The science of goal setting is both clear and nebulous. Most of us fail or quit our goals by February of the year we set ‘em; however, when we seek to become someone different by establishing regular habits, receiving support from others, and keeping things super simple. Here’s how three simple changes made an impact for me in 2025.

Deleted social media

Social media platforms are designed for engagement, not for enriching our lives. After getting rid of Facebook in 2023 and realizing the benefits of this decision almost immediately, I began reducing my activity across social media in 2024.

But it was/is really hard because these tools are “attention vampires” designed for distraction and amplifying rage. They are also semi-useful, so totally severing LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube wasn’t a great option, either.

I compromised by deleting all social media apps from my phone except LinkedIn and YouTube, which I use a fair bit for professional connecting, cooking, technical learning, and basketball content.

The results have been pretty awesome for my mental health and ability to focus.

Deleting social media is more than just unplugging. It’s a radical act of reclaiming your attention and refocusing willpower. Once I severed ties with Facebook and began scaling back my scrolling, I noticed the constant urge to check my phone slowly faded. The average person checks their device nearly 100 times a day, and each swipe or tap brings a “context switch” that shatters focus and drains productivity. Cutting out these micro-interruptions isn’t just about freeing up time; it’s about restoring your capacity for deep, meaningful work and getting back to what matters.

Social platforms are engineered to keep us hooked, using dopamine-triggering features like infinite scroll and unpredictable rewards, which activate the same brain centers as gambling. By breaking free from this dopamine trap, you not only protect your mental health but also start to regain control over your attention and emotional well-being.

Perhaps most importantly, stepping away from the virtual world creates space for real connection. Instead of chasing likes and comments, you’re free to invest in genuine conversations and face-to-face experiences, which Jonathan Haidt will tell you are the kind that actually enrich your life.

I honestly don’t miss Instagram, Twitter, or Bluesky and I don’t feel the draw of TikTok or Threads because I’ve experienced the value of living life without these attention vampires. This said, my phone is still more of a personal appendage than a tool, so working harder on my focus and presence in real community with real people will need to level-up in 2026 (more on that later).

Shared (almost) daily motivation

In late 2024 I shared a “motivational” quote with my friend Jag (“motivational” is in “quotations” because, as our experiment found, words move different people in different ways). Anyway, we thought it would be funny and interesting if I sent him two or three motivational quotes per week (originally, because I’m ridiculous, I committed to one per day, but then my family, colleagues, and Jag said “bruh, that’s too much!” and they are/were right).

From The Coffee News,a Vancouver-Island-based weekly print publication (my favourite thing about it is the quiz!) to Tim Ferriss’s “Five Bullet Friday” newsletter to a quote from Sean Connery’s character in the 1996 action thriller The Rock, I scoured and shared nearly 200 quotes with Jag in 2025.

Our methodology, we’d say, was “loosely scientific” – Jag is an actual Scientist, so he’d acknowledge that, while this experiment would not withstand the rigour of peer-review (or, like, a deep dive into our notes, which are a text thread), it does have measurable results.

I selected and Jag evaluated quotes that were meant to conjure thoughts and feelings of inspiration, provocativeness, humility, and/or wisdom. Jag evaluated each quote on a scale of 1-10 (10 being the highest), with some exceptions to the process.

The best exceptions to the otherwise perfectly executed evaluation criteria are as follows:

• “10000% yes!”
• “I wish there was a negative value in this rubric.”
• “Lights out.”
• “Tech Bro talk.”
• “This feels like coffee mug energy.”
• “20/10”

The average rating of the 195 quotes I sent him was 5.76/10. Jag guessed it would be 6/10 (like I said, he’s a Scientist).

