Transcript of Make 2026 Your Best Year Yet! Step-by-Step Blueprint to Turn Your 2026 Goals Into Visible Results

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Hey, I'm Nora Jones, and I love playing music with people so much that my podcast called Playing Along is back. I sit down with musicians from all musical styles to play songs together in an intimate setting. Over the past two seasons, I've had special guests like Dave Grohl, Leve, Rufus Wainwright, Mavis Staples, really too many to name. And there's still so much more to come in this new season. Listen to Nora Jones is playing along on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm Jonathan Goldstein, and on the new season of Heavyweight. And so I pointed the gun at him and said, This isn't a joke. A man who robbed a bank when he was 14 years old. And a centenarian rediscovers a love lost 80 years ago.

How can a 101-year-old woman fall in love again?

Listen to Heavyweight made on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

This week on Dear Chelsea with me, Chelsea Handler. Nicolas Sparks is here. I would imagine that you've gotten a lot of feedback about setting a standard of romance that a lot of men can't measure up to.

I have heard stories. At the same time, I've had seven marriage proposals in lines to sign my book. Really? He got up to the table, doodle, dropped to his knees, and I'm like, Dude, you're in a Walmart in Birmingham, Alabama.

Listen to Dear Chelsea on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Manifestation doesn't work when you're waiting for signs instead of building systems. It doesn't work if you want change but refuse to change. It doesn't work when you speak the affirmation but live the opposite. Manifestation doesn't work if your belief expires the moment things get uncomfortable. And it doesn't work when you expect the universe to do what discipline is meant to do. Manifestation works when you match intention with infrastructure. The number one Health and Wellness podcast.

Jay Shetty.

Jay Shetty. The one, the only Jay Shetty. Hey, everyone. It's Jay Shetty, your host of On Purpose. Welcome back to the podcast. Make sure you've subscribed if you haven't. It makes a big difference to podcasters, and it means you'll never miss an episode. Now, today's episode is all about how to manifest all of your dreams coming true in 2026, the Masterclass on Turning Goals into Reality. Now, I want to be honest with you. We've all started a new year with big goals. This is the year I'm finally going to start that business. This is the year I'm going to lose the weight. This is the year I'm finally going to launch that podcast. Every January, people make goals. New body, new job, new business, new life, new you. And by February, most of them are gone. But get this, only 1% said they lasted for 11 or 12 months. Not because you don't care, but because the dreams we built are built on excitement, not systems. Real manifestation isn't wishing and waiting. It's wiring. You don't attract what you want. You attract what you build a system for. And that requires a plan that rewires your mind, your emotions, your habits to match your vision.

So in this episode, we're not going to talk about luck. We're going to talk about alignment, the psychology and strategy behind turning your vision for 2026 into visible results. 2026 won't be your best year because you wish harder. It will be your best year because you align deeply. Super. Step number one, end before you begin. Let go of the year that's still living in your head. We all love beginnings, but beginnings don't work unless you properly end. You've finished a year of school, you start the next one. You end a relationship, you start another one. Beginnings don't work unless you properly end. Most of us start a new year without ever ending the last one. We rush into January full of plans and resolutions, but part of us is still carrying the weight of what didn't happen last year. The goals we missed, the relationship that ended, the business that didn't take off, the version of ourselves we thought we'd be by now. And so we're technically in a new year, but emotionally, we're still stuck in the last one. When you don't consciously end a year, it lingers. It shows up in subtle ways.

You hesitate to dream because you don't trust yourself to follow through. You avoid risks because last time it hurt you too much. You start over but secretly believe you're already behind. That's what it means to have a year still living in your head. It keeps whispering old stories into new seasons. Before you decide what you want this year, you need to ask, What am I done carrying? Every new goal struggles to take root because we haven't released what's been draining us. The resentment, the guilt, the habit that keeps looping. Psychologists call this cognitive closure, the act of finishing an emotional story so your brain can focus on a new one. So take a minute tonight and finish this sentence. In 2025, I finally stopped X. You'll be amazed how freeing that is. You can even create a small ritual. Write down what you're ready to release on paper. Burn it, bury it, or tear it up. Say, Thank you for what you taught me. I don't need to carry you anymore. That moment of symbolic closure, signals to your nervous system, we're done here. It gives your energy somewhere new to go. Letting go of the year that's still living in your head doesn't mean erasing the past.

