Every year, at the beginning of January, I feel inspired to set an ambitious New Year’s resolution, to define a goal that, if I accomplish it, will make me feel more fulfilled or successful.

There is nothing wrong with that, but as I look back on last year, I didn’t accomplish the resolution I set, which was to complete the Leadership Lens book and find a publisher. I made progress on it, but I didn’t finish it. Instead, almost on a whim in February, I decided to start writing a short daily email called The Optimistic Outlook, and by the end of the year, I turned the best 101 entries into a book.

Candidly, I am a little embarrassed that I wasn’t disciplined and focused enough to finish the Leadership Lens book. At the same time, I am proud of this newsletter and of my commitment to show up every day to help train your most important muscle, your brain.

So when I look back on 2025, I can say I am proud of one big accomplishment, it just wasn’t what I originally envisioned. As I started to think more deeply about this idea of one defining accomplishment each year, I came across the concept of a Misogi.

A Misogi comes from an ancient Japanese Shinto purification ritual that traditionally involved standing under a freezing waterfall or plunging into cold water to confront fear head-on.

Today, the idea is used in personal development circles to describe one big, uncomfortable challenge done once per year. It carries a real chance of failure and requires deep preparation and discipline. What I find compelling about this idea is that it removes the focus on incremental improvement and instead forces personal transformation.

As James Clear wrote, “Improvements are only temporary until they become part of who you are.” He continued:

Clear is right. What was powerful about my Misogi in 2025, which I didn’t even define at the time, is that I became the kind of person who sat down and wrote every Saturday for two to five hours. I became the kind of person who recorded a podcast every Sunday. (Now I need to do it on video.)

The real question underneath all of this is simple: what’s your Misogi this year? What is one thing, physically, professionally, or personally, that could define your 2026? Something that, when you look back next year, you can say,

“I will always remember that year, because it was the year I accomplished that hard thing.”

Check out the Optimistic Outlooks podcast and leave a review to help the show grow.