What You Can Do

Forget the New Year’s Resolutions, and Define Your Purpose and Impact for 2026

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Darrick Dean

We are approaching the time when millions make resolutions and goals for the new year. That arbitrary turning of the calendar marks a time of new beginnings. What follows is often failure. Perhaps goals shouldn’t be our focus? Ryan Michler writes:

“Goals are emotionally dependent, standards are identity-based. Standards keep you anchored in the present, goals keep you trapped in the future…Your life changes when your identity upgrades, not when your goals get bigger.”

Ryan discusses how setting standards — that is who you want to be, or who you refuse to be — make you resilient and create an unmovable foundation to build you goals upon. This personal code is non-negotiable and should be founded in truth.

Then you are ready to set goals – getting healthy, finding a new career, achieving your purpose. You can’t do this on a whim. Without a plan, your probability of failure is quite high. It’s not enough for most people to say, “I’m going to do it” and poof, your goal manifests amazing success.

Your plan should start with a Past Year Review. You can’t move forward without first looking back. Here is a simple approach from Sienna Colonese:

1️⃣ Perform a 2025 audit

What were your goals at the beginning of the year? How far did you get? Which were not achieved, and why? How did your goals align with your deeper passions and vision?

2️⃣ Analyze your emotions

What emotions did you experience the most this year? Were you regularly experiencing stress, frustration, or low motivation? How much gratitude, abundance, and fulfillment did you feel?

3️⃣ Outline your optimal life

What does your “optimal life” look like? The vision that makes you excited, and the one where you experience all the emotions you desire. Get clear on this picture.

4️⃣ Align goals

Align your goals for the next 12 months with your optimal life vision. Set meaningful, detailed, and measurable goals. Keep them within your vision field EVERY day.

Want to get more detailed? Use the findings of your Past Year Review of 2025 and set your Objectives (goals) for 2026. Most of this is a summary of of Ryan Michler’s plan in Sovereignty, which goes into much more detail.

  1. Pick a timescale. Here we will use 12 week Objectives.
  2. Employ Specificity, that is, don’t say “I want to be healthy.” Rather, describe what exactly healthy means for you, and what metrics you will use to get there.
  3. Use the Four Quadrants to define your Objectives:
  • Calibration: Take care of your well-being first, particularly things that are getting in the way of your Objectives, including mindset, and mental and emotional health.
  • Connection: How do your Objectives improve relationships with all the people you interact with?
  • Condition: This is focus on your physical health. Your health can no longer be an afterthought. Being sick or dead will interfere with your Objectives.
  • Contribution: How do your Objectives make an impact on other people?

Defining your Objectives with this level of Specificity is half the battle. This isn’t set it and forget it. You need Tactics that help you stay on the correct route to achieving your Objectives.

  1. Set thirty and sixty day checkpoints.
  2. Review your objectives at these times and make necessary adjustments.
  3. Define two additional Tactics for each Objective. For example, if you want to read six books in ninety days:
    Primary Tactic: Read for thirty minutes every day.
    Secondary Tactic: Read for two hours every weekend.

One of your most important Tactics is the After Action Review. This doesn’t just come at the end of the Objective period. Use this after a project, after difficult conversations, and especially at the end of every day. It only takes a few minutes to ask these questions:

  • What did I accomplish?
  • What did I not accomplish?
  • What did I do well?
  • What did I not do well?
  • What will I do moving forward?

Take two minutes, every morning and every night, to review.

Get yourself an old-fashioned notebook or journal, or a device if you must, and skip mindless New Year’s resolutions. Take control of your life. No more letting others push and pull you along. Don’t wait until December 31st. Use the whole month.

Make 2026 the year you Find Your Purpose, Find Your Story.

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Leave the World Behind

Posted on August 3, 2025 by Darrick Dean

“Don’t be afraid to live your life with intense and deliberate essentiality, every day, all the time. However you can find connection to your moments, do it.” – Kourtney Thomas, “What I Learned From a No Social Media Vacation“

Whereas tech is a great tool to assist you on vacation (finding places to go, directions, making reservations, etc.), many people let the social media part of tech take over their trip. I once saw a young lady spend so much time trying to create selfies at the Grand Canyon, I wondered of she even noticed the natural wonder in front of her. (And hoped she didn’t fall off the edge as others have done.)

Other people cannot fathom going a week without checking email, social media accounts, the news – or most horribly – work-related accounts and apps.

