On Purpose with Jay Shetty - Make 2026 Your Best Year Yet! Step-by-Step Blueprint to Turn Your 2026 Goals Into Visible Results

Episode Date: January 2, 2026

This episode is about starting the year with clarity, by letting go of what no longer fits and building systems that support who you’re becoming. Jay explores why most resolutions fade and explains that real change doesn’t come from wishing harder or relying on motivation, but from aligning your inner world with structures that support the life you want to live. He shares how unfinished emotional chapters from the past year can quietly sabotage new beginnings, and why consciously closing one season is essential before stepping into the next. By releasing what no longer serves you, you create the mental and emotional space needed to move forward with focus and intention, rather than carrying old weight into a new year. Instead of fixating on rigid goals, Jay encourages choosing a single word to guide your energy, one that reflects who you’re becoming, not just what you want to achieve. He reframes success as an inside-out process, emphasizing growth over outcomes and systems over wishlists. From designing habits that match your vision to shaping an environment that makes discipline easier, he shows how manifestation becomes practical when your daily actions, calendar, and beliefs are aligned. In this episode, you'll learn: How to Let Go of What’s Still Holding You Back How to Focus on Growth Instead of Goals How to Build Systems That Make Success Inevitable How to Design Your Environment for Better Habits How to Work With Fear Instead of Fighting It How to Become the Person Your Dreams Require As you step into this next chapter, remember that real change isn’t created in a single moment of motivation, it’s built through small, intentional choices made consistently. You just need to be willing to show up, learn, and keep moving forward even when it feels uncomfortable.  With Love and Gratitude, Jay Shetty Join over 750,000 people to receive my most transformative wisdom directly in your inbox every single week with my free newsletter. Subscribe here. What We Discuss: 00:00 Intro 00:55 How to Manifest Your Dreams in 2026 02:21 Step #1: End Before You Begin 05:22 Step #2: Choose a Word Not a Goal 06:53 Step #3: Create a System Not a Wishlist 08:47 Step #4: Upgrade Your Environment 11:23 Step #5: Break the All or Nothing Cycle 12:17 Step #6: Use Emotional Visualization 14:27 Step #7: Work with Resistance Not Against It  15:29 Step #8: Build Public Accountability 16:56 Step #9: Use Gratitude as Fuel not Fluff 17:32 Step #10: Become the Kind of Person Your Dream RequiresSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Manifestation doesn't work when you're waiting for signs instead of building systems. It doesn't work if you want change, but refuse to change. It doesn't work when you speak the affirmation, but live the opposite. Manifestation doesn't work if your belief expires the moment, then things get uncomfortable. And it doesn't work when you expect the universe

to do what discipline is meant to do. Manifestation works when you match intention with infrastructure. The number one health and wellness podcast. Jay Shetty. Jay Shetty. He won, the only. Jay Shetty. Hey, everyone, it's Jay Shetty, your host of On Purpose.

Welcome back to the podcast. Make sure you've subscribed if you haven't. It makes a big difference to podcasters, and it means you'll never miss an episode. Now, today's episode is all about how to manifest all of your dreams coming true in 2026. The Masterclass on Turning Goals into reality. Now, I want to be honest with you. We've all started a new year with big goals. This is the year I'm finally going to start that business.

This is the year I'm going to lose the weight. this is the year I'm finally going to launch that podcast. Every January people make goals. New body, new job, new business, new life, new you. And by February, most of them are gone. But get this. Only 1% said they lasted for 11 or 12 months. Not because you don't care, but because the dreams we built are built on excitement, not systems. Real manifestation isn't wishing and waiting. It's wiring. You don't attract what you want. You attract what you build a system for. And that requires a plan that rewires your mind, your emotions, your habits to match your vision. So in this episode, we're not going to talk about luck. We're going to talk

about alignment, the psychology and strategy behind turning your vision for 2026 into visible results. 2026 won't be your best year because you wish harder. It will be your best year because you align deeper. Step number one, end before you begin. Let go of the year that's still living in your head. We all love beginnings, but beginnings don't work unless you properly end. You finished a year of school, you start the next one. You end a relationship, you start another one. Beginnings don't work unless you properly end. Most of us start a new year without ever ending the last one. We rush into January full of plans and resolutions, but part of us is still carrying the weight of what didn't happen last year. The goals we missed, the relationship that ended, the business

that didn't take off, the version of ourselves we thought we'd be by now. And so we're technically in a new year, but emotionally, we're still stuck in the last one. When you don't consciously end a year, it lingers. It shows up in subtle ways. You hesitate to dream because you don't trust yourself to follow through. You avoid risks because last time it hurt you too much. You start over but secretly believe you're already behind. That's what it means to have a year still living in your head. It keeps whispering old stories into new seasons. Before you decide what you want this year, you need to ask, what am I done carrying? Every new goal struggles to take root because we haven't released what's been draining us. The resentment, the guilt, the habit that keeps

