Become Unrecognizable in 2026
By starting here.
Hello from Canada! šØš¦ My 13-year-old and I are in Banff this week snowshoeing and hanging with wolfdogs. This was a last minute trip, as our original destination was Alaska to chase the Northern Lights. However, when Alaskans issue a severe winter weather alert (-40 F), you know itās best to stay indoors. So, I rerouted us to Canada, were weāll be ringing in 2026.
Over the last few days, Iāve had lots of time to think about New Yearās resolutions. And it dawned on me that Iāve spent my entire adult life setting goals for myself. Yet, the accomplishments Iām most proud of started from a vision of my future self, not from goal setting.
In midlife, goal setting alone does not result in lasting change. Most New Yearās resolutions are just thatāa checklist of goals that last a couple weeks, then fizzle out by the end of January.
Things like:
Lose weight.
Go to the gym.
Build muscle.
Reduce body fat.
Walk more.
Quit alcohol.
These goals are great, but unless they are rooted in a vision for your future self, chances are they wonāt last.
The only way to create lasting change in your life and make yourself unrecognizable is to live the life of the person you want to become every single day. This is done by creating a vision.
To create a vision for yourself and become unrecognizable in 2026, do this:
Make a list of the things youāre unhappy about that you have control over (i.e. that are not dependent on the choices of others). We all have them. They could be related to health, mindset, career, lifestyle, anything.
Arrange the list from most unhappy to least unhappy.
Cross out everything but the top 3 things.
For the top 3 things, write what the unrecognizable version of yourself would say instead.
Re-organize your daily behaviors in 2026 around these three statements.
The three statements from Step 5 form your visionāthe vision of your life that will make you unrecognizable. Now ask yourself, āwhat behaviors will it take on a daily basis to have my vision come true?ā These behaviors are your true goals.
In short: define your vision, clarify what matters, and commit to living the life of the person you want to become. Act on your true goals every dayāas compounding effort is the only way to create lasting changeāand remove any obstacles that steer you away from your vision.
The truth is, you have the power to change any time you want. Your power lives inside of honoring your vision.
And honoring your vision is how you become unrecognizable.
To ask yourself this week
Who is the person I want to become in 2026? What would make that future version of me unrecognizable to the current version of me?
To try this week
Make your list and arrange it to define the vision of your unrecognizable self, and clarify the daily behaviors/goals needed to achieve that vision. Itās ok if these goals evolve over time, itās the compounding effort that matters.
Health examples:
I am unhappy with my weight.
I am unhappy with my chronic back pain.
I am unhappy with feeling low energy all the time.
Becomes:
I am confident at my ideal bodyweight.
I am pain free and can do all the activities I want to do.
I feel energized every morning and that lasts until I go to bed at night.
Daily behaviors:
I know how much energy Iāve burned and how much energy I need to consume to be net positive or net negative
I eat non-processed foods that are nutrient dense and wholesome
I perform exercises focused on strengthening my posterior chain and core muscles
I drink tea instead of alcohol to relax in the evening
I put my phone away 1 hour before bedtime and do something non-electronic to calm my nervous system
I get at least 7 hours of deep sleep
Thanks for reading and Happy New Year,
-Marek
P.S. If you need help clarifying the daily behaviors that will help you become unrecognizable, consider upgrading your subscription. Every Friday, I send out FIVE, a curated brief that recommends where to focus your attention across midlife movement, strength, nutrition, recovery, and mindset. Upgrade here
