TWENTY-SIX WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE IN 2026

December 30, 2025

Beginning in 2015, I began publishing a list of ways to improve your life. Last year I published, “Twenty-Five Ways to Improve Your Life in 2025.” The year before that I published “Twenty-Four Ways to Improve Your Life in 2024.” You get the idea. The tradition continues this year, with the addition of No. 26.

New Year’s resolutions often lose their power so quickly and completely that they have become cliché. But there are real, easily achieved ways to positively impact your life beginning this first week of January.

Here are 26 ways to unlock personal power in 2026. They aren’t in any particular order, so you can pick any one to start with.

If you complete just five, you’ll notice a demonstrable improvement in your existence. But if you get through nine of them, you could remake your life.

1. Try to recall one dream you had as a kid – whether it was being a poet or a rock
drummer or a multimillionaire stock trader – and take just a single step in that direction. So often, the ideas we had as children were good ones, and we abandoned them out of fear. The
step in the direction of your childhood dream can be very modest – signing up for a symposium
on poetry, scheduling a single drum lesson, or buying a DVD on stock trading. Even just telling
two people about your quiet dream can move it forward. Frozen dreams have a way of thawing
out rapidly when you warm them just a tiny bit.

You’ve got to expect that your dream might well wrestle with you to remain just a fantasy. We
resist our dreams because fully embracing them provokes anxiety – like jumping onto a raft that
will take you down thrilling, but heart-stopping rapids. Your dream could argue that you should
put it off until later, or that it’s entirely irrational, or that you don’t have the energy or the time or
the money to pursue it. Don’t expect to feel great taking the first step in the direction of your
dream. Take that step, in spite of your anxiety.

2. Think of your life story, going all the way back to infancy, as an autobiographical book that you can hold in your hands. Now, imagine which page or paragraph you are tempted to
tear out and remove from the story. That page or paragraph might be the one that makes you feel
profoundly sad or powerless or guilty or ashamed. Next, share it with someone who knows you
well but has never heard about that event or phase in your life. Being willing to disclose the
events in life we want to turn a blind eye to takes away the power those events have over us.
You can’t be loved unconditionally, especially by yourself, if you think some part of you or what
you lived through is too dark to bring into the light.

3. Give a meaningful gift to a friend of yours on a random day – not his birthday or her
anniversary or Christmas. Giving gifts on those days is fine, but that isn’t the same as an unexpected, unscheduled gift. Those are the ones that feel riskier to give and have more power to bond you to others who receive them. And that’s because they’re real and independent expressions of friendship, affection, admiration or love. Giving gifts has an interesting side effect; you’ll feel wealthier, even though you’ve just spent a little money. Why?  Because human beings either feel bountiful or barren. Giving of yourself doesn’t deplete you. It fills you up.

4. Send handwritten notes to three people you admire most in the world, no matter how powerful or famous, tell them sincerely exactly why you admire them and ask to meet for
 10 minutes. There’s a real chance one of them will take you up on the offer. And that one
meeting could change you, because great energy is contagious and being in the company of it can
stay with you.

Very few people actually reach out, personally, for help from those who can give it the most. Do
you know why?  They worry they’ll be rejected or made fun of. But think about it. If you have
no attachment to the outcome of your note-writing campaign, if you understand from the get-go
that you may receive no replies to your three notes, then there’s really no risk. Here’s another
hint:  You could send out 50 of them. Or 100. And there’s no rational reason not to.

5. Give some amount (no matter how small) to the charity you care most about. As I said above, giving is a miracle, because it helps others while also telling your unconscious mind that
yours is a life of abundance, not scarcity. And that invites more treasures into your existence.
Here’s one I founded, together with Commander Kirk Lippold, USN, Ret:  www.help22.com, to
help prevent veteran suicide.  I also work with and have deep respect for www.vets2industry.org.
 Here’s another one I’ve given to, repeatedly, which saves animals: www.barnsanctuary.org.

6. Stop telling yourself you love people just because you grew up with them. This is a big one, but a really important one. Did your parents and siblings earn your love by unconditionally
loving you as a child? If so, great. But if you’ve been wishing that had been the case and have
felt unwilling to let the dream of having had unconditionally loving parents or siblings slip away,
then loosen your grip. If the people you grew up with weren’t focused on helping you stay true to
yourself, then admit it to yourself. You might stop unconsciously recruiting people just like them
into your life.

