Miscellaneous
A New Year Isn’t a Reset Button — It’s a Recommitment
Every January, we talk about fresh starts and resolutions.
New goals.
New technology.
New motivation.
New ideas.
New passion.
Here are the “wake-up” facts about resolutions according to
Psychology Today:
- About 23% of people give up on their resolutions by the end of the
first week of January.
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Roughly 80% abandon their resolutions by the time February arrives.
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Some habit-tracking data even flagged a specific pattern: Many people stop logging progress on their goals around the second Friday in January, which has informally become known as
Quitter’s Day — a symbolic moment when motivation fades.
A few years ago, right after the calendar flipped, I had a moment that stuck with me. I was preparing for a presentation—slides open, notes scattered, coffee getting cold. Nothing was wrong, exactly. But I caught myself thinking,
“This year, I’ll be more intentional. I’ll do it better; I’ll get more accomplished.”
Then it hit me.
I had said the same thing the year before. Not because I didn’t mean it — but because I thought intention alone would do the work.
In 2025, I read 25 books. One of them was a reread of
Atomic Habits. That’s when I was reminded of a simple truth many great thinkers return to in different ways. Author James Clear puts it this way:
“You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems.”
That idea matters for salespeople—especially now. As we head into 2026, the opportunity in front of us isn’t just bigger numbers or better tools. It’s clarity. It’s choosing how we show up when the excitement wears off, and the real work begins.
As we begin the year, let’s look at our systems. Here are three things worth pondering as the new year begins:
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Are you chasing outcomes—or building habits?
Goals get us excited. Habits get us paid. The best sellers I know aren’t always the loudest or the flashiest. They’re the most consistent. They make the call even when they don’t feel like it. They prep for the meeting others “wing.” They follow up when it would be easier not to. 2026 won’t reward ambition alone. It will reward disciplined behavior repeated daily.
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Are you trying to sound smarter—or be more useful?
There’s never been more information available to sellers. AI, data, insights, benchmarks—it’s all there. But buyers aren’t overwhelmed by a lack of information. They’re overwhelmed by a lack of relevance. The sellers who will win this year are the ones who ask better questions, listen better, and translate complexity into clarity. Not to impress — but to serve. Use the tools. Leverage the tech. That aside, please don’t forget the human on the other side of the table.
Relevant Tangent: This week I’m at CES 2026, immersed in technology, and I’ll have lots to report when I return. In fact, we have a webinar with Fred and Paul Jacobs on January 21.
Register here. And Kelli Frieler and I will be chatting on January 14 about using AI as your partner.Register here.
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Are you waiting for confidence—or earning it?
Confidence doesn’t arrive before action. It follows it. Every meaningful sales career is built on moments of discomfort — asking the harder question, proposing the bigger idea, or having the honest conversation that matters more than the easy one. If 2026 is going to be different, it won’t be because you waited until you felt ready. It will be because you chose courage over comfort—consistently.
A new year doesn’t change us; what we practice does. So welcome 2026 — not as a blank slate, but as an opportunity to recommit to the habits, conversations, and behaviors that quietly separate good sellers from great ones. Make sure your daily systems and behaviors match the change you are trying to make.
Same you. Clearer focus. Better intention—backed by action.
That’s how real momentum begins.
Happy New Year!
Think Big, Make Big Things Happen!
Jeff Schmidt is the SVP of Professional Development. You can reach him at
Jeff.Schmidt@RAB.com.
You can also connect with him on
X,
YouTube, and
LinkedIn.
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