13 Powerful Reflections to Kickstart Your Success in 2026

Dr. Christine Li [00:00:00]:
Welcome back to the Make Time for Success Podcast. This is episode number 264, which happens to be our very first episode of the year 2026. I want to start by wishing anyone and everyone who is listening to this episode a very, very happy, Prosperous and Healthy 2026. I'm really looking forward to to great changes, great experimentation, great exploration this year and many, many, many good episodes on this podcast. Of course, in today's episode, I thought I would share with you some reflections from the last year as compiled by members of my membership program called the Success Lab. So I want to start by thanking them for helping me to compile this list of great ideas for what to keep in mind when you are searching for success and on the path towards building it. Towards the end of this episode, I'm going to share with you a quick mini reflection slash meditation to top everything off. Let's go listen to this brand new episode together now.

Speaker B [00:01:25]:
Hi, I'm Dr. Christine Lee and I'm a psychologist and a procrastination coach. I've helped thousands of people move past procrastination and overwhelm so they could begin working to their potential. In this podcast, you're going to learn powerful strategies for getting your mind, body and energy to work together so that you can focus on what's really important and accomplish the goals you want to achieve. When you start living within your full power, you're going to see how being productive can be easy and how you can create success on demand. Welcome to the Make Time for Success podcast.

Dr. Christine Li [00:02:07]:
So today's episode is going to be a reflection on New Year possibilities and they are going to be based on thoughts and successes from my clients inside my program, the Success Lab. I just numbered them and they total 13. So let's just start right away with number one. Number one is be where you are, and that is probably self evident. Wherever you are, just be there. I currently happen to be recording this as a first in the lobby of a hotel in New Hampshire. I had to go out of town, I needed to record this episode and I decided, you know what, instead of delaying this episode any longer, I was just going to be where I happened to be. Now, I apologize if the recording quality is not as good as it typically is, sound wise.

Dr. Christine Li [00:03:12]:
But I did want to make sure that I stuck with my commitment to myself for generating these episodes on a regular, routine and consistent basis. So there you have it. Be where you are. Wherever you are. Make something good of it. Be okay with it. Let the present moment feed your progress. Decide what you need to do in the current moment.

Dr. Christine Li [00:03:43]:
You do not have to regret what you did yesterday today. You do not have to worry about what is happening tomorrow today. Your job is to just make the most of where you are right now. So that's number one. Number two is that slow is not less than fast. Slow is no worse than going really high speed towards your goals. Actually, my success lab members and I kind of agree that slow is kind of the secret passageway through to your biggest goals. When you work slowly but consistently and mindfully, you're typically going to get to your end destination to your desired result.

Dr. Christine Li [00:04:39]:
So do not criticize yourself or get down on yourself. If you're moving slowly, the fact that you're moving is a gigantic win. So don't lose sight of that. Remember, slow is not less than fast. Okay, Number three, the things that seem impossible right now are doable if you take tiny steps and you stay consistent. So again, the things that seem impossible or insurmountable right now are totally doable. When you map out a plan and when you decide what the micro steps are and when you consistently do those micro steps, really test number three out for yourself in 2026, I think you can really surprise and delight yourself with what you can accomplish when you're just consistent, when you're just reasonable with yourself. But when you really head towards goals that are meaningful to you, the whole picture can hold together.

Dr. Christine Li [00:05:47]:
When there's purpose, when there's consistency, and when there's reasonability. I just made up that word, but it makes sense. You need to be reasonable with yourself in order to not get bored, not get overwhelmed, not get too tired, and to stay the course so you can do the impossible this year if you really want to, and if it really matters to you. So stick with it and stick with your own heart's desires. Number four is that putting pressure on yourself is just another way of slowing you down. Now, I just said that slow is no less than fast. But you don't want to slow yourself down unnecessarily. So avoid putting high expectations on yourself, Avoid comparing yourself to other people, Avoid putting too much on your plate so that you feel like you're kind of paralyzing yourself or overwhelming yourself.