Here’s the key question:  Who has loved you and who has been attached to you? Loving you
requires the intent to know you as an individual and to honor and foster your uniqueness.
Attachment can feel very powerful, but it is closer to owning you than celebrating you.

7. Schedule an initial life coaching, counseling or psychotherapy session. These are the gold
standard ways to begin to get to become the person you were always meant to be. In a world
of distractions and depersonalization, these are professions reliably focused on restoring your
connection to your true self and your full potential. Hopefully, that first session will convince
you of the power of teaming up with a coach or counselor to change your life, and you’ll
schedule more. No one with the financial ability to do so should deny himself or herself that
transformational opportunity.

One caveat: Not every coach, counselor or psychotherapist would be a good fit for you. Some aren’t a good fit for anyone, because they aren’t very talented. If your first session leaves you cold, try scheduling one more with someone else. The first counselor I went to wasn’t worth my time or my money. The second one utterly changed my life. And … if you want me to be your coach/counselor, just email me at [email protected].

8. Get angry about something unfair, say so out loud and don’t stand for it. Anger gets a
really bad rap in our culture; it’s accused of everything from destroying people spiritually to
causing heart attacks. But suppressed anger can be more toxic. When you’re offended by
something you hear about in the news or you see unfolding in your personal life, try saying so, in
no uncertain terms, when you’re asked about it – or maybe even if you aren’t. For those of you
who have been living lives of quiet frustration, letting yourselves be very direct and very mad
about something that sincerely outrages you can start to crack the shell that has your most
powerful self inside it.

Here’s one of my favorite Bible verses: Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you
the truth? Galatians 4:16 King James Version (KJV)

9. Take two minutes to think about life as a labyrinth. Mazes are built to frustrate people and
get them lost. They’re full of dead ends designed to make people give up and call for helicopters
to pluck them out. Not so with labyrinths. Labyrinths may wind this way and that way. They may
take you far from where you thought you were heading. But they always, always lead to the
center. And that’s what life is like. Keep walking, keep your faith and life will take you where
you are supposed to go. The turn toward the center could be just a few steps away, when you
least expect it.


Now, keep this in mind, too:  You don’t get to choose the day or week or year that turn toward
the center happens. It could be tomorrow or it could be many tomorrows from now. The point is
to know that it is coming, not to know when.

10. Try praying, at least once. If you haven’t prayed ever or haven’t prayed lately, you’ll
discover that the act of praying for what you care deeply about has the effect of reminding you
what that thing or those things really are. It also has the effect of reminding you that there is a
great power in the universe that you are a part of. There’s something interesting about
praying; even people who say they don’t believe in God are loathe to pray for the opposite of
what they really want. How come? Is it because that, underneath all that cynicism, they actually
do believe?  I recently completed my graduate certificate in pastoral counseling at Liberty
University.  The power of prayer has never been clearer to me.

11. Read “Franny and Zooey” by J.D. Salinger, “The War of Art” by Steven Pressfield,
“Self-Creation” by the great psychologist George Weinberg (used copies available online),
“Blue Dog” by George Rodrigue, “Fear God and Take Your Own Part,” by Theodore
Roosevelt, “Zen or the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” by Robert Pirsig, or “The Betrayal
of the Self” by Arno Gruen (or, even better, all seven). These seven volumes have the power
to transform people, and I keep handing them out to patients and friends (along with – please forgive the narcissism – my book, “Living the Truth”). If you’re really short on time or intention, just read the Afterword to a later edition of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.”

12. Buy one piece of original art. It doesn’t need to be expensive. It just needs to appeal to you.
Why? Because art is the antidote to our sometimes sterile, technologically driven culture. It
makes humanity go viral in a way that YouTube can’t. It also confirms your connection to things
that can’t be measured – like your personal vision of beauty. A good alternative is to create a
piece of art. Just be sure to buy yourself the proper brushes or paints or glue or wood to create it.
That will be a signal to yourself that you value what you are manifesting.

13. Watch the movie “Miracle,” with Kurt Russell. This film about the 1980 U.S. Olympic
men’s hockey team defeating Russia’s team is so good, it can convince you to take on the next
great challenge in your life. I don’t know anyone who has watched it and been unaffected by it.
Also watch the closing argument by Paul Newman at the end of the film “The Verdict,” the scene
of Sylvester Stallone and Talia Shire on the beach in “Rocky III,” the monologue by Al Pacino
toward the end of the film “The Scent of a Woman” and any performance of “God Bless the
USA” by Lee Greenwood. They can help make you a better person. No kidding.

