In this edition of 52Notatki, the author presents a set of unconventional New Year’s wishes and self-imposed rules for 2026, focusing on stability, simplicity, and a more strategic approach to personal goals.

As Few Changes as Possible

Instead of the traditional desire to start everything “fresh,” the focus is on stability. The ultimate test for the previous year is a simple question: “If you could repeat everything that happened last year, would you choose to do so?”

If the answer is yes regarding health, relationships, or work, the goal becomes maintaining that standard. A good life requires effort to prevent deterioration, just as much as a bad life requires effort to improve.

Allowing Satisfaction and Simplicity

Two key wishes focus on mindset and approach:

• Satisfaction from Small Wins: We often let small annoyances (like traffic or loud talkers) ruin our mood but ignore small successes. The goal is to lower the threshold for satisfaction to enjoy daily wins as intensely as we feel daily irritations.
• Pursuing Simplicity: Using the evolution of SpaceX’s Raptor engines as an analogy, the author argues that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. While complex solutions are often more popular, simple, proven solutions (in diet, investing, or ethics) are superior. Achieving simplicity requires time, creativity, and a conscious process.

The Freedom of Self-Imposed Prohibitions

It seems counterintuitive to forbid oneself things, but conscious limitations create freedom. The author uses the metaphor of playing hockey on an open pond versus an enclosed rink. In an enclosed rink (restrictions), you can hit the puck harder and play faster because the boundaries make the game predictable. Self-imposed rules eliminate constant decision fatigue and distractions, allowing for greater focus on what matters.

A Better Strategy for Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions often fail due to the “invisible expiration date” caused by public pressure and guilt. To combat this, the author suggests:

• Don’t tell anyone: Publicizing plans creates external pressure and the false sense of accomplishment before the work is done.
• Set time limits: Give every goal a specific date. If it isn’t met by then, drop it. This creates artificial but effective urgency.
• Ruthless selection: Do not attempt too many things at once. Focus on single areas for set periods (e.g., the first 100 days).
• Write it down: Handwriting goals helps assess their reality. If you struggle to formulate it on paper, it likely isn’t worth pursuing.

Key Takeaway

Ambitious goals will almost always require more time and effort than anticipated. Accept that while you can do many things in life, you cannot do everything. Focus on maintenance, simplicity, and completing a few well-selected objectives.

Mentoring question

If you had the opportunity to repeat every single choice, investment, and relationship dynamic from the past year exactly as it was, would you agree to it—and if not, what is the one specific variable you need to change immediately?

Source: https://52notatki.substack.com/p/czego-sobie-zycze-i-zabraniam-w-2026