It might be hard to believe, but the world will survive without knowing where you are for a little while. It’s one thing to check in with friends and family occasionally, but for the most part, just go off the grid and remember what vacations are all about.

Leaving that world behind.

Ashlyn Pernice writes:

“Imagine leaving everything —phones, car, home — and traveling across the country on foot. Imagine truly living a simple life, not caught up with friend drama on Facebook or politics on Twitter, not worrying about the future, nor reminiscing about the past. Imagine being able to truly live in the moment and ignore the responsibilities of everyday life, take in all the beauty of new places and new environments, and meet new people without the distractions of technology.

“But how could you travel without technology in the 21st century? This is what truly bothered me. I knew I wanted to travel without a car, but how would I navigate new areas in this day and age without Google Maps at my fingertips?

“I decided that if people hundreds of years before me could find their way around without smartphones, then I could, too. It was just a matter of using actual maps, asking locals, etc. I threw my beloved iPhone into a lake.”

You don’t have to necessarily throw your phone out. However, before you go, deactivate all social media and messaging apps. Buy a map. Use GPS as little as possible. Take spontaneous photos, not staged ones. Immerse yourself in the moment, and wait until you get back to share your experiences.

Maybe by leaving your daily world for awhile, you’ll find the path you should have been taking all along.

“Money, of course, is still needed to survive, but time is what you need to live. So, save what little money you possess to meet basic survival requirements, but spend your time lavishly in order to create the life values that make the fire worth the candle. ” – Rolf Potts

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How Bad do You Want This?

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Darrick Dean

Angélique Letizia once again encourages us to align with our dreams, our purpose, rather than letting others tell us what we are meant to be:

Why not you?
So what if they don’t believe in you?
Who cares if they say your dream is delusional?

The real question is: Will you believe in yourself when no one else does?

Here’s what happens when you begin to align with your dream:

You set out on a path that feels less like a gentle walk and more like walking through a gauntlet of projections, doubts, mirrors, tests disguised as detours, and polarity in its rawest form.

It will ask you:
How bad do you want this?
Can you hold the vision through the dark?
Will you keep going when all seems lost?

Because fully aligning with a dream means confronting the polarity paradox, where expansion requires you to face both resistance and revelation.

You’ll encounter Champions, those rare souls who see your vision before the evidence shows up. They cheer you on because they genuinely wish you the best. Treasure these people — they’re rare.

Then there’s the shadow side of the Champion; what I like to call the Phantoms, because their overzealous show of support is a false light projection. Their smiles mask jealousy, and their energy carries a quiet hope you’ll fail. And if you don’t fail? They’ll still linger close enough to ride your coattails.

Then come the Naysayers.

The Positive Naysayers mean well. They may sincerely love you, but they prioritize your safety more than your evolution. They’ll say things like:

“Don’t get your hopes up.”
“Are you sure that’s realistic?”
“Can you make money doing that?”

They’re not trying to hurt you; they’re just speaking from fear.
But love offered through fear is still fear, and fear will always hold you back.

Then there are the Negative Naysayers. They mock, minimize, and criticize.
Often behind your back. Sometimes, to your face in the form of passive-aggressive jabs.

These experiences are initiations, invitations to strengthen your discernment and align with a bold, unapologetic narrative.

Because before the dream expands, you must expand. You must face your own shadow and your own light.

You must look yourself in the eye and ask:

Am I fully ready to claim the life I was born to live?

The dream doesn’t just require faith; it demands perseverance, fortitude, energy, and conviction.

Because to reach the gold, you have to walk through contrasts on both sides of the polarity spectrum.

Meaning, you don’t just meet your purpose, you also meet everything that stands in its way.

So, if you’re waiting for a sign to pursue your dream, start a business, form a partnership, launch a new brand, or make a bold new move.

This is your sign. DO IT.

Because that dream burning in your heart wasn’t given to the naysayers —
It was given to you, the one who holds enough light to carry it through the dark.

Keep Shining ⭐

Angélique Letizia is the Founder & CEO of Starr Films. © Angélique Letizia

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Being Moderate…or Exceptional

Posted on March 9, 2025 by Darrick Dean

“If moderation means doing something harmful regularly, is it moderation or slow destruction?” – Azadeh Gharehgozlou

I always thought the “everything in moderation” line irrational, especially when it comes to health.

