19. Goals 2026

Happy New Year!

Usually, this is the time for grand detailed plans and 12-month roadmaps. But as I touched on in my last post, 2026 isn't a standard year for me. With a baby due in June, trying to plan the next six months perfectly, let alone the next twelve would be foolish.

I’ve known for a while now that my biggest weakness in trading isn’t a lack of skill but rather a lack of tolerance for boredom. I have this tendency to go on the offense looking for something "bigger", maybe it's my brain chasing dopamine. I struggle to put in the "boring reps," even though I know those are the only ones that actually count the most.

Looking Cool vs. Winning 

It often makes me think of that scene in White Men Can’t Jump where Woody Harrelson tells Wesley Snipes that Wesley is more concerned with looking cool than winning, whereas Woody doesn't mind looking bad to win. Sometimes, I feel like that’s my trading. I chase the "glitzy" wins, the big books and the high-drama trades that feel "cool" in the moment.

But looking cool doesn't buy nappies. Winning does.

Look at the Penrith Panthers. They didn’t win four premierships in a row because they sat in the middle of a game thinking about a four-peat. They also didn't do a 4 peat because of flick passes, and goose steps. They won because they focused on finishing the next set and kicking to corners. They made thousands of tackles and kicked to corners, and then did it again, and again and again. They did the "boring" better than anyone else.

I know I can be brave and chase a big book. I’ve shown that. But this next chapter needs to be like the Panthers. It needs to be boring, less volatile. It needs to be about finishing the set, and kicking to the corners. 

The Strategy: Sprinting Toward June

My version of "kicking to the corner" is writing notes while the game is on and using this blog for review of those said notes. When I’m accountable here, I’m dialed in. When I’m not, I get arrogant. I go "Wesley Snipes style", sitting on the couch, trawling markets on my phone with no research other than a hunch.

I think it's fairly natural to get bored when you look at a big goal, long term, and for me, when I get bored is the problem. To stop me from going full Wesley Snipes mode, I'm going to break down the year into a set of short intense monthly sprints. Motivation is a finite resource, it will drain as the year goes on. By having a mini reset each month, it'll help my main goal of staying the course. Something I struggle to to. I also believe that having this "Spint" for each month enables me to exercise some variety, and change things up month by month. It gives me the freedom to make minor ammendments, and take an alternath path to the same destination.

The Big Goals for 2026

• Health: 

  • Lose 8kg.

  • Pass Marks in Every Catergory of a Comprehensive Blood Test Every 6 Months

• Trading: 

  • A sentence before and after each game.

  • 52 Weekly Reviews.

January: The First Sprint 

I’m focusing only on the first sprint for the next 31 days. I’m not zooming out to look at completing another triathlon, or doing something too hectic. I'm just focusing on the next set.

1. Health: Closing the Floodgates

• The Sprint: No snacking for the entire month. The Logic: Usually, I dial in intensely for three weeks, try to be too perfect, and then it all falls apart. I set goals that are too rigid and too lofty. This year is about small, easy wins done over and over. For me, snacking is what opens the floodgates and leads to gorging. If I can nail this one "boring" rep for January, I win. No knee rehab or lofty running goals yet, just no snacks through January.

2. Trading: Finishing The Set

• The Sprint: Watching the game to the end + Pre/Post match sentences.

• The Logic: No half-assing. If I’m in a trade, I’m in until the final ball. I’m mandating a journal entry for every game: one sentence before to lock in the logic, one after to review the execution. No journal, no trade. That is my "set completion."

  
  

The Finish Line

By February, the "Sprint" will change. Maybe it becomes about glute rehab; maybe it’s a new trading metric. But for now, the goal is simple: Do the boring reps. Stop trying to look cool. Finish the set. Kick to the Corners.