looping. Psychologists call this cognitive closure, the act of finishing an emotional story so your brain can focus on a new one. So take a minute tonight and finish this sentence. In 2025, finally stopped X. You'll be amazed how freeing that is. You can even create a small ritual. Write down what you're ready to release on paper. Burn it, bury it or tear it up. Say thank you for what you taught me. I don't need to carry you anymore. That moment of symbolic closure signals to your nervous system were done here. It gives your energy somewhere new to go. letting go of the year that's still living in your head doesn't mean erasing the past

it means reclaiming your capacity to begin again you can't step fully into what's next if you're still holding hands with what's over you can't start your year strong if you never ended the last one you can buy the planner set the goals repeat the affirmations but if part of you is still carrying last year's disappointments

fears or unfinished stories, you're not starting fresh. You're starting crowded. Because the truth is, new beginnings don't start on January 1st. They start the moment you stop dragging old energy into new opportunities. The second step is choose a word, not a goal. Because goals change, but energy is constant. Resolutions fade because they're rigid. A word gives you direction without pressure. If your goal is to start a business, your word might be build. If your goal is to lose weight, your word might be discipline. If your dream is to launch a podcast, it might be voice. That single word acts as a psychological anchor. A 2019 Stanford study found that people who frame their goals around identity-based words, I am becoming focused, instead of tasks, I will focus, was 65%

more likely to stay consistent. So before setting your plan, set your energy. Your word becomes your compass. You can then say, does this choice align with who I'm becoming or with who I'm done being? I realized that when I stopped obsessing over goals and started focusing on growth, I actually reached my goals faster.

Because growth made me better, stronger, smarter. When you chase goals, you measure distance. When you chase growth, you build. momentum. Goals are external. They live on your calendar, your to-do list, your vision board. Growth is internal. It lives in your mindset, your habits, your character. Most people focus on the finish line and forget the training. They want the promotion, the body, the launch, but they skip the process that creates it. That's why step number three is create a system, not a wish list. Structure is the real secret behind success. Every dream is too,

parts, intention and infrastructure. You can't manifest a podcast without a recording schedule. You can't build a business without product testing. You can't get fit without consistent sleep and nutrition. James Clear's research shows that you don't rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. If you want to start a business, create a 30-minute daily idea lab where you brainstorm test and learn something new. about your industry. If you want to lose weight, don't aim for perfection. Aim for consistency. Start with three workouts a week and track progress, not perfection. You want to launch a podcast? Record one five-minute solo episode per week. Make it a ritual, not a result. Manifestation only works

when your calendar matches your calling. Manifestation doesn't work when you're asking for something your habits contradict. It doesn't work if you only visualize the outcome, but avoid the process. Manifestation doesn't work when you're waiting for signs instead of building systems. It doesn't work if you want change, but refuse to change. It doesn't work when you speak the affirmation, but live the opposite. Manifestation doesn't work if your belief expires the moment things get uncomfortable. And it doesn't work when you expect the universe to do what discipline is meant to do. It doesn't work if you're manifesting from fear, not faith, trying to control instead of create. Manifestation works when you match

intention with infrastructure. For 25 years, I've explored what it means to heal. Not just for myself, but alongside others. I'm Mike De La Rocha. This is Sacred Lessons, a space for reflection, growth, and collective healing. What do you tell men that are hurting right now? Everything's going to be okay on the other side, you know, just push through it.

And, you know, ironically, the root of the word spirit is breath. Wow. Which is why one of the most revolutionary acts that we can do as peoples just breathe. next to the wound is their gifts. You can't even find your gifts unless you go through the wound. That's the hard thing. You think, well, I'm going to get my guess, I don't want to go

through all that. You've got to go through the wounds you're laughing. Listening to other people's near-death experiences, and it's all they say. In conclusion, love is the answer. Listen to Sacred Lessons as part of the My Coutura Podcast Network, available on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,

or wherever you get your podcast. Samihante, it's Anna Ortiz. And I'm Mark and Delicado. You might know us as Hilda and Justin from Ugly Betty. We played mother and son on the show, but in real life, we're best friends. And I'm all grown up now. Welcome to our new podcast, Viva Betty! Yay!

Woo-hoo! Can you believe it has been almost 20 years? That's not even possible. Well, you're the only one that looks that much different. I look exactly the same. We're re-watching the series from start to finish and getting into all the fashions, the drama, and the behind-the-scenes moments that you've never heard before.

You're going to hear from guests like America Ferreira, Vanessa Williams, Michael Yuri, Becky Newton, Tony Plana, and so many more. Icons, each and every one. All of a sudden, like, someone, like, comes running up to me, and it's Selma Hayek. And she's like, you are my ugly bitchy. And I was like, what?

