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We spend a lot of time trying to manage our lives into meaning.
Color-coded checklists, new planners, fresh goals — and another set of resolutions, because a new year always feels like a clean slate.
Yet even with the best intentions, life keeps moving. Schedules fill, routines slip, and before long, we’re wondering how we’re this busy and still not fulfilled.
The truth is, most New Year’s resolutions fall apart because they’re built on what we think we want to do, not what is actually important to us.
That’s where Your Year on Purpose comes in. It’s not about doing more — it’s about pursuing a life of purpose by being clear on why you’re showing up, how you spend your time, what to pursue, and what to release.
And the first step is simple: slow down long enough to notice what your life is already telling you.
Step 1: Pause and Reflect
Before we set direction, we have to understand where we are.
Reflection isn’t about critiquing what you did right or wrong. It’s about pausing long enough to notice patterns — moments that gave you energy, themes that keep showing up in your life, and what truly deserves your time and attention.
That’s the beauty of reflection: it slows us down long enough to regain clarity about important things.
To help you look inward, I’ve created a Reflection Guide. It’s a simple tool to consider where you’ve been, what you’ve learned and what you want to carry forward.
But clarity alone isn’t the goal. The real power comes next — in turning reflection into direction.
Step 2: Make Clarity Your Compass
In my book This Is the Thing: About Life, Joy, and Owning Your Purpose, I write about how purpose drifts when life gets noisy — and it always gets noisy. A mantra brings your focus back to the surface. It’s not a slogan or a motivational quote. It’s a personal reminder that helps you stay centered when the world pulls you in every direction.
Your mantra should be short enough to remember, clear enough to repeat, and powerful enough to realign you. Instead of being rooted in a deficit you’ve identified — something you want to start doing or stop doing — a mantra begins from a place of intention: what you want to grow into and how you want to live. Think of it as a compass you carry in your pocket.
If you’re wondering where to begin, this chapter offers a simple framework for creating your mantra:
Download Chapter 11 on Creating Your Mantra
A mantra centers your purpose. The next step is living it out — one small choice at a time.
Step 3: Turn Intention into Action
Purpose isn’t something you uncover once. It’s something you choose, day after day.
The Discipline Tracker is a tool that helps you see your purpose in real time: what you’re already doing to live with intention, and what you might change, stop doing, or start doing to bring you closer to joy.
Remember, these aren’t resolutions — they’re disciplines. Fueled by your mantra, they shape how you live every day and adapt as your purpose evolves. Unlike short-term resolutions, disciplines are lasting practices that keep your actions aligned with your values.
Download the Discipline Tracker
This is how purpose becomes practice, and how your year — and all the years beyond — become your own. And that’s what Your Year on Purpose is all about.
If you’re ready to begin Your Year on Purpose, all three tools are here for you in one place:
Wherever you are in your journey, I hope these tools help you live with greater clarity, joy, and intention — in 2026 and beyond.