Dr. Christine Li [00:06:49]:
You really don't need to put that kind of pressure on you. 2026 is a brand new landscape for you to play in. So start playing. Instead of being overwhelmed and feeling like you're sinking under the weight of pressure that you've put on to yourself, let's not do that in 2026. Number five is that hiring a coach will speed your progress and your process up. That was the, I think, consensus of the members of my program, the Success Lab. I love this because I myself have hired innumerable coaches in my time and I feel like every time I've learned something, at least one golden nugget, something that has helped me to either understand myself, to understand the barriers that I felt were in my way, and to understand that I could really get to my goals. I have found that coaching is really, really critical to success in many instances.

Dr. Christine Li [00:07:59]:
But it's also a really nice thing to have someone who's in your corner, who has done what you are wanting to do, and who has some guidance and some secrets oftentimes to getting the success that you wish for. So number five again is hiring a coach will speed you up. Number six is that shifting perspective happens when you are working inside a community. So our community inside the Success Lab is a group of members who come consistently to work on projects for their own well being. So it could be the laundry, it could be taxes, it could be writing a book, it could be staying with an exercise plan, it can be healing from loss. Whatever it is for the members is their business. But we bring individuals together inside the Success Lab. So that week after week we see each other, we support each other, we remind ourselves about the pure opportunities that we have in front of us, and then we get to work week after week after week.

Dr. Christine Li [00:09:15]:
And because we're in community, we can see that not only are we not alone, but we can see over time that we're all making progress together. So when you have a goal, if you are wanting to lighten up the process of getting towards your goals, one thing that you can consider is joining a community, putting yourself in the midst of other people doing something similar to you so that you don't feel alone, so you don't succumb to, to resistance and procrastination and that you can see yourself making progress week after week. Number seven is that when you let things go, you end up revealing more of your true self. I thought this was a really beautiful reflection because when we let things go, like our hangups or our insecurities or our physical clutter, what invariably happens is that a little more of us are authentic, honest, true, powerful selves starts to rise to the surface and we get a little bit more of ourselves, that gets to shine bright. And I think that is a beautiful thing. So you might at the start of this year think to yourself, what do I want to Let go of what have I been a little bit tired of seeing over and over again? What patterns and habits do I want to stop doing in the start of the new year so that I can enjoy this year more and more the more it goes on? Let's do that. Number eight is impermanence. It's just the one word, impermanence.

Dr. Christine Li [00:11:07]:
When we remember that nothing is permanent, nothing, nothing, nothing is permanent. But maybe impermanence, which means that everything is fleeting, everything is changing all the time. We can't keep things, even though we might want to keep things in a steady state, that everything changes. But when we accept the truth of impermanence, we can actually become more flexible. We can find our flow, we can get creative, we can get inventive, we can become more supportive of ourselves instead of becoming more rigid, demanding that things need to stay exactly as we need them. We can be really flexible and just enjoy ourselves more. Now, number nine is that perfectionism is a way to really put yourself in an uncomfortable position or spot. So perfectionism is really this state where you are gripping, you are demanding that things be a certain way, a certain standard, a certain style that you may be having trouble attaining.

Dr. Christine Li [00:12:30]:
And so the need to have everything be just perfect and just so can be the real difficulty in the situation. Because really, what do we need? We don't really need everything to be perfect. We have wishes, we have goals, but we also have our precious time that we don't want to waste struggling, gripping, trying to be perfect all the time trying to match what everybody else is doing. Maybe we can drop a little bit of that off our schedules in 2026. Number 10 is to use life as a playground, not a prison. We are not bounded by prison bars, thankfully. And I think that is so amazing when you think about it, that we really have true freedom to procrastinate if we want to, to learn a new skill, language, hobby or recipe. We just have this kind of freedom every day of the year.

