So 2026, it’s a new year, and I’ve done a lot of reflection, work, and setting up of systems in 2025 and I’m excited to see what happens in 2026 as I look back on 2025.
In 2024 I opened my first high yield savings account but in 2025 I really perfected it and found the HYSA that worked best for me, the Fidelity Money Market Fund. It’s easy, customizable, and can be checked on every 6 months. I also overspent ,semi-regularly, in 2025 and realized I needed more accountability with my budget. Originally, I tried spreadsheets but the weekly task on inputting information was onerous and did not have any result. Instead, I tried out a few budgeting apps, Monarch, YNAB, and Quicken, and settled on Quicken because of it’s cross-platform usability, customizability, and affordable price. Additionally, it’s smart and doesn’t require much from me, but it does let me know when I’ve overspent in a category.
I spent 2026 reading a lot of business books and I really am entering 2026 with a different mindset to the one I had entering 2025. Some of my favorite books so far have been the 10X rule by Grant Cardone, Atomic Habits by James Clear, Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang, and The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel. Full transparency, I’m still reading Rejection Proof right now but it’s been life changing already. 10X Rule gave me the framework and mentality to dream bigger than I’d ever admit to, Atomic Habits expanded on and named habits I’d already started, and both Rejection Proof and Psychology of Money reframed how I’ll approach money, success, and life.
I spent 2025 automating as much as I could and putting in place routines for the rest. I’m not perfect, I still average about 2 hours or more on social media a day, But, I like social media and as long as it doesn’t prohibit me from accomplishing things, I’m fine with it. One of the biggest changes coming into 2026 has been triggers. I’d set into place triggers but I didn’t call them that, Atomic Habits named them and expanded on the concept for me. Some of the triggers I’ll use are the following: getting up when my loud automatic bean to brew coffee machine goes off at my wakeup time, no phone required. I get up to drink it before it gets cold. My journal is at my table and I sip coffee while planning out my day. I’ll make breakfast, get dressed, and go to work. I’ll bookend each workday with exercise (Bar, Tennis, or pickleball) and when I come home I’ll shower and have dinner followed by dessert. However, where in 2025 I’d eat my cookie, popcorn, or scoop of ice cream while on social media, now if I have a dessert, I have to go work on something – my book, my blog, or my finances. It’s been working splendidly. Knowing what’s going to happen during each part of the day and building in triggers (coffee, work end, and dessert) to kickstart the next part has been fantastic.
My goals for 2026 are to find community, become more financially successful, and finish my book. Let’s see how i do.
AdultingPrep 
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