Happy New Year’s Eve, traders…
Everyone’s asking me what my New Year’s resolutions are.
The answer? I don’t do resolutions.
I’ve watched too many people set New Year’s resolutions and abandon them by February.
“I’ll trade better.” “I’ll be more disciplined.” “I’ll make more money.”
Okay, you say you want to be more disciplined…
Then what? How do you measure that? What specific action are you taking? When are you doing it?
Without answers to those questions, nothing changes.
You’re probably thinking about what you want to improve in your trading for 2026.
- Better entries and exits.
- Respecting stops.
- Less overtrading.
- More patience.
Those are solid goals…
But if you treat them like resolutions, you’ll fail just like you did in 2025.
The framework I use turns goals into reality.
This is how I’ve built every successful habit in my trading.
This is how I know I’ll achieve my 2026 goals instead of giving up by Valentine’s Day.
Don’t Make Resolutions. Do This Instead…
Example 1: The Discipline Plan
Instead of saying, “I’ll be more disciplined.”
Write down:
“I want to be a trader who has more discipline…
Because I value consistency…
My standard is to journal every day…
I prioritize this by putting it into my schedule.”
See how that works?
You start with who you want to be (identity).
You connect it to what matters to you (values).
You create a measurable action (standard).
You make it non-negotiable (priorities).
Example 2: The Focus Plan
(This is my personal plan to improve next year.)
Instead of saying, “I’ll be more focused.”
I’m writing down:
“In 2026, I want to be a more focused trader…
Because I value my time and energy…
So, I will only hold 2-3 trades at a time. I’m not committed to that number yet (willing to adjust as the results guide me).
I will prioritize this by having a whiteboard on my desk.
This is my portfolio. I have to sell something to buy something else and review this every day.”
See the difference between that and saying “I’ll focus more?”
One is a detailed plan, the other is a vague statement.
Why This Actually Works
When you build a goal from identity down to priority, you create accountability at every level.
- Your identity defines who you’re becoming.
- Your values explain why it matters.
- Your standard gives you a measurable action.
- Your priority makes it happen.
But if you skip any of these steps, the goal falls apart.
You can’t set a resolution like “I want to make more money in 2026” and expect anything to change.
If you don’t take action, nothing will happen.
What To Do Instead Of Making Resolutions
Forget about resolutions.
Remember your identity, values, standards, and priorities.
Pick one aspect of your trading you want to improve in 2026.
Run it through the 4 steps:
Identity: Who do you want to be as a trader?
Values: Why are you trading?
Standards: What measurable changes will you make?
Priorities: How will you make this non-negotiable?
Write them down. Pin them to your monitor. Review them every day.
Ask yourself: Did you reach your goals for 2025?
If not, can I show you our playbook for 2026?
Hundreds of traders are already using this system to target high-probability market set-ups…
And recently, it’s helped us spot massive peak gains like:
- +148% on TWG*
- +311% on BBGI*
- +361% on OCG*
- All inside of ONE day.*
So if you have big trading goals for 2026…
(And you want to crush them…)
Click here to join our LIVE New Year’s Eve trading workshop.
And we’ll show you how to become a downright dangerous trader in 2026.
Happy New Year,
Ben Sturgill
*Past performance does not indicate future results. Not typical