Is she even talking about it? Listen to Viva Betty as part of the My Cultura Podcast Network, available on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, friends. Sophia Bush here, host of Work in Progress. This week we had such a special guest on the podcast. My Forever Flotus, a mentor, a friend, a wife, a mother, an author, attorney, advocate, television producer, and now she adds podcast host to the list herself.

Friends, Michelle Obama is here. Sophia, I'm beyond thrilled to be able to sit down and chat with you. We talk about it all. Life, love, motherhood martinis. Vodka martini, dry, straight up, olives. Oh, olives. Very cold. My girl.

Barely any vermouth. What's next? What she's watching on TV. I am a white lotuser. I am a real housewife's person. I love the dating shows. And tennis. I just find that to be a bit meditative.

You do not want to miss this. Listen to work in progress on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Step number four, upgrade your environment. Because discipline is easier when you. don't fight your surroundings. If you're trying to get off sugar, but every snack in your cupboard is full of sugar, you're now testing yourself. If you want to get off sodas, but your refrigerator is full of sodas, you're now testing yourself. If you want to work out, but you haven't found the right gym that's easy to get to or the right workout plan, you're testing yourself. We don't

fail because we don't care. We fail because we're constantly testing ourselves. We're making things harder. We're making it harder to feel motivated. We're making it harder to stick to our boundaries. We're making it harder to stick to our own rules. Behavioral science shows that 45% of our actions are habitual and triggered by environment, not motivation. Follow this one thing and you'll reach your goal. If your goal is to eat better, start with your kitchen. If your goal is to focus, put away your phone. If your goal is to save money, start with your spending triggers. If your goal is to build confidence, start with your self-talk. If your goal is to find love, start with your boundaries. If your goal is to grow your business, start with your calendar.

If your goal is to heal, start with your habits. If your goal is to be happier, start with your attention. Because change doesn't begin with a goal. It begins with your environment. You don't need more willpower. You need fewer friction points. Success isn't about trying harder. It's about designing smarter. If your environment is full of noise, you'll forget what your own voice sounds like. If your environment is filled with clutter, your mind will mirror the mess. If your environment is built on chaos, peace will always feel like a luxury. If your environment is full of doubt, confidence won't survive there. If your environment is small, your vision will start to shrink to fit it.

If your environment is lifeless, your motivation will follow. There's a reason why the phrase, you are a product of your environment, is so well known. Because it's true. If you're surrounded by books, you'll read books. If you're surrounded by screens, you'll be distracted. That's how it works. That's how the brain works. And then you're forcing yourself, pushing yourself, driving yourself.

And which maybe you'll do for three days if you're lucky. three weeks if you're really lucky, but you're always working against yourself. Step number five, break the all or nothing cycle. Instead of asking, did I fail? Ask what can I learn? Instead of starting over, pick up from where you left off. Progress is built in the messy middle, not the perfect start. If you can't stand to be bad at something first, you'll never be great at anything. If you keep editing your ideas before you express them, the world will never hear your voice. If you measure your worth by how few mistakes you make, you'll always feel like a failure. If you only celebrate the finished product, you'll miss the beauty of the process. If you chase flawless, you'll lose

authentic. If you chase approval, you lose momentum. Because the truth, perfectionism doesn't make you better, it makes you stop. It's fear dressed up as high standards. Step number six, use emotional visualization. See it, feel it, embody it. Most people visualize success like a movie, the money, the followers, the applause, but the brain doesn't respond to images. It responds to emotion. Studies from the University of Chicago show that visualizing the process, not just the outcome increases success rates by 42%. So if you want to start that business, picture the early mornings, the uncertainty and the excitement. If you want to lose weight, imagine how it feels to walk into the gym, proud, not intimidated. If you want to launch your podcast, feel what it's like to

hit publish for the first time, nervous but excited. Emotion turns fantasy into preparation. Close your eyes. See it, feel it, believe it. See the version of you who already has what you want. See them waking up calm, focused and proud. See them doing the things you keep postponing. See them making the hard choices easily. See them walking into rooms they once felt unworthy of. See them speaking with clarity, creating with confidence, living with purpose.