It means reclaiming your capacity to begin again. You can't step fully into what's next if you're still holding hands with what's over. You can't start your year strong if you never ended the last one. You can buy the planner, set the goals, repeat the affirmations. But if part of you is still carrying last year's disappointments, fears, or unfinished stories, you're not starting fresh. You're starting crowded. Because the truth is, new beginnings don't start on January first. They start the moment you stop dragging old energy into new opportunities. Opportunities. The second step is choose a word, not a goal. Because goals change, but energy is constant. Resolutions fade because they're rigid. A word gives you direction without pressure. If your goal is to start a business, your word might be build. If your goal is to lose weight, your word might be discipline. If your dream is to launch a podcast, it might be voice. That single word acts as a psychological anchor. A 2019 Stanford study found that people who frame their goals around identity-based words, I am becoming focused, instead of tasks, I will focus, were 65% more likely to stay consistent. So before setting your plan, set your energy.

Your word becomes your compass. You can then say, does this choice align with who I'm becoming or with who I'm done being? I realized that when I stopped obsessing Focusing over goals and started focusing on growth, I actually reached my goals faster because growth made me better, stronger, smarter. When you chase goals, you measure distance. When you chase growth, you build momentum. Goals are external. They live on your calendar, your to-do list, your vision board. Growth is internal. It lives in your mindset, your habits, your character. Most people focus on the finish line and forget the training. They want the promotion, the body, the launch, But they skip the process that creates it. That's why step number three is create a system, not a wishlist. Structure is the real secret behind success. Every dream is two parts: intention and infrastructure. You can't manifest a podcast without a recording schedule. You can't build a business without product testing. You can't get fit without consistent sleep and nutrition. James Clear's research It shows that you don't rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. If you want to start a business, create a 30-minute daily idea lab where you brainstorm, test, and learn something new about your industry.

If you want to lose weight, don't aim for perfection. Aim for consistency. Start with three workouts a week and track progress, not perfection. You want to launch a podcast? Record one five-minute solo episode per week. Make it a ritual, not a result. Felt. Manifestation only works when your calendar matches your calling. Manifestation doesn't work when you're asking for something your habits contradict. It doesn't work if you only visualize the outcome, but avoid the process. Manifestation doesn't work when you're waiting for signs instead of building systems. It doesn't work if you want change but refuse to change. It doesn't work when you speak the affirmation But live the opposite. Manifestation doesn't work if your belief expires the moment things get uncomfortable. And it doesn't work when you expect the universe to do what discipline is meant to do. It doesn't work if you're manifesting from fear, not faith, trying to control instead of create. Manifestation works when you match intention with infrastructure.

I'm Jonathan Goldstein, and on the new season of Heavyweight, I help a centenarian mend a broken heart.

How can a 101-year-old woman fall in love again.

And I help a man atone for an armed robbery he committed at 14 years old. And so I pointed the gun at him and said, This isn't a joke.

And he got down. I remember feeling a surge of like, Okay, this is power.

Plus, my old friend Gregor and his brother tried to solve my problems through hypnotism.

We could give you a whole brand new thing where you're super charming all the time. Being more able to look people in the eye.

Not always hide behind a microphone. Listen to Heavyweight on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Hi, I'm Radhi De Vluukia, and I am the host of a Really Good Cry podcast. This week, I am joined by Anna Runkel, also known as the Crappy Childhood Faerie, a creator, teacher, and guide helping people heal from the lasting emotional wounds of unsafe or chaotic childhoods. We talk about how the things we went through when we were younger can still show up in our adult lives, in our relationships, our reactions, even in the way we feel in our own bodies. And Anna opens up about her own story, what helped her notice the patterns she was stuck in, and how she slowly really started teaching her body that it is safe now.

When I got attacked, it was very random. Four guys jumped out of a car and just started beating me and my friend, and they broke my jaw and my teeth. I was unconscious. Then I woke up and I screamed. I screamed because even though I didn't know who I was or where I was, something in me was just like, Hold on, wait. They could kill me, and I'm not going to let that happen. I'm not going to let that happen. I'm going to get through this, and I did.

Listen to a really good cry on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get podcast.

This week on Dear Chelsea with me, Chelsea Handler. Nikola Sparks is here. I would imagine that you've gotten a lot of feedback about setting a standard of love and romance that a lot of men probably can't measure up to?

I have heard such stories at my book signings, right? Where's my Noah? Where's my John from Dear John? And at the same time, in the course of my career, I've had seven marriage proposals in lines to sign my book. Oh, really? They'll get up to the table, The dude will drop to his knees, and I feel so bad for him. I'm like, Dude, you're in a Walmart in Birmingham, Alabama. But it's happened. And you get a lot more of those kinds of stories than people coming up and saying, I've ruined men for the rest, which I'm glad. I would feel bad if that was more common, actually.