I’ve had people tell me “everything in moderation,” and in the same breath, talk about what chronic diseases they have had, or what prescription drugs they are on. Seriously?

Read more as Azadeh explains the fallacy of moderation and its impact on our health:

Chris Do ’s cousin once asked him:

“Everything in moderation, right?”

Chris replied:
“Sure… if you want to live a moderate life.”

Then he added:
“I want to live an exceptional life. I got this one shot—I’m going all in.”

That hit me.
For years, we’ve been told moderation is the key to health.
Yet, we’re sicker than ever.

So, what does moderation even mean?
A glass of wine every night?
A sugary snack every afternoon?
Processed foods just a few times a week?

If moderation means doing something harmful regularly, is it moderation or slow destruction?

This is how we got here:
We normalized small daily doses of things that make us sick, thinking it was “balanced.” But balance doesn’t mean habitual indulgence.

It means understanding trade-offs.

Here’s what real moderation (or the 80/20 rule) should look like:

✅ Eat whole, nutrient-dense foods most of the time.
✅ Enjoy indulgences occasionally—but intentionally, not habitually.
✅ Prioritize movement, sleep, and stress management over quick fixes.

I eat what I love. I indulge when I choose to.
But I don’t fool myself into thinking daily sugar, alcohol, or junk food is “moderation.”

And since today is Valentine’s Day…
Maybe moderation isn’t just misleading when it comes to health.
Maybe love is the same way.

Go all in—or don’t at all.
Happy Valentine’s Day. ❤️

Azadeh Gharehgozlou is an executive health coach. © Azadeh Gharehgozlou

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Meta Study: How to Master Any Subject

Posted on February 15, 2025 by Darrick Dean

Want to learn about Roman history? Have a desire to wrap your mind around astrophysics? Is your ongoing learning inhibited by bad memories of school learning, aka kid prison?

Don’t fret, there is a way to break down a subject, and learn it to a level at which you can discuss it intelligently.

In scientific studies, there is something called a meta-analysis where multiple reports or studies of a particular subject are synthesized into one new study. I’ve adapted this into the meta study which allows you to tackle a particular topic.

Step 1: Define Limits

This is the hard part where you have think a little bit. Here’s where you survey your subject of interest and define some limits. Any subject, whether history or health, or anything you can think of, is a bottomless pit of specializations. You’ll need a manageable bite. What in history do you want to study? Roman Empire? Divide this into time periods: Early Rome, Imperial Rome, Decline of Rome. Health your subject? What part of health? Proper human diet? Okay, determine what people are claiming are potential, proper human diets.

Step 2: Pick Sources

There are thousands, so you cannot read them all. Search out some of the most current and respected sources. There are some pitfalls here, because simply because something is popular, doesn’t make it true or valuable. Also, you cannot bring in your a priori bias in picking materials. Approach any subject as an independent researcher as if you have no knowledge of what you are about to study. Some topics may require you to read sources that have contrary conclusions.

Note: I default to books because of their depth of information and accessibility. These should be the core of your studies, but other sources such as interviews and documentaries are also useful.

Step 3: Start Reading

Once you have your initial books (you will likely need more), begin reading, but keep these items in mind:

  1. Take note of any things you come across you want to learn more about. That is, save these rabbit trails for later. Back in our Roman history example, you’ll run across many events, people, etc., that many volumes have been written providing much more detail. Stay on point for now.
  2. Watch for the saturation point. When your readings start becoming repetitive with not a lot of new material, you have reached a strong point of understanding of your subject.
  3. Explore some of those interesting items which you took note of until you reach understanding with them as well.

How do you really know if you have reached some level of mastery of your subject? Do you understand “experts,” real or otherwise, when they speak on the subject? Are you able to ask questions, detect discrepancies, while you or someone else is discussing the topic? Can you discuss the topic easily?

Realize there are people who spend a lifetime specializing in a topic, whether in formal or informal settings. You could get there, but your goal here is to understand subject, be intelligent in speaking about it, and not necessarily knowing every last detail.

Step 4: Maintenance Phase

Once you’ve reached a comfortable level of understanding there are a couple of actions to undertake. Look through all of your resources and keep the best of the best. That is, remove any that are repetitive, not as engaging, or as current. Secondly, check back every so often for new resources that are released. Some topics are very dynamic in new information, others are more static.

Good luck on your journey of learning. Be a time traveler in history, take control of your health, or travel the universe.