14. Tell your romantic partner one thing you would find exciting that you have not yet told
that person. In my experience as a therapist, I’ve found that people can remain strangers to one
another, in terms of passion, even after 10 or 20 years of marriage. We keep secrets. Let one out.
You can write it down and pass it to your partner as a note, like we did back in grade school,
before cell phones. See what happens. Take the risk.

15. Stand up for someone else. You’ll have the opportunity this year. I promise. Maybe in your
home. Maybe in your neighborhood. Maybe at work. Maybe online. Defending someone will
reassure that person and empower you.

16. Take 20 minutes to pretend that you are speaking to yourself, from the heart, as though
you are your own ideal parent. You can do this out loud, if you have the stage presence, or
silently. An ideal parent is empathetic, but honest in assessing his or her child and giving that
child advice. Sit yourself down, get very quiet and, then, tell yourself – with the same care you
would summon for a son or daughter – two things you really admire about yourself and one very
limiting, very disappointing thing about yourself you really wish you would try to change,
because it could limit the whole rest of your life. That one thing should be so on-target and so
necessary that it has the power to make you angry, make you anxious, bring you to tears or bring
you to your knees. Focusing longer (say, 15 minutes) on the admirable qualities is something
you’d do for your kid, to take the sting out of the next 5 minutes, so do that for yourself. And
keep in mind that 20 minutes is a long time. You’ll be tempted to avoid it or shorten it. But you
shouldn’t.

17. If you are a parent, resolve to mimic a habit I stumbled upon when my kids were
younger. It really helps me stay balanced during times that might otherwise cause me lots of
stress. Here it is:  Whenever I get a phone call or an email or a text from someone telling me a
project of mine or a goal or a relationship has hit a rough patch, I tell myself silently: “Yeah, well
this isn’t like a pediatrician calling me.” What I mean is that, short of bad news about a child of mine, coming from a pediatrician (or, if your kids are older, like mine, an internal medicine doctor), nothing can really rock me. Because all of us parents know exactly how much time we would have for what seem like the big problems of our day or our week, if the phone rang, and a doctor on the other end said something like, “Can I ask where you are? Because I’ve seen your son, and I have something serious to talk with you about. I’d like you to come in.” I’d have no time for all my other so-called problems, and neither would you. So, things are actually better than we actually realize, most all of the time.

18. Remind yourself that neither you, nor I, nor anyone else is assured of another New
Year’s Eve. I know that may sound morbid, but it’s also true. This could be your last year. It
could be my last year. Don’t deny that fact, embrace it. Try waking up as many days as you can
thinking to yourself, “If I can leave a bit of a positive mark today, I will.”  Maybe it will be as
simple as listening a little longer to someone than you might be inclined to. Maybe it will be
complimenting someone who deserves it. Maybe it will be calling an old friend to tell her you
were thinking of her. We are all a series of thousands of actions. Every single one of them
matters. And there’s no way of knowing when we won’t have another chance to add to the list.

19. Write out a thoughtful, healing, motivating message to yourself and read it every
morning.  Your journey through life is an ongoing one, but it also begins anew each waking
day.  Reminding yourself of the grand roadmap you intend to travel can create a silent and
powerful narrative that plays at the back of your mind, coaxing you toward higher self-
esteem—and your dreams.

20. Think of one person you respect or like a whole lot, whom you’ve lost touch with.  Get back in touch, by the end of the day on January 8.  That gives you a week to reach out—by
email or text or, even better, by writing a letter or calling on the phone.  Chances are that the
person you select is someone you’re “supposed” to be back in touch with. Why?  Because you’ll
have chosen him or her, and the universe is a lot less random than you might think.  One other
thing:  Let the person know that he or she was your first choice of 2026—of everyone
possible—to reconnect with.

21. Write out a list of goals for 2026.  I know that seems obvious, but most people never get
around to it.  The goals can be related to your work or your personal life or—even better—to
both.  Make them as specific as you can and try to follow each with as detailed a strategy as you
can think of to help you achieve it.  Before you make your list of goals, you may want to use a
few free resources I developed to clarify your thoughts and expand your horizons.  Try out the ebook How to Let Go and Move Forward and the action sheets Purpose and PersonalEmpowerment.