No, that's what you come to Dear Chelsea for, to get upgraded. Listen to Dear Chelsea on the iHeartRadio app Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Step number four, upgrade your environment because discipline is easier when you don't fight your surroundings. If you're trying to get off sugar, but every snack in your cupboard is full of sugar, you're now testing yourself. If you want to get off sodas, but your refrigerator is full of sodas, you're now testing yourself. If you want to work out, but you haven't found the right gym that's easy to get to or the right workout plan, you're testing yourself. We don't fail because we don't care. We fail because we're constantly testing ourselves. We're making things harder. We're making it harder to feel motivated. We're making it harder to stick to our boundaries. We're making it harder to stick to our own rules. Behavioral science shows that 45% of our actions are habitual and triggered by environment, not motivation. Follow this one thing and you'll reach your goal. If your goal is to eat better, start with your kitchen. If your goal is to focus, put away your phone. If your goal is to save money, start with your spending triggers. If your goal is to build confidence, start with your self-talk. If your goal is to find love, start with your boundaries.

If your goal is to grow your business, start with your calendar. If your goal is to heal, start with your habits. If your goal is to be happier, start with your attention. Because change doesn't begin with a goal. It begins with your environment. You don't need more willpower, you need fewer friction points. Success isn't about trying harder. It's about designing smarter. If your environment is full of noise, you'll forget what your own your voice sounds like. If your environment is filled with clutter, your mind will mirror the mess. If your environment is built on chaos, peace will always feel like a luxury. If your environment is full of doubt, confidence won't survive there. If your environment is small, your vision will start to shrink to fit it. If your environment is lifeless, your motivation will follow. There's a reason why the phrase, You are a product of your environment, is so well known because it's true. If you're surrounded by books, you'll read books. If you're surrounded by screens, you'll be distracted. That's how it works. That's how the brain works. And then you're forcing yourself, pushing yourself, driving yourself, and which maybe you'll do for three days if you're lucky, maybe three weeks if you're really lucky.

But you're always working against yourself. Step number five, break the all or nothing cycle. Instead of asking, did I fail? Ask, what can I learn? Instead of starting over, pick up from where you left off. Progress is built in the messy middle, not the perfect start. If you can't stand to be bad at something first, you'll never be great at anything. If you keep editing your ideas before you express them, the world will never hear your voice. If you measure your worth by how few mistakes you make, you'll always feel like a failure. If you only celebrate the finished product, you'll miss the beauty of the process. If you chase flawless, you'll lose authentic. If you chase approval, you lose momentum. Because the truth, perfectionism doesn't make you better, it makes you stuck. It's fear dressed up as high standards. Step number 6, use emotional visualization. See it, feel it, embody it. Most people visualize success like a movie. The money, the followers, the applause. But the brain doesn't respond to images. It responds to emotion. Studies from the University of Chicago show that visualizing the process, not just the outcome, increases success rates by 42 %.

So if you want to start that business, picture the early mornings, the uncertainty and the excitement. If you want to lose weight, imagine how it feels to walk into the gym proud, not intimidated. If you want to launch your podcast, feel what it's like to hit publish for the first time, nervous but excited. Emotion turns fantasy into preparation. Close your eyes. See it, feel it, believe it. See the version of you who already has what you want. See them waking up calm, focused, and proud. See them doing the things you keep postponing. See them making the hard choices easily. See them walking into rooms they once felt unworthy of. See them speaking with clarity, creating waiting with confidence, living with purpose. Feel what it's like to be them. Feel the peace in their breath, feel the strength in their posture, feel the ease in their decisions, feel the gratitude they wake up with before anything What happens? You don't have to chase this version of you. You're remembering them. You're returning to them. You're becoming them. One choice, one breath, one act of belief at a time. Because every time you it with feeling, your brain builds evidence that it's real.

Every time you see it clearly, your body starts preparing to live it. See it until it feels familiar. Feel it until it feels safe. Believe it until it feels inevitable. You reprogram your mind by seeing yourself doing the hard things and then going out and doing them. Step number seven, work with resistance, not against it, because fear is feedback, not failure. Every big goal triggers resistance. That's not the universe blocking you. That's your nervous system protecting you. Neuroscience calls this prediction error. The brain resists anything unfamiliar, even if it's good for you. So instead of saying, Why do I feel scared? Say, Of course I do. This is new. Then act anyway. Courage isn't the absence of fear. It's moving while it shakes. You think successful people are not scared. The truth is, they're doing what they do while being scared. You think they're not nervous? They're doing what they do while they're nervous. You think they don't experience anxiety? They're experiencing anxiety while they're doing the thing that you love watching them do. That's how it works. You work with it, not against it, because if you keep fighting it, it just gets stronger and bigger and takes over.