Feel what it's like to be them. Feel the peace in their breath. strength in their posture, feel the ease in their decisions, feel the gratitude they wake up with before anything happens. You don't have to chase this version of you. You're remembering them. You're returning to them. You're becoming them one choice, one breath, one act of belief at a time. Because every time you imagine it with feeling, your brain builds evidence that it's real. Every time you see it clearly, your body starts preparing to live it. See it until it feels familiar. Feel it until it feels safe. Believe it until it feels inevitable. You reprogram your mind

by seeing yourself doing the hard things and then going out and doing them. Step number seven, work with resistance, not against it. Because fear is feedback, not failure. every big goal triggers resistance that's not the universe blocking you that's your nervous system protecting you neuroscience calls this prediction error the brain resists anything unfamiliar even if it's good for you so instead of saying why do i feel scared say of course i do this is new then act anyway courage isn't the absence of fear it's moving while it shakes you think successful people are not scared. The truth is they're doing what they do while being scared. You think they're not nervous? They're doing what they do while they're nervous. You think they don't

experience anxiety? They're experiencing anxiety while they're doing the thing that you love watching them do. That's how it works. You work with it, not against it, because if you keep fighting it, it just gets stronger and bigger and takes over. Step number eight, build public accountability. Make your goals collaborative with your friends and competitive with the people you really love. A Harvard Business Review found that people who share their goals with a supportive community, that's an important word. It's not about sharing your goals with everyone on the internet. A supportive community are 76% more likely to achieve them. Tell a friend, post your progress in a private group, join a challenge. We don't need more private promises to ourselves and we don't

need more public performance to others. This isn't about tell everyone on Instagram, and it isn't just about live with it on your own. We need shared momentum. Isolation keeps you stuck. Accountability pulls you forward. So you want to be accountable, but to the right group of people. If you tell too many people, too many people will shut you down. Right, if you say, I want to start a business, someone's going to say, I don't think your idea is that good. Someone else is going to say, yeah, my friend tried a business, it failed. Someone else will say, yeah, give it a go, see how it goes. that's not helpful. If you're around a group of entrepreneurs, they'll ask you questions. They'll say, okay, what's your business about? Okay, what's your plan? Okay, how are you going to find customers?

That's the kind of community you want to be around. The problem is we tell friends and family members who have no idea what we're doing, as opposed to telling people who actually have the expertise and insight and joining those groups and communities and meeting people is a really, really powerful thing you can do for yourself. Step number nine, use gratitude as few. not fluff, because motivation fades, but appreciation sustains. Gratitude isn't just a nice feeling, it's a neurological hack. When you track progress, even small wins, you release dopamine, the brain's reward chemical. That's why celebrating each step keeps you consistent long after excitement fades. Start your days not with what's missing, but with what's moving. You realize

you're not waiting for your dream life. You're already living people. pieces of it. Because number 10 is becoming the kind of person your dream requires. Identity is the ultimate manifestation tool. You can't create a 2026 version of your life with a 2024 version of your beliefs. So instead of asking, what do I want? Ask yourself, who am I willing to become? the person who starts a business acts like a founder before the business exists the person who launches the podcast speaks like a creator before the audience appears identity drives action and when you act like the person who already has what you want your brain starts catching up 2026 won't magically change your life but you can the universe doesn't respond to wishful thinking it responds to clear energy

and consistent action. So this year, don't just set goals. Design your systems. Choose your word, align your identity. And remember, intention and infrastructure. Thank you so much for listening. I hope you have an amazing 2026. I'm wishing you all the best.

Make sure you subscribe to On Purpose to never miss an episode. I'll be guiding you through the year. And remember, I'm forever in your corner and always rooting for you. If you love this episode, you'll enjoy my interview with Dr. Daniel Eamon on how to change your life by changing your brain. If we want a healthy mind, it actually starts with a healthy brain. You know, I've had the blessing or the curse to scan over a thousand convicted felons

and over 100 murderers, and their brains are very damaged. Hi friends, Sophia Bush here, host of Work in Progress. This week we had such a special guest, a mentor of a friend. friend, a wife, a mother, an author, attorney, advocate, television producer, and now she adds podcast hosts to the list. Michelle Obama is here. Sophia, I'm beyond thrilled to be able to sit down and chat with you. Listen to Work in Progress on America's number one podcast network, IHeart. Open your free IHeart Radio app. Search Work in Progress and listen now. Hey there, Dr. Jesse Mills here. I'm the director of the men's clinic at UCLA and I want to tell you about my new podcast called The Mailroom.

And I'm Jordan, the show's producer. And like most guys, I haven't been to the doctor in way too long. I'll be asking the questions we probably should be asking, but aren't. Every week, we're breaking down the world of men's health from testosterone and fitness to diets and fertility. We'll talk science without the jargon and get your real answers to the stuff you actually wonder about. So check out the mailroom on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your favorite shows. This week on Dear Chelsea with me, Chelsea Handler, Nicholas Sparks is here. I would imagine that you've gotten a lot of feedback about setting a standard of romance that a lot of men can't measure up to.

I have heard stories. At the same time, I've had seven marriage proposals in lines to sign my book. Really? I'm up to the table. Doodle drop to his knees. I'm like, dude, you're in a Walmart in Birmingham, Alabama, you know. Listen to Dear Chelsea on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast.

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