Chris Williamson: If You Don't Fix This Now, 2026 Is Already Over!

Key Arguments

The Single Best Question for Goal-Setting

What would have to happen by the end of 2026 for me to look back and consider it a success? This question cuts through overwhelm and surfaces what actually matters. The answer usually involves only a few things—not the endless list we imagine.

You Can Become Anything, But Not Everything

Setting the bar unrealistically high doesn't increase performance. Like loading a buffet plate beyond your stomach's capacity, overloading your goals beyond your work capacity guarantees failure. In order to pick something up, you have to put something down.

Motivation Is an Unreliable Fuel Source

Goals predicated on motivation fail because motivation comes and goes. Something more rigid than enthusiasm is needed for long-term success.

The Deferred Life Hypothesis

Many people believe their life hasn't yet begun—that everything now is just a prelude. Upon reflection, this prelude turns out to be a mirage that fades as you approach it. Problems are a feature, not a bug. There will never be a time without problems.

Observable vs Hidden Metrics

We trade hidden metrics for observable ones: longer commutes for higher salaries, more stress for better job titles. The length of your commute correlates strongly with unhappiness. What hidden cost are you paying?

The Parable of the Mexican Fisherman

An American businessman tells a fisherman to scale up—get more boats, build a canning factory, export worldwide. Why? So he could retire and fish a little on mornings, spending afternoons with family. The fisherman already had that. Going on a massive journey to end up where you started is not the same as having never left.

Unteachable Lessons

Some truths can only be learned through experience: money won't fix your happiness problem, fame won't fix your self-worth problem, you should see your parents more. People who haven't achieved dismiss this wisdom; those who have achieved evangelize it.

Notable Quotes

"In order to pick something up, you have to put something down."

"If your life was a movie and the audience were watching up to this point, what would they be screaming at the screen telling you to do?"

"The answers you seek are in the silence you're avoiding."

"Suppression isn't the same thing as strength."

"Stop taking life so seriously. No one is getting out of this game alive. In three generations, no one will even remember your name."

Uncomfortable Questions for Reflection

1. How would I spend my day if I wanted to make 85-year-old me as miserable as possible? In what ways am I already doing that?
2. If my life was a movie, what would the audience be screaming at the screen?
3. What hidden metrics am I sacrificing for observable ones?

References

Mentions The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho—the treasure was in the back garden all along.