Happy New Year.
Every January feels full of possibility, but possibility alone does not change lives. Action does.
I keep coming back to this quote by Dean Briggs:
“If you suffer, as you must, and if you doubt, as you must, do your work. Put your heart into it and the sky will clear. And then out of your very doubt and suffering will be born the supreme joy of life.”
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I played this quote over and over in my head as I begin my self-development journey. And the quote hits because it tells the truth. Growth is uncomfortable. Change is uncertain. Doubt is part of the process. But the answer is not waiting for clarity. The answer is doing the work anyway.
If you want 2026 to look different, it has to start now, with intention and effort.
Here are a few reminders as you step into this year.
1. Stop Waiting for Motivation, Build Discipline
Motivation is emotional and inconsistent. Discipline is reliable.
If you only act when you feel inspired, you will stay stuck in cycles. The people who change their lives are not the most motivated, they are the most consistent.
I personally believe motivation is a myth. Because the desire to do something will disappear quickly, making discipline, habits, and consistent action the true drivers of long-term success.
Do something small every day that moves you closer to the life you want. Even on days you doubt yourself. Especially on those days.
Every single day, I do something no matter how small that I know will move me closer to what I’m trying to accomplish.
2. Let Discomfort Be a Signal, Not a Stop Sign
If something feels hard, unfamiliar, or uncomfortable, that is usually a sign you are stretching beyond who you used to be.
A lot of times I sit here at my laptop and I know I have to get things done and certain things I don’t like doing because either I’m not good at it or it just doesn’t interest me to do.
It makes me so uncomfortable just thinking about the effort that I will put it off. When I see myself doing this I force myself to get uncomfortable and push myself through.
Growth does not feel safe. It feels awkward. It feels uncertain.
Do not interpret discomfort as failure. Interpret it as progress.
3. Work Quietly Before You Announce Loudly
You do not owe the world your plans before they are built.
Some seasons are for planting, not posting. For learning, not performing. For work behind the scenes.
Protect your vision long enough to give it roots. If you speak too soon those who don’t believe in you or see your vision will sow doubt in you. When you’re building you don’t have time for the naysayers.
4. Doubt Does Not Mean You Are On the Wrong Path
Doubt is not a sign to quit. It is part of becoming. Unlike doubt from others, self doubt is different.
Every meaningful change will test your confidence before it rewards your courage. The key is to keep showing up, even when you question yourself.
That is how clarity arrives, through movement.
5. Decide That This Is Your Year to Follow Through
Not perfect execution. Not overnight success. Follow through.
If you commit to showing up consistently, putting your heart into the work, and trusting the process, the results will come. Maybe not immediately, but inevitably. I’m a walking testimony to that.
Before, we got our opportunity to move to Dominican Republic, I kept my head down and worked. Worked. Worked. Worked. I never thought or ask when it was going to happen because I knew it wasn’t up to me. One day, I looked up and we were where I want us to be financially.
But I worked. And I worked consistently.
Final Thoughts
2026 does not need more promises. It needs more action. We know promises made in January all go out the window by February.
Do the work even when it feels uncomfortable. Do the work even when you doubt. Put your heart into it.
The sky will clear. It has no other choice. It’s the Universal Law.
And when it does, you will look back and realize that the work you did during the hardest moments is what created the life you now get to enjoy.
If this resonated with you, take a moment to reflect on one thing you are committing to work on this year, then reply and tell me what it is. I read every response.
Here is to doing the work and becoming who you said you wanted to be.
Until then, Always keep your goals at the forefront of your mind. Always live in the present, because that’s the only way, you’re gonna live your best life.
🌴Jay
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