#82 What Are Your Plans for 2026?

As the year draws to a close, this is the natural moment to pause. To reflect on what you have accomplished over the past twelve months. To consider what you want to create in the year ahead.

Before you rush into setting New Year’s, I suggest you first consider the question: What would you do if you did not need to work for money anymore?

Think carefully about your answer. Would you stay at your current job even without the paycheck? Would you continue the same type of work but with more control over your schedule and commitments? Or would you pursue something entirely different that your current financial obligations are preventing you from exploring?

All three options are valid. All three reveal something important about your relationship with work, money, relationships, and freedom. Some people genuinely love their careers and would continue regardless of financial necessity. Others enjoy their field but resent the constraints and demands of their current position. Still others dream of pivoting to something that feeds their soul but won’t pay the bills.

The Dimensions of Wealth Beyond Money

It is often said that there are many types of wealth or capital. Sahil Bloom [1] says there are 5 types of wealth: time, social, mental, physical, and financial. Chris Martenson [2] says there are 8 types of capital: financial, living, material, knowledge, emotional / spiritual, social, cultural, and time. However you think about it, it is clear that there is a lot more to a fulfilling life than money.

The specific framework matters less than the underlying truth these models reveal. A rich life requires attention to multiple domains. Your relationships matter. Your health matters. Your sense of purpose matters. The freedom to spend your time as you choose matters. Your connection to community and culture matters. The depth of your knowledge and the breadth of your experiences matter.

Yet despite this obvious reality, most high-income professionals allocate the vast majority of their time and energy to a single dimension: financial capital. You work long hours to maximize income. You sacrifice evenings and weekends to advance your career. You delay experiences and defer relationships because building financial security demands your immediate attention.

This imbalance is understandable. Money sits at the foundation of modern life. Without sufficient financial resources, pursuing other forms of wealth becomes extraordinarily difficult. Chronic financial stress undermines relationships, damages health, and prevents the kind of long-term thinking that builds meaning and purpose.

But here is the trap: most people never shift their focus even after achieving financial stability. They continue pouring all their energy into earning more money, convinced that just a bit more will finally provide the security and freedom they seek. The goalpost keeps moving. The imbalance persists. And years pass without meaningful progress in the other dimensions that actually determine life satisfaction.

Financial education provides the tools and frameworks to build financial security efficiently, freeing your time and attention for everything else that makes life worth living. By increasing your passive income and breaking your paycheck dependency, you create space to invest in relationships, health, experiences, knowledge, and purpose. You stop trading every hour for money and start designing your next, best life.

Designing Your Ideal Year

Before you draft your New Year’s resolutions, I encourage you to think more expansively about what you actually want. Not just in your portfolio, but across all dimensions of your life.

If you could design your ideal day, what would it look like? How would you spend your morning? What work would you do, if any? Who would you interact with? What would you create or experience?

Extend this vision to your ideal week. Not a week when you are on vacation, but an ideal week as part of your normal life. Where would you be? What balance would you strike between focused work, social connection, physical activity, and restorative rest? How much time would you control versus how much would be dictated by external obligations?

Consider your ideal month. Again, make this a normal month not an outlier. What mix of routine and novelty feels right to you? How much travel appeals to you? What projects or pursuits would you want to sustain over this longer timeframe?

Finally, imagine your ideal year. How do you balance different aspects of your desires? What would you accomplish? What experiences would you prioritize? What relationships would you deepen? What skills would you develop? What would you look back on with satisfaction?

This exercise requires deep thought. You cannot design your next, best life by extrapolating from your current circumstances or adopting someone else’s vision of success. You must identify what actually matters to you, not what you think should matter.

Take the time to get clarity around this. Write it down. Be specific. Create a compelling vision that pulls you forward rather than a vague aspiration that fades by February.

Financial Planning Within Your Broader Vision

Once you have clarity about your ideal life, you can begin thinking about the financial component. Remember that money is not the goal. Money is the tool that enables everything else you want to create.

