How to do a Hard Reset on Your Life Before 2026
2025 is coming to an end, reminding us to close
this chapter of our lives and start a new one.
But just because the clock ticks, the calendar changes,
and the world starts celebrating doesn’t mean your life
will magically change.
This is not a movie, and things don’t change suddenly.
I believe in miracles, but I don’t depend on them.
Instead, I strategize my next moves.
If a miracle happens, I will be super happy, but if it doesn’t happen,
I am fine.
But I know most people don’t live like this;
that’s why I am writing these tips to help you reset your life
and start 2026 as a new person.
How to Do a Hard Reset on Your Life Before 2026:
Do the “Wheel of Life” exercise
Rate yourself from 1–10 in each of these categories:
Health, Career, Finances, Partner, Family, Friends, Fun, Community,
and Spirituality.
Sit down quietly with a paper and pen,
away from all distractions and noise.
Don’t overthink it and rate yourself ruthlessly.
For example, here is mine:
- Health: 9
- Career: 6
- Finances: 4
- Partner: …
- Family: …
- Friends: 10
- Fun: 10
- Community: 10
- Spirituality: 10
This year, I focused inward and fixed my personal problems,
which improved my self-awareness and happiness.
But at the same time, I didn’t focus on my career and finances.
Now do yours later. The areas you score lowest?
Those should be your focus as you head into 2026.
For me, I know where to focus (finances and career).
Fix your sleep habits (seriously)
Sleep is the ultimate force multiplier for life.
When it’s good, everything gets easier.
If your sleep habits are out of whack, fixing them should be priority #1.
No matter what, never sacrifice your health for a short-term outcome;
it is not worth it. Set a goal of sleeping at least 8 hours per night,
with the minimum being 6 hours.
Never joke with your sleep.
Declutter your physical and digital space
I used to be a very unorganized person who would come home
and throw clothes everywhere.
I would then clean my room every weekend.
The problem was that if I lost an item,
I would spend at least 30 minutes searching for it.
Then I realized that if I maintained an organized space,
it would ease the work for me later.
Clutter creates stress (whether you realize it or not).
A little organization goes a long way.
Try this: pick one space to clean up each day.
- Your desk.
- Your inbox.
- Your workspace drawers.
- Your phone storage.
By the end of the week, you’ll feel the difference.
Create a “stop doing” list
Everyone obsesses over what to add:
new habits, new routines, new goals.
But the fastest way forward is usually through subtraction.
Answer this: if a competent CEO got to run your life in 2026,
what are the first things they would eliminate?
Write a list and start cutting.
You will realize you are wasting a lot of your valuable time on nonsense.
Curate your information diet
Your diet isn’t only what you eat.
It’s what you read, watch, and listen to on a daily basis.
Choose carefully.
Try this:
set aside 30 minutes to unsubscribe from emails you don’t read,
unfollow accounts that make you feel bad,
and remove apps that waste your time.
These small changes have the biggest effect.
You will be amazed by how your life changes in one week.
Close your “open loops”
The fastest way to declutter your mind:
Sit down and write out everything that’s pulling at your attention.
Unfinished tasks, unanswered messages, random to-dos.
For each one:
a) Do it,
b) Schedule it, or
c) Let it go.
It’s like closing the open tabs in your brain.
One thing I did was turn off notifications for
Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
After doing that, I became more focused on my tasks
without getting distracted by random messages.
Reclaim your mornings
What you do in the first 60 minutes
of your day sets the tone for the rest of it.
Protect it ruthlessly.
Here are some rules I follow:
- Write down the top 3 priorities for the day
- Write down what you are going to work on today
- Limit your screen time after waking up
- Don’t open social media apps after waking up
These are my examples. Now create yours and make them personal.
