This strategy is both simple, yet powerful.
It is also quite timely for the start of a New Year.
Plus, I think it tops most “new year’s resolutions“, which many people might be working on (and already bombed on ;-)).
The reason is – again – that it is SIMPLE.
It is based on creating a singular point of focus, which encapsulates multiple different areas of your life.
Which means, we are getting back to basics.
You know I love to focus on BELIEFS, and this might be drilling even deeper.
It is focusing on VIRTUES, which might already be stored – as potential information – in the water of every one of your 50 trillion cells.
So, unlocking that information, from that many players (50 trillion), can have a pretty potent effect.
And as I already said, the strategy to turn on the switch is pretty simple.
The Strategy: Simple Steps
It’s the start of the year, so you probably still have a bunch of distractions, perhaps festive fatigue, and a bucketload of emails to sort; so I wanted to keep this simple and hopefully short(ish).
The strategy is:
1. Identity a habit, behaviour or pattern of behaviour, which limits you from being the most awesome version of yourself.
2. Identify a VIRTUE that if exercised, on a consistent basis, would neutralise or “disrupt” that old pattern.
3. Bring conscious FOCUS and attention to this VIRTUE, multiple times as you move through your day.
One way I have found to really put that VIRTUE front and centre is to make it into a “THEME“.
This becoming your THEME for 2026.
A single virtue which has primacy in 2026, with the specific intent to neutralizing a pattern of behaviour, by delivering, what is called a “pattern interrupt“.
Meaning you are re-programming your brain (mind), which starts to re-program your nervous system and physical behaviours.
You INTERRUPT the old pattern of learned behaviour, and install a new pattern, inspired by your intentionally chosen VIRTUE (and THEME for 2026′
Here is an example
Let’s start with confession time.
I have a pattern of behaviour of INTENSITY.
A learned behaviour from my upbringing, and enhanced by 14-years in the military (who loved to program “a sense of urgency“), and adopted as a way of achieving success in my younger days (in order to get sh#t done!).
Now intensity is not necessarily a “bad” thing, but it is something I want to CONSCIOUSLY activate when the situation is APPROPRIATE (i.e. there is no need for a sledge hammer, if a normal hammer is most appropriate).
My reality is that I find myself intensely opening a cupboard, or intensely brushing my teeth, or intensely opening a jar, or intensely closing the door, or intensely putting an item on a shelf, or intensely driving to a massage. Yeah, I know. It’s pretty whacky. But also a pretty obvious pattern when I am not paying attention.
It can also lead to low-intensity anxiety in my stomach, which I would rather not have.
So, the VIRTUE I believe to be the opposite (plus resonates for me), and feels like throwing cold water on intensity, is what I call “GRACE“.
It is not a word a younger audience would identify as a powerful Virtue, but for me I picture a Sage, or martial arts Master, or powerful warrior, expressing pure GRACE as they walk, talk and move with an effortless intentionality; which also exudes peace and tranquility.
THAT is definitely what I am after.
Therefore, my THEME for 2026 is: THE YEAR OF GRACE.
Why this works
Setting a THEME for 2026, allows the theme to encapsulate everything that exists within the year.
It is like a guiding North Star.
Also, it works as a Pattern Interrupt, as focusing on your virtue illuminates the upper mind and frontal cortex to your conscious intent.
Essentially interrupting an old pattern of behaviour (in my case acting with intensity) by throwing mental ice-cold water on the old learned behaviour.
This allows you to fire and wire neurons for a new learned behaviour (think neuroplasticity and neurogenesis), which is purposely aligned with your VIRTUE and THEME.
As the intention of the mind changes, it causes the physical release of a new cocktail of neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and hormones.
Leading to change.
And as we all know, neurons that fire together wire together, so you are creating a new mind.
A mind in alignment with your consciously chosen virtue, as opposed to an old pattern of behaviour, which may very well have run its cause.
Now I could go a lot deeper, and get into the field of genetics and epigenetics, but I think we will call it a wrap here.
But I will end this section by saying that our human brains, minds and our relationship with consciousness are extremely powerful and far exceed anything that has been technologically developed to date.
Tap in to your true power and full potential.
Your humanness makes you powerful indeed.
In Summary
Establish what personal pattern of behaviour you would like to transcend.
Do your very best to choose a singular VIRTUE, which would neutralise your undesired pattern of behaviour.
Plant that VIRTUE as your THEME for 2026, so it encapsulates EVERYTHING you do in 2026.
Bring your VIRTUE to mind often (I would also recommend having the written VIRTUE visible in as many places as possible), like in the picture below.
If you have chosen the right VIRTUE (for 2026), it will be like throwing water on a fire, in order to disrupt and unconscious an outdated behavioural pattern.
A year of consistently interrupting an old behavioural pattern will rewire and reprogram your mind, thus opening up a new world of possibilities for you.
My Parting Words
I wanted to keep this Strategy relatively short and simple.
I am not sure how well I did that, and I realised I could have gone WAY deeper on the topic when I started thinking about epigenetics.
Which put very simply is the new scientific understanding that it is what we think, feel and do, which turn ‘on’ or ‘off’ our genes, and ultimately creating our genetic destiny.
Our choices matter.
What we think matters.
What we choose to FOCUS on matters (a LOT!!!).
So, what is your VIRTUE and therefore THEME for 2026?
What VIRTUE do you need to install in your frontal cortex, to neutralise an unwanted behaviour?
What one VIRTUE or VALUE could you align with, which will shift everything?
Let that be your THEME for this year.
And see where it takes you, in your work, relationships, health and overall choices.
I look forward to hearing your THEME, so feel free to share with me too.
Maybe you can share it when we work on overcoming any self-imposed limitations, at my online workshop starting on 7 Feb 2026.
I would love to serve you there.
On that note…
Have a fun day dreaming up your THEME, and a week of neutralising and interrupting an old unwanted pattern of behaviour.
Take care.
Carl
Quotable QUOTE:
“A year of consistently interrupting an old behavioural pattern will rewire and reprogram your mind, thus opening up a new world of possibilities for you.” Carl Massy
(Author of 18 Ways We Make Life WAY Harder Than It Needs To Be)
PS: Have you read or listened to this book yet? 18 Ways We Make Life WAY Harder Than It Needs To Be