From the perspective of breaking your paycheck dependency, consider the following questions as you plan for 2026:

What is your long-term plan to break your paycheck dependency? What will your portfolio look like when you accomplish that goal? How does that target compare to where you are today? Understanding the gap between current reality and desired outcome helps you assess whether your progress is on track or whether you need to adjust your strategy.
Who do you need to help you accomplish your goals? Investing is a team sport. re there new team members you need to add to your roster? This might include finding sponsors you trust, connecting with other investors who can share insights and opportunities, or engaging professionals like CPAs and attorneys who understand alternative investments. What specific steps will you take next year to build these relationships?
How have your investments performed in 2025? Review your results. Where did things go according to plan? Where did outcomes diverge from projections, positively or negatively? What lessons can you extract from your portfolio’s behavior over the past year? Were there any gaps in your portfolio that became apparent, whether in asset class diversification, cash flow timing, or risk management?
Has your investment thesis changed over the year? As you know, I believe a clear, well thought out, personal investment thesis [3] is a critical component to financial independence. Your thesis drives your financial decisions and minimizes distractions that will limit your progress. However, investment theses evolve as your life circumstances change, as you gain experience, and as markets shift. Revisiting and revising your thesis regularly makes sense. Doing it as part of your annual goal setting creates natural alignment between your investment strategy and your broader life objectives.
What specific steps do you want to take in 2026? As you work to break your paycheck dependency, what measurable progress will you make next year? Are you seeking greater diversification across asset classes, sponsors, or geographic markets? Are you planning to invest in more deals with sponsors you already trust? How much closer will you be to replacing your paycheck if you meet your goals for next year? Is there a conference you will attend to expand your network and knowledge? A new skill you will develop and put into practice?
How will you fund your new investments in 2026? Do you have other investments maturing that will provide capital for redeployment? Are you planning to allocate a portion of your W-2 income to new investments? Will you trade some of your professional skills for equity in an investment, perhaps by providing services to a sponsor in exchange for reduced minimums or preferential terms? Understanding your funding sources in advance allows you to plan your deployment strategy and avoid making rushed decisions when opportunities arise.
How much closer will you be to paycheck independence at the end of 2026? If your investments go as planned, what progress will you have made? What additional monthly expenses would your passive income cover? Even if you are not ready to walk away from your paycheck entirely, measuring incremental progress toward that goal provides motivation and helps you assess whether your current pace will get you where you want to go within your desired timeframe.

These questions are only the starting point and in no way create a comprehensive financial plan. You also need to consider tax strategy, estate planning, risk management, and much more. But answering these questions first ensures your financial plans serve your goals rather than becoming goals in themselves.

Taking the Next Step

Goal setting works best when approached systematically and with sufficient time for deep reflection. If you want to move beyond surface-level resolutions and design a comprehensive vision for your next, best life, consider joining me at the Create Your Future Goals Retreat [4] in January. This intense workshop provides the structure, guidance, and dedicated time to think deeply about all aspects of your life and create an actionable plan for the year ahead. It is always an exceptional event that helps participants gain clarity and momentum.

The work you do now, in these final weeks of 2025, will shape your entire year. Invest the time to get it right. Your future self will thank you.

PS: Are you an adventurer at heart? Always wanted to hang out with thousands of penguins in their natural environment and visit the frozen continent? Join me and a small group of real estate investors for an exclusive workshop aboard an expedition cruise to Antarctica February 2027. Build lifelong relationships while exploring one of Earth’s last pristine wildernesses. Learn more and reserve your cabin at https://www.mbc-rei.com/2027

For additional reading:

The complete set of newsletter archives are available at:
https://www.mbc-rei.com/mbc-thoughts-on-passive-investing/

This article is my opinion only, it is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Always do your own research and due diligence. Always consult your lawyer for legal advice, CPA