Beyond Resolutions: A New Metric for the Year Ahead

As an executive coach working with leaders in Hong Kong and the US, I see that January has a specific energy. It is the season of "more." We set new targets, build new roadmaps, and commit to "crushing" Q1.

It is natural to measure the year ahead by what we plan to output. We look at the blank scoreboard of 2026 and plan how we will win.

But I’d like to offer a different metric for your year. Instead of focusing solely on what you will produce, I invite you to focus on how you will expand.

In the realm of adult development, we call this the shift from Horizontal Development (adding more skills and doing more things) to Vertical Development (expanding your capacity to see more, feel more, and handle more complexity).

Here are three questions to help you set a "Vertical" intention for the year ahead:

1. The Unlearning

"What is one belief I am carrying into January that I must leave behind to reach my next level?"

We often start the year asking what we need to learn. But true growth often requires subtraction. To lead at a higher level this year, you may need to release the belief that you must have all the answers, or the story that "busy equals important." What is the one assumption that—if you let it go—would instantly make you lighter?

2. The Shedding

"What behavior served me well last year, but is now a coat that no longer fits?"

The strategies that got you here are rarely the ones that will get you there. Maybe your hands-on perfectionism helped you survive 2025, but in 2026, it will become a bottleneck. Identify the one "winning strategy" from your past that is becoming a liability for your future. Commit to taking that coat off, even if it feels vulnerable.

3. The Intention

"What is one recurring storm I intend to navigate with quiet calm this year?"

Look at your calendar. You already know where the stress will come from—the quarterly board meeting, the specific friction with a peer, the inevitable market dip. Instead of hoping these things don't happen, set an intention for how you will be when they do. Visualizing yourself navigating your biggest triggers with a grounded nervous system is more powerful than any productivity hack.

The Year of Expansion

As the year ramps up and the noise begins, I invite you to keep one eye on the internal game. Let your KPIs guide your doing, but let these questions guide your becoming.

If you feel a pull to do this work—not just to achieve more, but to be more—I am here. Send me a note, and let’s explore what your vertical expansion looks like in 2026.

Here’s to a year of depth.