What’s Guiding You?
January has a way of inviting reflection.
New calendars. Clean pages. Fresh intentions.
And yet, I’ve stopped setting New Year’s resolutions.
Not because goals don’t matter — they absolutely do — but because we’ve all seen how this usually plays out.
By January 9th, many people have already abandoned their resolutions — a day now commonly referred to as Quitters Day.
Research suggests that nearly 80% of resolutions fail by mid-February, and only a small fraction last beyond the first quarter.
The issue isn’t a lack of ambition.
It’s that resolutions focus on outcomes without anchoring us to what actually guides our decisions day-to-day.
And guidance matters more than goals.
Where’s the real priority?
The photo above was taken during the last week of December — me, my mom, and my nephew.
It’s a simple moment. A quiet one. And it stopped me in my tracks.
When you run a business, it’s easy to neglect family.
It’s easy to convince yourself that this meeting, this deadline, this opportunity carries more weight.
It’s easy to say “just this once,” until once becomes a pattern.
And yet, when I look back on the year — or imagine looking back on my life — these are the moments that matter. Not the extra email sent. Not the meeting squeezed in. Not the box checked.
That tension — between what feels urgent and what’s actually important — is what led me to stop chasing resolutions and start building something more durable.
A Quote That’s Always Stayed With Me
I’ve long loved this quote by L.P. Jacks, and it feels especially relevant at the start of a new year:
“A master in the art of living draws no sharp distinction between his work and his play; his labor and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence through whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine whether he is working or playing. To himself, he always appears to be doing both.”
To me, this isn’t about balance in the traditional sense.
It’s about alignment.
The Shift: From Resolutions to Pillars
Last year, I created my 5 Pillars — an extension of my core values.
These pillars guide where and how I invest my time, energy, and resources.
They represent the areas of my life that bring fulfillment, meaning, and momentum — not just professionally, but personally.
They’re also diagnostic.
When I feel run down — physically, and more often mentally — it’s usually because I’ve said yes to something that doesn’t live on one of these pillars… when I should have said no.
This year, I’m strengthening my commitment to these pillars and using them as guardrails.
Not constraints — guardrails — to support having the best year yet.
My 5 Pillars
Business
Creating momentum in achieving my mission to foster, grow, and challenge high-performing individuals and teams who aspire to continuous levels of growth — without burning out or losing themselves in the process.
Travel
Experiencing food, culture, history, and place — not as an escape from work, but as fuel for perspective, creativity, and deeper connection to how others live and lead.
Health
Honouring mind, body, and spirit through practices that support clarity, strength, and sustainability — because performance without health is always borrowed time.
Spending Time With People I Love
Being present with family and friends in ways that are intentional, unrushed, and reciprocal — not squeezed in between obligations, but treated as essential.
Service
Being of service to the communities I operate in, investing in people and capability so the impact extends far beyond any single interaction or transaction.
An Invitation
Consider this an invitation — not to set another resolution — but to create your own pillars.
Ask yourself:
- What truly guides your decisions?
- Where do you want to invest your time, energy, and resources?
- And who do you want to be present for — consistently, not occasionally?
Because goals can motivate you for a season.
But pillars guide you for a life.