Whatever trail you choose, be prepared for some amazing, or startling, discoveries.

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What is Your Story?

Posted on January 29, 2025 by Darrick Dean

Kira Day writes we all have a Story far deeper than what we appear to have on the surface. She challenges us to find our own Story, and those of the people we meet:

Often times the things folks do to make money – isn’t the same things they do to make them feel alive.

Yet…

We continue to put so much emphasis on what folks do for work, assuming that that’s where their ‘value’ is.

But is that ever a persons full story?

I know one CEO who has told me, “You can take my title but don’t take my cello.”

And another successful financial stocks trader who confided, “Money aside, art has my heart.”

People are multi-faceted.

And so it makes sense that we have multi-focuses & multi-passions.

And yet…

Todays society loves simplifying or pigeon holing folks into these slivers of themselves:

💰“The finance guy.”
👷‍♀️“The engineer.”
⛹️‍♂️“The basket ball player.”

Even though we all know that titles never tell the whole story.

In earlier societies individuals excelled in multiple disciplines…creating a culture of true polymaths, largely promoted by the societal structures & economic systems of their times.

For example…

During the Renaissance, the concept of the “Renaissance man” emerged. It was epitomized by figures like Leonardo da Vinci, who was simultaneously a successful painter, scientist, & engineer. This era valued a well-rounded education, encouraging exploration across various fields. Enabled by an economic system that facilitated multifaceted pursuits known as a form of patronage economy. Allowing individuals the freedom to explore diverse interests without the constraints of financial instability.

For example, the well known astronomer Galileo Galilei secured patronage from the Medici family. That led to his contributions in physics, astronomy, and scientific thought.

Peter Burke, Professor Emeritus of Cultural History at Cambridge, noted that this all changed with the rapid growth of knowledge, causing a social change that favoured topic specialization. Despite this trend, Burke emphasizes that polymathic individuals remain essential for synthesizing information across disciplines.

He stated, “It takes a polymath to ‘mind the gap’ and draw attention to the knowledges that may otherwise disappear into the spaces between disciplines.”

A true missing talent today in a world built on silos that is proving to be a challenge.

This is one of the reasons that when I meet folks for the first time it can be an intense experience.

Because I want to know the full story of a person.

I want to hear about the stuff outside of roles.

About the violin lessons that led to an obsession with chord G – and what it all means mathematically.

These are the stories that interest me.

And the things that we can’t skip over.

Because I do believe that somewhere deep within our hearts, we are all polymaths.

So while yes, life professions are great:

What’s in your back pocket?

The human heart speaks a language that is more vibrant than our word labels can ever truly articulate.

And one that may just be the key to solving some pretty pressing challenges in our world today.

Passion forward.

Kira Day is the Founder/CEO of The Passion Centre, Inc. © Kira Day

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All Humans are Scientists

Posted on January 19, 2025 by Darrick Dean

People who lack formal scientific credentials are nonetheless qualified to speak with authority on matters of common science. – Douglas Axe, Undeniable

In the last few years, especially during the pandemic debacle, authoritarian science has replaced the scientific method which follows the evidence wherever it leads. We heard many bureaucrats, politicians, and talking heads say things like “Follow the Science” or “Trust the Science.”

When anyone questioned them, the questioners were told not to question the science, to accept the word of strangers, and that you — the people — couldn’t understand, so just listen to the experts.

This isn’t how science works. This is anti-science. Real science — and real scientists — aren’t afraid of questions. They also know people are smart. Not everyone needs an academic degree, or to be anointed an expert by someone, to understand, interpret, and test allegedly scientific claims.

Molecular biologist Douglas Axe writes in Undeniable we all think, in some way, like scientists:

Basic science is an integral part of how we live. We are all careful observers of our world. We all make mental notes of what we observe. We all use these notes to build conceptual models of how things work. And we all continually refine these models as needed. Without doubt, this is science. I have called it common science to emphasize the connection to common sense.

There is technical science that requires mathematics, experimentation, and so forth, but you can still understand scientific claims and concepts without those. You can test claims from the experts. In an era where the experts are often shown wrong (such as in climate, disease, or origins of life), we need citizen scientists.

Don’t fear science. Study it, use it. Your mind is a superpower to wield in preserving your health and freedoms. Anyone who tells you to be quiet and don’t question is someone who fears the truth will become known.

Make the truth known.