22. Tell someone close to you that you disagree completely with what he or she believes, but
love that person, anyhow.  Sounds like I’m trying to be a troublemaker, but that isn’t my point
here.  We’re at such a divisive point in our culture that it makes sense to express your opinion
clearly, but while reassuring those on the other side that you still value them as human beings. 
So why not practice with someone close to you?  If you get back an, “I definitely disagree, but I
love you, too,” then your relationship will only be strengthened.  If you get back something disparaging, you’ve diagnosed the person you thought was worthy of communicating with as anything but that.

23. Try to understand and to live the words Amor Fati.  Amor fati is a Latin phrase that means
“love of fate” or “love of one’s fate.” It refers to the idea of accepting and embracing one’s
circumstances, regardless of whether they are good or bad. The phrase is often attributed to the
philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche.  Nietzsche suggests that amor fati is a way of finding meaning
and purpose in life, even in the face of suffering and hardship. The idea is to embrace one’s fate,
rather than trying to resist or avoid it, and to find ways to thrive and grow despite whatever
challenges one may face.

Here’s an example:  Let’s say you were on a battlefield with a few dozen other soldiers.  You
look across the valley and see 300 soldiers you will be facing in battle.  There’s nowhere to run. 
There’s nowhere to hide.  Do you walk timidly into battle with your head hung low, waiting for
your inevitable demise or can you find the strength not only accept your fate, but to love it—to
hold your head high, pump your fist in the air and to say, “If we win this, and let’s pray that we
do, then it is one for the history books!”

See, life is not random.  And the trials and tribulations you will face have been encoded in your
story, perhaps through the generations.  If you can find the faith (and I believe you can) to
believe they are not meant to ruin you, but to strengthen you, then you will find your way
forward—powerfully, even through pain.

24. At moments of adversity, think of yourself as the main character in a film. No, I am not suggesting you fictionalize your existence. You’re not acting a part; you’re living a life. But I
do want you to notice that when the main character in a movie is in seemingly desperate straits,
no one in the theatre tosses their popcorn aside and says, “Let’s go, Tom Cruise is obviously
screwed.” In fact, everyone has exactly the same response. They stay in their seats and either
say or think, “I wonder what’s going to happen.” And that’s all you really need to do when it
seems like you’re going through a really difficult time or even a “dark night of the soul,” as Saint
John of the Cross put it, way back in the 16 th century. Stay in your seat. Watch what happens.
Be ready for better moments. Life has a way of healing you, as long as you don’t give up and
walk out on your own story. That’s never, ever the answer. Because life tends to the good, and
you will be restored.

25. Decide to use what is known as “non-meditation” as many days of the week as you can.
Set a reasonable goal. Maybe that’s three days a week for 20 minutes or so. What is non-
meditation? It is simply sitting and relaxing and following the flow of your mind without any
effort—even the effort to concentrate on your breathing or to repeat a mantra. There is no effort.
There is just being. That’s the point. You just let yourself sit comfortably, be aware of your
body and allow your thoughts to come and go. Non-meditation can ground you in the present
moment, reset your nervous system and make you less prone to becoming a slave to the thoughts
and emotions that visit you every day. To learn more about non-meditation, visit
https://dpr.info/uncategorized/when-is-meditation-non-meditation/.

26. Remind yourself that no one walks out of a movie because the main character is in a 
jam. That’s right. When Tom Cruz or another star is in a real jam, no one tosses their popcorn
and leaves the theater, saying, “Well, he’s really in trouble. Let’s get out of here.” Everyone sits
tight and says something like, “I wonder what’s going to happen.” That’s tougher to do when
adversity visits us in our own lives, but it is “all” you need to do. Never walk out on your own
life story. Just sit tight and wonder what might happen to spin the action in your favor, to
promote healing, to allow you to rest and rebuild. Sure, it’s a lot harder to do that in our own
lives than in a movie theater—a lot harder—but it’s the prelude to seeing a path forward. It’s a
kind of faith. And you’ll be rewarded for it. And if you need someone to help you imagine and
then manifest the next and best scenes, chapters, or days of your life, I am here.

So, there are your 26 keys to making 2026 a transformational year. As I did last year, I give them
to you with the certain knowledge that you still have, inside you, all the wonderful potential you
did the very first day you were born. You haven’t lost one bit of it. It’s all there, just waiting for
you to discover it.

Don’t delay. Start on the list today, and by this time next year, God willing, you’ll be ready for
the 27 steps for 2027. Life is like that: a never-ending process of self-improvement.

Dr. Keith Ablow