Kaizen Season: Making January Feel Less Like a Sprint and More Like a Strategy
There are two kinds of people in late December: the ones who are blissfully floating through the holidays like a marshmallow in hot cocoa… and the ones (hi, it’s me) who are already mentally color-coding January. If you’re reading this, I’m guessing you’ve at least considered buying a fresh planner, cracking open a new notebook, or creating “2026 Goals!!!” in your Notes app with the passion of a individual possessed.
And I love that for us. But I also want to gently (lovingly) rescue you from the annual trap: big resolutions with zero plan. Because that is how we end up feeling like a failure by January 17th, clutching a sad salad, wondering why we don’t have a six-pack, a million dollars, and inner peace yet.
This year, I’m doing it differently. My word for 2026 is Kaizen—and if that word hits your brain like a gentle gong, you’re not alone.
What “Kaizen” means (and why it’s my word for ’26)
Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy that roughly translates to “continuous improvement”—small, consistent changes that compound over time. Not dramatic overnight reinventions. Not “new year, new me” energy that burns out by MLK weekend. More like: tiny upgrades, done daily, that can quietly change everything.
Think less “tear down the whole house,” more “paint one room, replace one light fixture, fix the squeaky door”… and suddenly you’re living in a totally different space.
Kaizen is the antidote to all-or-nothing planning. And honestly? It’s the most sustainable thing I’ve found for real life—especially if you’re juggling work, family, a calendar that looks like Tetris, and a brain that occasionally forgets why it walked into the kitchen.
The truth about planners: they don’t change your life—your systems do
A beautiful planner is a tool. A really fun tool (I will never pretend I don’t love fresh paper- I’m an English major and a writer, after all). But the magic isn’t the planner itself—it’s what you do with it.
If you want 2026 to feel calmer, clearer, and more intentional, the goal isn’t to “plan perfectly.” The goal is to build a planning rhythm you can actually maintain when even when (or especially when) life gets busy.
Here’s what works for me:
1) Pick a planning home base (and stop “planner hopping”)
If you’re using a paper planner, Google Calendar, a Notes app, sticky notes, and a whiteboard… you’re not disorganized—you’re just running a multi-platform operation with no air traffic control.
Choose your “home base”:
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Paper planner (if writing helps you think and remember. They’ll pry my paper planner from my cold, dead hands. Apps be dammed!)
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Digital calendar (if your life changes quickly and you need flexibility)
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Hybrid (calendar for appointments + planner/notebook for goals and weekly priorities)
The key is consistency. One system you trust beats five systems you abandon.
2) Set goals that are measurable and attainable
This is one of my non-negotiables: your goals should be measurable and attainable. Not because we’re playing small—but because clarity creates momentum.
Instead of: “Get healthier.”
Try: “Walk 30 minutes, 4 days a week” or “Strength train twice a week for 12 weeks.”
Instead of: “Save money.”
Try: “Automatically transfer $150 every pay day” or “Pay off $2,000 of debt by June 1.”
A measurable goal gives you a finish line. An attainable goal gives you confidence. And confidence is rocket fuel.
3) Make a plan (because vibes are not a strategy)
I love a good intention. But a resolution without a plan is basically a wish.
So ask: How will I actually achieve this?
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What actions need to happen weekly?
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What needs to happen daily?
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What could derail me—and what’s my backup plan?
If the plan feels too big, you don’t need more motivation. You need a smaller first step.
My planning guidelines (or how I keep myself from overcomplicating everything)
Here are the guidelines I’m using as I head into 2026:
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Goals should be measurable and attainable.
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Every goal needs a plan. (“I want X” is not enough—write the how.)
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Your habits must match your goals. If they don’t, the goal stays a Pinterest quote.
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Be willing to change habits on purpose. Not “when you feel like it.” On purpose.
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Time block your priorities. If it matters, it gets a time slot.
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Work in sprints (Pomodoro method). Focused effort beats endless overwhelm.
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Small improvements count. Kaizen isn’t flashy—it’s effective.
Habit check: does your life support what you say you want?
This part is simple, but it’s not always comfortable:
If your goal is to read more, but your habit is scrolling until midnight…
If your goal is to grow your business, but your habit is reacting all day instead of planning…
If your goal is to feel calmer, but your habit is saying yes to everything…
It’s not a character flaw. It’s just misalignment.
Kaizen says: don’t shame yourself—adjust the system. One small change at a time.
The two tools that make my life work: time blocking + Pomodoro
Time blocking (my forever favorite)
Time blocking is exactly what it sounds like: you assign tasks to specific blocks of time instead of hoping they happen “sometime.”
It reduces decision fatigue, protects your priorities, and stops your day from getting hijacked by other people’s urgency.
Pro tip: start with just three blocks:
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A focus block (deep work)
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An admin block (emails, calls, errands)
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A life block (movement, dinner, downtime—yes, it counts)
Pomodoro method (for when your brain is doing backflips)
Pomodoro is my go-to when I’m procrastinating, overwhelmed, or convinced I need “a whole day” to do something.
It’s simple:
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Work 25 minutes
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Break 5 minutes
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Repeat 3–4 times, then take a longer break
It turns big tasks into doable bites. And it helps you build consistency—which is basically Kaizen’s whole thing.
New year planning prompts (steal these!)
If you want a low-pressure way to plan, grab a drink, open a notebook, and answer a few of these:
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What worked really well for me this year—and why?
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What drained me the most—and what boundaries would help?
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What’s one area where I want to improve by 1% each week?
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What do I want more of in 2026? (energy, money, sleep, joy, adventure, calm, connection…)
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What do I want less of? (clutter, overspending, last-minute chaos, doom-scrolling…)
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What are my top 3 priorities for the first 90 days?
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What habit would make everything easier if I did it consistently?
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What would I do if I knew I couldn’t fail?
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What support do I need to ask for?
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How do I want to feel at the end of 2026?
Choosing a word of the year (my favorite tradition)
I always choose a word of the year. Past words have been Ease, Drive, Move, Flow, and Cultivate (my 2025 word). And now: Kaizen.
A word of the year isn’t a goal—it’s a lens. It helps you make decisions.
When you’re unsure what to do next, you ask: Does this align with my word?
In 2026, Kaizen will keep me focused on progress over perfection, systems over motivation, and small steps that actually stick.
The goal isn’t a perfect planner. It’s a better year.
If you take nothing else from this: you don’t need a dramatic reinvention. You need a plan you can live with—one that matches your real life, your real schedule, and your real energy.
Kaizen is permission to start small and stay steady.
So yes, buy the planner. Light the candle. Make it cute.
But then—pick one small change you can repeat. Put it on the calendar. Time block it. Work it in Pomodoros. Track it. Adjust it. Keep going.
Small improvements add up. And that’s how we build a year, and a life, we’re proud of.
