In the run-up to 2026, the last few days of the year can feel long and stretched out. And then, suddenly, it’s New Year’s Eve. Time speeds up, champagne corks are popping, and just like that, 2026 is upon us.
Happy New Year to everyone who’s hung out here at some stage or other—whether you read blog posts regularly or just drop in from time to time to explore whatever interests you. Thanks for being here.
At a New Year’s party, I met a few people who stayed with me. One was a man still struggling, four months after losing his wife. Another was a woman juggling the many strings of a solopreneur’s life, wearing several hats at once. I also met a man with a curious, intelligent mind and a wide range of interests. He had read a lot about AI over the past year, but hadn’t actually used it. Once he was shown a few simple ways to use tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google Lens—especially for exploring historical facts—he was amazed, and promised himself he’d download and start using some AI apps.
That experience reminded me of an interesting book by Erika Andersen:
Be Bad First: Get Good at Things Fast to Stay Ready for the Future
(Routledge, 2016)
The essence of the book is simple and deeply familiar: when you start something new, it feels awkward. You don’t know what you’re doing. You make mistakes. But if you can live with that discomfort, understand it, and keep going, you gradually get better—and as you do, you feel better.
In many ways, this is common sense. We all know that helpless feeling when learning something new. But sometimes we still avoid starting, especially when we don’t know how to go about learning—whether that’s AI, a new skill, or a different way of working or living. AI, for example, is often wrapped up in big, intimidating terms, but at its core it’s simply a powerful way to learn: to find information, explore ideas, and figure out how to do things. Of course, it doesn’t replace learning for yourself, talking to others who know more than you, or persisting through trial and error—but it can be a valuable companion along the way.
What I find so interesting is how this idea applies to so many areas of life. Without continuous learning, it’s easy to get stuck in a rut, grind to a halt, or miss new ways of coping with situations that feel challenging at first. Once we learn to deal with them—even without mastering them—we often feel more empowered, more capable, and more open to what’s next.
This feels especially relevant as we step into 2026. The year will likely bring challenges we haven’t yet imagined. Many of us are already on some kind of learning curve, and perhaps 2026 will be a time to increase our competence—in our personal lives, our businesses, and beyond.
Whatever meaningful things you choose to pursue in 2026—better finances, better business, better health, better relationships—I wish you the very best for the year ahead.
