A Christmas Wake Up Call For Anyone Who Wants 2026 To Be Different
Christmas is magical.
The lights, the music, the cookies, the movies. The nostalgia. The warmth. The idea that for just a moment, the whole world softens and smiles. We love it because it feels good. It feels easy. It feels like a break from reality.
But here is the question nobody ever asks during the holidays.
A question only someone like me would ask, because I am not here to sugar coat your life like the gingerbread on Grandma’s kitchen counter.
“What if Christmas is actually distracting you from the problems you swore you would fix?”
What if old St. Nick is not just a symbol of joy, but also the greatest procrastination tool ever invented?
What if the magic you love so much is the same magic that keeps you carrying the same problems from year to year?
Let’s talk about it.
Because Santa is a great guy, but he has never paid your bills, fixed your marriage, solved your leadership issues, or kept you accountable to your goals. He shows up, he drops off some presents, he eats your cookies, and then he peaces out until next December.
And you know what that means?
The minute the tree hits the curb, reality hits you in the face.
Christmas Can Lift Your Spirit, But It Also Lets You Hide
Look around in December.
You see people smiling, celebrating, laughing, singing Christmas songs like everything in their life is perfect.
But you also see something nobody talks about: avoidance.
People avoiding the tough conversations they needed to have.
People avoiding the goals they abandoned back in March.
People avoiding the money problems they created.
People avoiding the leadership responsibilities they signed up for.
People avoiding the discipline they swore they would develop.
Santa does a fantastic job of giving you a momentary escape.
But Santa does not clean up the mess.
He does not follow you into the new year.
He does not sit down with you on January second and say,
“Alright buddy, let’s fix that mindset. Let’s repair that relationship. Let’s rebuild your finances.”
He just flies off into the night while you are left holding the same problems you walked into the season with.
The Illusion Of “New Year, New Me”
It blows my mind every time.
People genuinely believe that when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve, everything magically resets.
As if the muscle you never built last year suddenly shows up in January.
As if the discipline you never practiced suddenly arrives because the calendar flipped.
As if the job you hate becomes better just because you drank champagne and shouted “Happy New Year.”
Let me tell you something real.
Nothing changes on January first unless you change.
A brand new planner will not fix your patterns.
A fancy pen will not fix your procrastination.
A set of resolutions will not fix your lack of follow through.
A case of wine wrapped in a shiny bow from Kris Kringle is not going to soften the blow of the year you allowed to slip through your fingers.
Santa can distract you from your life, but he cannot rewrite the story you are living.
Santa Gets His Entire To Do List Done In One Night. What About You?
Let’s have some fun with this.
Santa travels the whole world in one night.
He gets millions of tasks done before the sun rises.
He never misses a deadline.
He never blames the weather.
He never says “I wasn’t feeling motivated today.”
He does not scroll on his phone, lose focus, or take a nap in the sleigh.
Meanwhile, some people still have not finished the three goals they set in 2023.
See the problem?
Santa has discipline.
Santa has systems.
Santa has clarity.
Santa has purpose.
Santa has execution.
You know what he does not have?
Excuses.
And that is where most people fall behind.
Not because they lack talent.
Not because they lack vision.
But because they lack the willingness to do what they said they were going to do.
Santa does not drag old problems into the new year.
You do.
The Hard Truth Wrapped In A Christmas Bow
Let’s get honest.
You do not need more gifts.
You do not need more Christmas cookies.
You do not need more peppermint lattes or holiday movies.
You need clarity.
You need ownership.
You need accountability.
You need a reason to stop living on autopilot.
Every problem you ignore in December becomes an anchor in January.
Every goal you postpone becomes heavier.
Every responsibility you avoid grows teeth.
But here is the beautiful thing.
Problems are not permanent.
They are invitations.
Invitations to step up.
Invitations to grow.
Invitations to finally build the life you want instead of settling for the life you tolerate.
Stop Expecting Holiday Magic To Fix Your Reality
Let me give it to you straight.
Santa is not fixing your finances.
Santa is not fixing your marriage.
Santa is not fixing your mindset.
Santa is not fixing your career.
Santa is not upgrading your leadership.
Santa is not pulling you out of the hole you dug.
And he should not.
Because those things are not his job.
They are yours.
Look, I love Christmas.
I love the lights, the energy, the excitement.
But I also understand that the holiday season is the great “pause button” of society.
People stop pushing.
People stop trying.
People stop focusing.
People trade purpose for peppermint.
People trade productivity for wrapping paper.
People trade momentum for mistletoe.
And every year, the same thing happens.
On January second, they wake up and realize Santa gave them a temporary break from their problems, but no tools to solve them.
The Real Gift You Need This Year
Let me tell you the truth that changed my life.
The greatest gift you can give yourself is not under the tree.
It is the decision to stop carrying old problems into a new year.
That is it.
Ownership.
Responsibility.
Clarity.
Purpose.
Standards.
That is the real Christmas miracle.
When you decide you are done living small.
When you decide you are done running from growth.
When you decide you are done accepting half effort, half discipline, half commitment.
When you decide you are done pretending Santa can fix the life you keep sabotaging.
Because here is the reality.
Your life changes the minute you do.
Not when Santa visits.
Not when the ball drops on New Year’s Eve.
Not when the calendar flips.
When you change.
That is when everything transforms.
Finish What You Start. Santa Does.
It is hilarious when you think about it.
Kris Kringle knocks out his entire to-do list in one night.
He never says, “Eh, I’ll finish this chimney in January.”
He never says, “I’ll deliver to Europe later. I’m tired.”
He never says, “This is too overwhelming. I’ll get it next year.”
He finishes what he starts.
Every. Single. Time.
Meanwhile, most people leave more unfinished business in their life than gifts under the tree.
Here is the uplifting truth.
You can change that.
You can finish the goals you set.
You can level up your standards.
You can create a life you do not need to escape from once a year.
And you can choose that today.
Not January first.
Not Monday.
Not when the motivation kicks in.
Today.
That is the difference between average lives and exceptional ones.
The Close: Santa Brings Presents, But Only You Can Bring Yourself A Better Life
If you want 2026 to be different, stop waiting for magic.
Stop outsourcing your life to the holidays.
Stop believing December gives you permission to quit on yourself.
Stop believing Santa is anything more than a fun distraction.
Santa can bring joy.
Santa can bring nostalgia.
Santa can bring gifts, cookies, and a reason to smile.
But Santa cannot bring discipline.
He cannot bring accountability.
He cannot bring purpose.
He cannot bring growth.
He cannot bring transformation.
Those gifts only come from one place.
You.
So unwrap your courage.
Take ownership of your life.
Finish your year strong.
Clean up what you avoided.
Close out the loops you left open.
Give yourself a clean start for 2026.
And remember…
Santa can deliver presents, but only you can deliver the life you want.
Keep Shining.