Here are his thoughts on the impact that this practice had on his life (and our friendship) in 2025:

Receiving two to three motivational messages each week wasn’t about every quote landing perfectly. Some resonated deeply, others simply passed through. But what stayed with me was the care behind them. Knowing that someone thought of me consistently, over time, carried a quiet warmth that mattered more than the words themselves. A few messages invited me to pause and reflect on connection, friendship, and presence in ways I didn’t expect. They changed how I experienced the sender—as someone intentionally reaching out, choosing connection again and again. That steady thoughtfulness strengthened our friendship and, at moments, nudged me to consider how I might show up more intentionally, with more kindness and attention, for the people and communities around me.

Discussing our reaction to the quotes was way more fun than picking or measuring them and, as Jag notes, the dialogue generated insights into ourselves, our friendship, and how we engage with the world around us.

About halfway through the experiment, we wondered if another test group would evaluate the quotes differently if they were all anonymous. For example, our biases towards or against William Shakespeare, Maya Angelou, Elon Musk, Virginia Woolf, and Gandhi certainly influenced what was chosen and how it was measured.

Here is a selection of some of the quotes, their rating, and some explaining of the dialogue they inspired.

“Priorities are like arms. If you think you have more than a couple, you’re either lying or crazy.” – Merlin Mann (12/10, but that might’ve been a joke)

Speaking of jokes…

“Forgiveness is the highest act of love.” – The Therapist in Daredevil: Born Again (note: I later researched that this was the character Heather Glenn played by Margarita Levieva)

“I am not impressed by your position, title and money. I am impressed by how you treat others.” – @Motivational Spark (10/10 and the first “lights out” graphic from the Internet I sprinkled into the experiment).

According to Jag, George Bernard Shaw and Harrison Ford’s wisdom was lost in their overwritten advice, which is too long to share at this time (both 3/10).

“Your time on Earth is limited. Don’t try to ‘age with grace’. Age with mischief, audacity, and a good story to tell.” – @wildwomansisterhoodofficial (10/10)

“We delight in the beauty of the butterfly but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to achieve that beauty.” – Maya Angelou (10/10 and she’s a fav author of my pal Jag)

“Above all, do not lose your desire to walk: Every day I walk myself into a state of well-being and walk away from every illness; I have walked myself into my best thoughts, and I know of no thought so burdensome that one cannot walk away from it.” – Soren Kierkegaard (20/10)

The last one illuminated some experience bias from Jag and I, as we spent a good number of hours on long walks together in 2025 and we think that humans were built to walk and chat.

Whether you discuss motivation on long walks with a friend or a dog, I highly recommend this simple and effective activity for you in 2026.

Active in nature

Being active in nature – whether hiking with friends or walking through a local park – refreshes your mind, sparks creativity, and supports both relaxation and physical well-being. According to a University of California Davis study, moving through nature improves focus, lowers blood pressure, enhances dexterity, reduces anxiety, and lowers the risk of depression.

Being active outside with others every day is one of the pillars of longevity.

It’s not easy for everyone to get outside in the natural environment and I acknowledge my spectacular privilege. I’m blessed to live in a fairly walkable and very nature-adjacent neighbourhood that is about 10-15 minutes from the ocean. My commute to work, which is via bicycle 99% of the time, travels through marshes and the leafy green University of Victoria campus, arriving me at a pretty spectacular waterfront office.

(This is why Jag and I gushed over the Kierkegaard quote).

With intention, I built a couple of 20-minute walks into my mornings, which included the bonus activity of walking my kids to school with other parents and kids from the neighbourhood.

This practice has been expanded thanks to the addition of Trixie, our awesome Goldendoodle, who is a wonderful walking companion.

My North Star for 2026

My North Star for 2026 is regaining focus through reading (analogue), more time exercising in nature, and making sacred spaces, like team meetings and family moments, “phone free zones”.

I learned about this popular framework in The North Star workshop by Dr. Timothy Tiryaki. He walked a dozen leaders from around the world through a practice that helped us to clarify our purpose, values, and vision for the future through reflection and guided exercises. I focused a lot on willpower and attention and where it ought to be focused for maximum impact, which is to build leaders who create more leaders who make the world a better place. What’s your North Star for 2026?