Step number eight, build public accountability. Accountability. Make your goals collaborative with your friends and competitive with the people you really love. A Harvard business review found that people who share their goals with a supportive community, that's an important word. It's not about sharing your goals with everyone on the internet. A supportive community, are 76 % more likely to achieve them. Tell a friend, post your progress in a private group, join a challenge. We don't need more private promises to ourselves, and we don't need more public performance to others. This isn't about tell everyone on Instagram, and it isn't just about live with it on your own. We need shared momentum. Isolation keeps you stuck. Accountability pulls you forward. So you want to be accountable, but to the right group of people. If you tell too many people, too many people will shut you down. If you say, I want to start a business, someone's going to say, I don't think your idea is that good. Someone else is going to say, Yeah, my friend tried a business, it failed. Someone else will say, Yeah, give it a go. See how it goes. That's not helpful.

If you're around a group of entrepreneurs, they'll ask you questions. They'll say, Okay, what's your business about? Okay, what's your plan? Okay, how are you going to find customers? That's the community you want to be around. The problem is we tell friends and family members who have no idea what we're doing, as opposed to telling people who actually have the expertise and insight. And joining those groups and communities and meeting people is a really, really powerful thing you can do for yourself. Step number nine, use gratitude as fuel, not fluff, because motivation Motivation fades, but appreciation sustains. Gratitude isn't just a nice feeling, it's a neurological hack. When you track progress, even small wins, you release dopamine, the brain's reward chemical. That's why celebrating each step keeps you consistent long after excitement fades. Start your days not with what's missing, but with what's moving. You realize you're not waiting for your dream life, you're already living pieces of it. Because number 10 is becoming the person your dream requires. Identity is the ultimate manifestation tool. You can't create a 2026 version of your life with a 2024 version of your beliefs. So instead of asking, What do I want?

Ask yourself, Who am I willing to become? The person who starts a business acts like a founder before the business exists. The person who launches the podcast speaks like a creator before the audience appears. Identity drives action. And when you act like the person who already has what you want, your brain starts catching up. 2026 won't magically change your life. But you can. The universe doesn't respond to wishful thinking. It responds to clear energy and consistent action. So this year, don't just set goals. Design your systems. Choose your word. Align your identity. And remember, intention and infrastructure. Thank you so much for listening. I hope you have an amazing 2026. I'm wishing you all the best. Make sure you subscribe to On Purpose to never miss an episode. I'll be guiding you through the year. And remember, I'm forever in your corner and always rooting for you. If you love this episode, you will enjoy my interview with Dr. Daniel Amen on how to change your life by changing your brain.

If we want a healthy mind, it actually starts with a healthy brain. I've had the blessing or the curse to scan over a thousand convicted felons and over a hundred murderers, and their brains are very damaged.

Hi, I'm Radhi DeVluukia, and I am the host of a Really Good Cry podcast. This week, I am joined by Anna Runkel, also known as the Crappy Childhood Faerie, a creator, teacher, and guide helping people heal from the lasting emotional wounds of unsafe or chaotic childhoods.

That talking about trauma isn't always great for people. It's not always the best thing. About a third of people who are traumatized as kids feel worse when they talk about it, get very dysregulated.

Listen to a Really Good Cry on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

What do you get when you mix 1950's Hollywood, a Cuban musician with a dream, and one of the most iconic sit comes of all time? You get Desi Arnés. On the podcast, star in Desi Arnés and Wilmer Valderrama, I'll take you in a journey to Desi's life, how he redefined American television and what that meant for all of us watching from the sidelines, waiting for a face like ours on screen. Listen to Starring Desi Arnés and Wilmer Valderrama on the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcast, or wherever you get your podcast.

I'm Eva Longoria, and I'm Maite Gomez-Rejuan. And this week on our podcast, Hungary for History, We Talk Osters, plus the Miambi Chief stops by.

If you're not a oyster lover, don't even talk to me.

Ancient Athenians used to scratch names onto oyster shells to vote politicians into exile. So our word ostracize is related to the word oyster. No way. Bring back the Oster Kong.

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