistent month for you. But the reality is - for many, that’s not the case.

Motivation fades and by the end of the month you’re clinging on for dear life - maybe achieving one of the multiple habits you committed to on 1 January.

My advice is that we need to reframe last month. We should treat January as our baseline month.

It’s where you collect data on how your systems actually perform in the real world. What worked, what didn’t, what was overly ambitious…you get the picture.

The first thing I looked at wasn’t outcomes, it was my systems.

Daily systems:
Some ran almost automatically. Others required way too much effort to maintain, which is always a red flag.

Weekly systems:
Planning and review were mostly solid, but execution wasn’t always clean. Not because of laziness but because the structure wasn’t right.

Environmental systems:
Sleep, workload boundaries, and recovery had a direct impact on how well everything else worked. When these slipped, everything downstream suffered.

I didn’t obsess over results. I looked at inputs.

For my health goal I look at things like:

This matters because metrics and patterns are factual and tell give show the truth to our commitment.

January gave me clarity on where consistency is strong and where it’s fragile.

Considering the above, look at where you are in relation to your big goal.

For me, one of my goals moved forward cleanly. The other definitely needs work.

And here’s the important bit:

Things stalled where the system supporting the goal was weak or vague.

That’s good news, by the way.
System problems are solvable. Motivation problems are endless.

This is where we stop pretending to be a productivity robot. We’re humans at the end of the day, and we need to dig deep as part of our reflection.

Mentally:
Focused, but occasionally stretched too thin.

Physically:
Strong when routines were protected. Flat when they weren’t.

Emotionally:
Calm overall but resistance showed up when days became unstructured.

Don’t underestimate your feelings. They give us a deep understanding about ourselves and tell us exactly what needs protecting.

Were there areas where standards slipped?

Were there systems you didn’t protect enough?

Did you find yourself relying on motivation or feeling “energised”?

None of this is failure. It’s the feedback we need so we know how to improve. Ignoring it would be failure.

Don’t make the mistake of viewing February as a fresh start. Look at it as a refinement.

I’m doing three things:

Removing
Anything that created friction without real upside.

Tightening
Systems that worked, but lacked clear rules or boundaries.

Strengthening
Foundational habits that support energy and consistency.

No chaos. No reinvention. Just cleaner execution.

Before adding anything new, I asked one question:

“Do my current systems feel stable?”

Only where the answer was yes did I consider adding more. And even then - carefully.

If you struggled to stay consistent, you shouldn’t consider adding more to your load. In fact the opposite - remove what is unachievable and focus on doing everything is well.

Progress doesn’t come from doing more.
It comes from reviewing honestly and adjusting deliberately.

If you haven’t reviewed January yet, I’d strongly recommend doing it. Ask yourself:

What worked?
What broke?
What needs refining before you push harder?

Use this framework to adjust and move into February with a clear plan on executing on your systems.

P.S. - I’ve created a free monthly review template to help you following the above. Just click here.