How I plan a year
Zoom out to the ten-year horizon, then run the year like a project.
I like to start the year by zooming out before I zoom in. Some of that reflection is solo, some I do with my wife. Together we map out the year ahead, check in on the next three years, and keep an eye on the ten-year horizon, looking at the data, the priorities, and what actually matters.
Thinking about the months ahead helps me ask one simple question: where do I actually want to be by the end of this year? Not just in business, but across everything that matters, family, finances, health, relationships, and the kind of life I am building alongside the work.
With that in mind, three priorities I am holding myself to in 2026.
Visit 26 new countries
With two years to go before I turn 40, the goal of visiting every country in the world is getting very real. That means being intentional, or I risk losing momentum. This year the target is 26 countries I have never been to before, starting with a trip to the Caribbean. Ambitious is the point.
Grow First Class
Keep scaling First Class, building on last year. By the end of 2026 the goal is 1,000 homes under management, without compromising the standards that got us here. Growth is a byproduct. Quality is the priority.
Prioritise my family
Living ten hours from my family is not always easy, especially as I become more aware of time passing and my parents getting older. Success means very little if it does not translate into presence where it counts. This year I am committing to seeing my parents and sister at least four times, and being fully there when I do.
What makes these goals likely is not wishful thinking, or eating twelve raisins at midnight on New Year's Eve. It is structure. I approach the year the way I would any complex project: breaking things down, defining priorities, and putting systems in place so progress does not rely on willpower alone.
Lately I have also been using AI as a thinking partner inside that structure. Not to replace judgment, but to challenge it, to stress-test decisions, spot blind spots, organise priorities, and reduce friction. Used intentionally, it is a tool for clearer thinking and better trade-offs.