Most people love to turn the page on a new year. A blank slate inspires a flurry of resolutions and ambitious goals—most of which will be abandoned by late January, research shows.
However, goals are achieved by small habits performed consistently over time and propped up by systems that make them easy and obvious. As author James Clear writes in his book Atomic Habits,”Your outcomes are a lagging measure of your habits. Your net worth is a lagging measure of your financial habits....Your clutter is a lagging measure of your cleaning habits. You get what you repeat.”
Having a goal is essential but so is identifying the behaviors you must stop, start, or continue to reach it. If wise stewardship and financial confidence are your goals, here are a few things you might want to usher in or do without in the coming year.
In for 2026:
- Using your money to enjoy your life
- Spending money on things that save you time
- Accumulating rich life experiences
- Setting a budget for responsible spending
- Giving to help people who need it
- Leveraging financial tools that maximize growth for the long-term
- Taking advantage of benefits that minimize tax liability
- Securing insurance to protect against potential risks
- Teaching your children the value of money
Out for 2026:
- Not having a goal
- Hoarding money without a purpose
- Amassing assets but not memories
- Not knowing where your money is or how to access it
- Not knowing how much money you need to live on
- Over-spending on things you don’t need
- Not preparing for the future
- Not planning for those who will inherit all you’ve built
We designed an insightful process to help you answer the three questions that provide a strong foundation for financial stewardship. 1) What do I have? 2) What do I need? 3) What do I do with the rest?
If you haven’t yet developed a StewardsPlan™, I highly encourage you to make that one of your 2026 goals. Contact us at info@stewardsplanning.com to start the process. Happy New Year!