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Never Settle For Less

Posted on December 8, 2024 by Darrick Dean

“What’s the world’s greatest lie?” the boy asked, completely surprised.

“It’s this: that at a certain point in our lives, we lose control of what’s happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That’s the world’s greatest lie.” – From The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho

The end of the year is always the perfect time to ask this question:

Have you found your Purpose?

Coelho calls it pursing your Personal Legend. I call it finding your part in the Story.

You Purpose is what you are gifted to do. It’s why you are in this world. It may be simple, it may be complex. It may be your career, or it might not be.

Chances are you know what it is. There is also a chance you gave up on it. You have excuses, rationalizations, reasons. All of them are fake. Many forces in the world conspire to tell you the Lie. Other forces remind you it is a lie.

“’Someday’ is a disease that will take your dreams to the grave with you.” – Tim Ferriss

I like re-reading The Alchemist this time a year. It’s a modern classic. It will implore you to take stock of where you are in your Story. Or, perhaps, it will remind you to start writing – and living – your Story. Never, ever, stop fighting for what your meant to be.

Never settle for less.

“You can settle for a less than ordinary life. Or do you feel like you were meant for something better? Something special? I dare you to do better.” – Captain Pike to Jim Kirk, Star Trek (2009)

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Make Money to Buy Stuff…or to Live?

Posted on August 11, 2024 by Darrick Dean

“Money…is still needed to survive, but time is what you need to live. So, save what little money you possess to meet basic survival requirements, but spend your time lavishly in order to create life values that make the fire worth the candle.” – Rolf Potts, Vagabonding

Do you work to live, or do work to pay for things and maintain appearances?

Let me put it another way, do you have fancy things (houses, cars, toys), but can’t buy real furniture or go on a vacation?

Do you spend money to impress people, or use money to have experiences?

Does a large percentage of your income go to maintain stuff, or does it give you freedom?

Or as Thoreau wrote, are you spending “the best part of one’s life earning money in order to enjoy a questionable liberty during the least valuable part of it” ?

Anyone can make money and buy things.

Few, though, seem to break the dual curses of materialism and waiting until retirement to “enjoy” life.

As Rolf Potts wrote, we are missing out on “weaving a tapestry of life experience that is much richer and more intricate than you could ever have imagined…“

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Leave the World Behind

Posted on August 3, 2024 by Darrick Dean

“Don’t be afraid to live your life with intense and deliberate essentiality, every day, all the time. However you can find connection to your moments, do it.” – Kourtney Thomas, “What I Learned From a No Social Media Vacation“

Whereas tech is a great tool to assist you on vacation (finding places to go, directions, making reservations, etc.), many people let the social media part of tech take over their trip. I once saw a young lady spend so much time trying to create selfies at the Grand Canyon, I wondered of she even noticed the natural wonder in front of her. (And hoped she didn’t fall off the edge.)

Other people cannot fathom going a week without checking email, social media accounts, the news – or most horribly – work-related accounts and apps.

It might be hard to believe, but the world will survive without knowing where you are for a little while. It’s one thing to check in with friends and family occasionally, but for the most part, just go off the grid and remember what vacations are all about.

Leaving that world behind.

Ashlyn Pernice writes:

“Imagine leaving everything —phones, car, home — and traveling across the country on foot. Imagine truly living a simple life, not caught up with friend drama on Facebook or politics on Twitter, not worrying about the future, nor reminiscing about the past. Imagine being able to truly live in the moment and ignore the responsibilities of everyday life, take in all the beauty of new places and new environments, and meet new people without the distractions of technology.

“But how could you travel without technology in the 21st century? This is what truly bothered me. I knew I wanted to travel without a car, but how would I navigate new areas in this day and age without Google Maps at my fingertips?

“I decided that if people hundreds of years before me could find their way around without smartphones, then I could, too. It was just a matter of using actual maps, asking locals, etc. I threw my beloved iPhone into a lake.”

You don’t have to necessarily throw your phone out. However, before you go, deactivate all social media and messaging apps. Buy a map. Use GPS as little as possible. Take spontaneous photos, not staged ones. Immerse yourself in the moment, and wait until you get back to share your experiences.

Maybe by leaving your daily world for awhile, you’ll find the path you should have been taking all along.

“Money, of course, is still needed to survive, but time is what you need to live. So, save what little money you possess to meet basic survival requirements, but spend your time lavishly in order to create the life values that make the fire worth the candle. ” – Rolf Potts

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