Happy 2026, everyone!
In December, I shared with you a detailed story of how I pivoted my career and built a life I actually want (you can read it here). In that piece, I also transparently shared my intention for 2026.
Today, I want to share with you my “NO list” for this year, meaning: things I will say no to in 2026 (plus an interesting anecdote about Warren Buffett's 25/5 rule).
Let’s dive in:
You can have anything in life. But you can’t have everything.
Some people say “you can have anything in life, but you can’t have everything”. I think it’s true. Life involves trade-offs.
If you know me personally, you probably know I’m a very focused person. Not in a way that I don’t get distracted (because I do) but in a way that I usually have a pretty good understanding of 1-2 things that I really want to achieve at a time. I’d rather complete one project or achieve one dream (again - at a time) than make very little progress on many (I don’t know about you, but in my case, trying to do everything at once leads to achieving nothing).
For me, chasing too many things is simply overwhelming and highly stressful. I’d rather worry about one priority, and focus on the next one later.
Prioritisation, making trade-offs and saying “no” are not easy, though. That’s why concepts like FOMO or the shiny object syndrome exist.
Because sure, possibilities are endless. But our time, energy and resources are limited. So we have to choose and prioritise what matters to us the most.
Warren Buffett’s 25/5 Rule
There’s this goal-setting and productivity method attributed to Warren Buffett. Supposedly, he follows these 3 steps to prioritise his goals and simplify his life:
Step 1: Write down a list of your top 25 goals.
Step 2: Circle the five most important goals (your non-negotiables / biggest priorities).
Step 3: Cross off the other 20 goals you have listed and actively avoid them until your top 5 are achieved.
The idea behind step 3 is that investing time and effort in these 20 crossed out goals steals your focus and energy from your most important goals. These are potentially your most tempting distractions.
(There’s a whole story about Warren Buffett never actually using or even mentioning this method - but nevertheless, he admitted that he likes the framework. If you want to learn about this story, I highly recommend reading Alex Banayan’s book “The Third Door” where he’s on a quest to interview the world’s most successful people to discover how they launched their careers - including Warren Buffett)
Ok, so Warren Buffett did not come up with this method, but he did say “the most successful people say no to almost everything”.
And because I like some ruthless prioritisation, this January I made a “NO list” for 2026.
What I won’t be doing in 2026:
Setting overly ambitious goals for my business - I need to protect my energy to focus on health and family this year. I choose to not post everyday, not set up an Instagram/TikTok account, not build complex funnels and automations, and many more. I’m already in a good place and don’t have to aim for more just for the sake of it.
Overloading myself with new initiatives - I know what works and I’ll double down on that (and do my best to avoid “shiny objects”, even though I know they’ll be tempting!!)
Pretending that I can go to the gym for 1 hour 5 days a week - yeah, I can’t… but after a recent endometriosis diagnosis, I will try to move more often but less intensely to keep my condition in check
Pretending that I can stick to a perfect diet or daily routine - I’ll see one more “health hack” or “this one thing that’s slowly ruining your gut” and I’ll go crazy
Working with clients that are a bad fit - sometimes coaching is not the right modality for a client and it’s challenging for me to support them. Sometimes it is the right modality but I can tell I’m not the right specialist for their needs (or there’s no vibe) and it’s also a challenge. In any case, I do my best to refer to another practitioner or recommend a more suitable path forward. It saves both of us time.
Saying yes to “pick your brain chats” AKA free advisory - my calendar is at capacity and, if there’s no intention to work together, it’s probably not something I can afford to spend my time on
Going to networking events - yeah, I just don’t want to
A few years ago I read that the secret to happiness isn’t having everything you want - it’s wanting everything you already have.
So in that vein, I’m going to stop striving for more just for the sake of it and focus on appreciating what i already have 💛
What’s your most important item on your “NO list” this year?
Hit reply and let me know - it will really make my day 🫶
If you know someone who needs to read this, feel free to forward this to them - I love seeing new signups on this mailing list!
Speak soon,
Karolina
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