Welcome back to Plan Like a Boss. Or if this is your first time here, welcome. I'm Tanya Lawson, creative entrepreneur, SEO nerd, chronic planner girly, and someone who has set more New Year's resolutions than I can count, and abandoned most of them by mid-February. If you've ever felt the January rush of ambition followed by that February crash of reality, this episode is going to feel like a deep exhale. Because today we're talking about why the new year, new you keeps failing and what to do instead if you want 2026 to actually feel different. This is episode one of our quarter one series, Setting Yourself Up for Success in 2026. And today we're starting with the truth most people skip. You don't need a new you. You need new systems that actually support the real you. So let's get into that. Okay, let's start with the obvious but rarely spoken truth. Most New Year's resolutions are built on vibes, not strategy. They're fueled by holiday guilt, social pressure, unrealistic optimism, and this idea that on January 1st, we magically become a completely different person than we were on December 31st. But in reality, we're just the same person, possibly with a hangover. I know you've you've seen it. The gyms, they get crowded the first week of January. If you go to the grocery store, literally, they're gonna be out of Sally Greens. I kid you not, if you've never thought about it, I want you to look. Go to the grocery store. There's gonna be a big run on Sally Greens, but don't worry, they'll be back in two weeks. But here's the real kicker. These resolutions fail for three very predictable reasons. First of all, they rely on motivation instead of systems. Motivation is a spark. It's great. I love motivation. We need it. It is what gets us going. It is the kindling for our fire. But kindling alone burns out quickly. Systems, however, are the structure that keep that fire going when the motivation fades, which it will. Most people don't have anything underneath that motivation. We need to build systems in to keep your fire going. Secondly, they don't account for your actual life, your energy, which let's face it, has its highs and lows. Your schedule, which sometimes can be crazy, especially as an entrepreneur, your chronic illness that you may have, your responsibilities. Maybe you're a parent, you have to take kids to soccer practice, or Susie gets sick and you have to go pick her up from school. Resolutions are often built for a fantasy version of you, not the real human you living a real human life. And third, they're outcome-based instead of identity-based. We set goals like lose 20 pounds, make more money, grow the business. And those are outcomes and those are really good goals to set, but they're not roadmaps. They show us the end, but they don't show us how to get there. Your brain doesn't change just because you made a list. Your brain changes because your identity and your habits change. And this is why that new year, new you is a lie. You don't need a new self. You need a self that's supported. Whenever someone tells me they want to be a new person in the new year, I always ask, what's wrong with the you that exists right now? And usually they come back with an answer like, oh, I'm inconsistent, I get overwhelmed, I don't follow through, or I'm too tired. Life gets in the way. And these are not personality flaws. There is nothing wrong with you. They have nothing to do with you, they're system failures. Now let me say that again because it's the entire theme of this series. Most people don't fail because they aren't capable. They fail because their systems aren't designed for real life. You don't need a personality transplant. You don't need to hustle harder, and you don't need to become a new you. What you need is a planning system that fits your energy. Visibility strategies that don't require you to post to social media every single day. Routines that flex with your chronic illness, your parenting, your client work, and your life. Fewer goals chosen intentionally, a sense of direction instead of all that pressure. And when you build that foundation, follow through becomes easier, momentum becomes automatic, success feels calmer. That, my friends, is what we're doing here in quarter one. If 2025 felt overwhelming, chaotic, or like you were constantly reacting instead of leading, this is your invitation to start 2026 differently. Here are three reframes that I want you to think about to guide your entire year. Reframe number one: fewer goals equals more progress.

Most people set 10 goals.

I'm not really sure why 10, but it's always 10. Successful people, however, set one to three. When you choose less, you achieve more. So I want you to ask yourself this question if I could only achieve one thing this year, what would actually change my life or my business? That is your main goal. Everything else becomes supporting work towards this goal. Reframe number two systems are the container for your successes. If your goals don't have a system underneath them, they're simply wishes. Now I know systems sound boring, but to be honest, they're freedom. Systems reduce emotional decision making, they make progress predictable and they remove friction. They turn overwhelm into clarity. A system turns a vague idea like be more consistent into something measurable and doable. Reframe number three: consistency isn't perfect. It's gentle. Consistency, my friend, is not showing up every day. It's not doing it perfectly, and it's not pushing through no matter what. That's gonna lead to burnout. Consistency is returning. You get off, you get off plan. That's okay. You come back to it. Maybe you miss a day or a month of, you know, Instagram engagement. That's okay. You return to it. It's recommitting. It's saying, yes, I am recommitting to doing this aspect of my business, or I am recommitting to my plan. And sometimes consistency is beginning again without shame. Things happen, you're gonna get you're gonna get thrown off, and that's fine. Gentle consistency is sustainable consistency.

And when your systems support you, consistency becomes your default, not your struggle. Now, if we're skipping this whole new year, new you, what do we replace it with?

Here is a simple but powerful blueprint. Step one, I want you to choose a yearly theme. Something like foundation and clarity, systems over stress, visibility without burnout, work smarter, not harder. I know for me, my theme for 2026 personally is recovery. I dealt with my cancer journey in 2025, and in 2026, I'm recovering. My body is recovering, my mental health is recovering, my business is recovering, and my bank account is recovering. So recovery is my theme for the year. A theme becomes a filter for every decision you make. Okay, step two, I want you to pick one to three goals max, not ten. I know they all say ten, not ten. And not 26 for 2026. That's insane. Just the essentials. One to three. I want you to ask yourself, what are the fewest things that I can focus on that would create the biggest shift? Now, step three, I want you to build systems that support your real life. Not that fantasy January energy that there's no way you can sustain. The actual Tuesday in March energy. So think systems for planning, for content and visibility, self-care and protecting your energy, setting up workflows, tracking what actually matters. Get your KPIs nailed down to what actually matters in your business, what is going to move the needle. Now, step four, I want you to make it measurable, but kind. Be kind to yourself because we're not chasing perfection, we're chasing clarity and momentum. So think, how will I know I'm making progress? Not how I can, how can I do this without ever messing up? Because my friend, you are going to mess up. So if you remember nothing else from today's episode, let it be this. You don't need a new you to have a new year. You need systems that support the you that already exist. 2026 can feel lighter, it can feel calmer, it can feel more aligned, but it won't happen because the clock strikes midnight. It will happen because you create a foundation that holds you. And that's what we're building all quarter long. Thank you so much for joining me in episode one of this new season. Next week, we are diving into how to design a year that supports your energy and not just your goals. Especially if you're a creative, a parent, a chronic illness girly like me, or someone whose energy genuinely fluctuates. This one is going to be so validating. If you found this helpful, take a screenshot and share it to your Instagram stories. Tag me and tell me your biggest takeaway. And if you haven't yet, hit follow so you don't miss the rest of the quarter one series. Here's to building a new year that actually works for you, not against you. Keep on planning like a boss.