Dr. Christine Li [00:13:41]:
And sometimes we treat our days of the year as if we are stuck in prison. So maybe we can do that a little bit less this year and maybe we can decide, instead of being afraid of my opportunities, I'm going to embrace them. I'm going to think I'm the most powerful player there is. I'm going to be my most powerful self this year and we'll see how that goes. And I think you're going to love that when you play full out in the playground of 2026. Number 11 is that clutter is an energy sink. This one is directly from the members of the Success Lab, so that is a message from their hearts to yours. Do not waste time with clutter.

Dr. Christine Li [00:14:30]:
Do not surround yourself with stuff, with memories, with clothing that you no longer need that causes you pain, drain or strain. You have choice. You have power. You have a playground to play on. You don't want to wear the wrong kind of shoes to play the game that you really love. This game of life is really yours to enjoy. So get rid of the clutter so you can play more and you can play more fully focused number 12 invest in relationships because they are the Most Important thing I at the beginning of 2025 made a strong resolution to myself that I would spend the year prioritizing relationships over other things like work and projects and whatever else. And I mostly stuck to that resolution in 2025 and I do think that that was one of my biggest joys of the past year.

Dr. Christine Li [00:15:42]:
The past year was spent really seeing people, being present with people, traveling with people and experimenting and doing new things with friends, new and old. I'm going to just recommend you try that resolution out for yourself if that's not on your list this year. Number 13 is to have big wishes for this new year. Because I have found that when you think really on a big scale or in a big way with big heart about your own life and what is possible, then your brain and body know what you want. And that forethought that that envisioning process, that thought thoughtfulness about what you want to achieve and what you want your life to be like by the end of the year is a really worthwhile process. So go dig deep. Spend a few minutes today or this week celebrating the New Year, but also envisioning what can be possible in this year. Now that I've shared with you the 13 big thoughts and meditations about the New Year and how to attain success in 2026, I would like to read to you a meditation that I wrote out after I spoke with my members in the Success Lab about our year end reflections.

Dr. Christine Li [00:17:16]:
I hope you enjoy it. I understand the enormity of the choices and opportunities that before me. I open my heart, mind and spirit up to the paths ahead that are most aligned with my purpose, my values, my goals, and my enjoyment and fulfillment. I understand that if I can envision that future now, that future is mine to move towards. When I experience self doubt or worry, I will calmly reroute myself because I know that time is my most precious asset and gift. My time is actually priceless and though I understand what is at stake on the path of mine. I also embrace the fact that in order to make good on my wishes, I will remain in a state of grateful joy because it is in that state that I can receive all the good vibes coming my way and meant for me. I will trust myself on this journey and weather the ups and downs with equal amounts of calm and curiosity, knowing that everything that happens or does not happen is for my greater good and success.

Dr. Christine Li [00:18:51]:
I am sending you love from my heart to yours and generating an unending spiral of joy upwards together. Let's go forth into the year 2026 with bravery, with trust, with with great hope and great inspiration, starting from what is in our hearts and minds to do and accomplish and be in this wonderful year ahead. Everyone Enjoy this week and all the weeks that are ahead of us. If you'd like a free worksheet that comes with this first episode of the year, please go to make time for success podcast.com/new year again go to maketime for success podcast.com new year can't wait to share episode number two with you next week. It will drop next Thursday. Have fun celebrating and I'll see you soon. Bye.

Speaker B [00:19:59]:
Thank you for listening to this episode of the Make Time for Success podcast.

Dr. Christine Li [00:20:04]:
If you enjoyed what you've heard, you.

Speaker B [00:20:06]:
Can subscribe to make sure you get notified of upcoming episodes. You can also Visit our website maketimeforsuccesspodcast.com for past episodes, show notes, and all the resources we mention on the show. Feel free to connect with me over on Instagram too. You can find me there under the name Procrastination Coach. Send me a DM and let me know what your thoughts are about the episodes you've been listening to. And let me know any topics that you might like me to talk about on the show. I'd love to hear all about how you're making time for Success. Talk to you soon.