A Surefooted Experiment in Goal Setting and Habits
Kicking Off January 1st… and You’re Invited!
As we wrap up another year, I’ve been thinking a lot about goals and habits - why some stick, why others fade, and why a few seem to make such a huge positive impact. One insight that keeps coming back to me is how small daily choices and micro-habits often create bigger change over time than large, one-time goals.
So, for the first three months of 2026, I’m running a personal experiment. From January 1st through March 31st, I’ll focus on three specific micro-habit-based goals each month, committing to practice them every single day.
That doesn’t mean I won’t do the others on my list - it just means these three will be my anchors, receiving my full attention and curiosity for that month.
Each week, I’ll dive deeper into one of that month’s habits in a blog post, sharing how my practice is going so far. At the end of each month, I’ll reflect on my overall experience. My hope is that these weekly insights help us all see how small, consistent actions can ripple into meaningful, lasting changes over time.
December: Setting the Stage
Before the challenge officially begins, December will serve as a warm-up. I’ll publish nine short blogs, one for each habit I’ll explore during the challenge, highlighting how they relate to the first section of the Surefooted Journal, Between Tides.
These posts will explore the science behind each habit, my personal “why,” how it connects to my values and life vision, and what I hope to learn when it becomes the focus of its month. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes tour, giving context and curiosity before the experiment begins.
Why This? Why Now?
We just released the fourth edition of the Surefooted Journal, Between Tides, along with our Community Group for Surefooters who want community on their growth journey. This three-month goal/habit experiment felt like the perfect way to "walk the talk" - using the tools we’ve created for others and sharing the process openly along the way.
A question I hear often is: “What goals should I focus on?” With this project, I invite you to follow along with me and see how small, habit-based goals can influence your day-to-day life.
A gentle reminder: what works beautifully for one person might not land the same for someone else. This isn’t about perfection or one-size-fits-all solutions. It’s about paying attention and noticing what small, intentional actions can do when practiced consistently.
If my list of habits resonates with you, I’d love for you to follow along. If another habit speaks to you more, feel free to substitute it - if practicing it every day isn’t realistic, try a few times a week. This challenge is yours too.
I’ll be posting my blogs in the Surefooted Community Group, where I invite you to share your experiences as well. Together, we can support one another, provide tips and feedback, and create a sense of accountability that helps us all follow through.
The 9 Habits I’ll Be Exploring
Here are the habits I’ll focus on, three at a time, across the three months. Through the entire quarter, I’ll be journaling daily in my Surefooted Journal, Between Tides, which becomes an overarching 10th habit throughout the experiment:
Month 1
Make my bed as soon as I wake up
Daily movement / exercise
An apple a day (with a focus on eating simply and intentionally)
Month 2
5 minutes of meditation
Time spent in nature
100 push ups / 100 sit ups
Month 3
8 hours of sleep
Daily connection with another person
Scheduled “stress time” (this one sounds weird, but I'll explain more in a future blog).
Come With Me
By the end of these three months, I hope to gain clearer insights into which habits move the needle most - and maybe discover a few surprises along the way.
If you’d like to follow along, grab our new journal, Between Tides, and join me in this Surefooted Challenge. The adventure begins soon, and I’d love to have you with me.
Mike