It’s very corporate of me to release my 2026 goals in late January, but here we are. This is the third year I’ve done this, which means I finally have some real data to support the idea that the process works—for me, at least.
Last year, I landed somewhere around 65–70% completion. I’d call that good, not great. Still, it was a good year. I felt growth, both personally and professionally, and that matters more to me than a perfect scorecard. My relationship with Mrs. RCS is fantastic, but I refuse to let that coast. Getting lazy there feels like worst-case scenario. The boys are doing well, and that remains the ultimate scoreboard.
This year’s focus isn’t a dramatic reset—it’s more of a continuation of the 2025 goals. A maturation of them. These are less about short-term wins or tidy 12-month checkboxes and more about long-term return. That’s the lens I want to use moving forward.
As always, I’ll do quarterly reviews to keep myself honest.
Here we go:
- Two trips with Mrs. RCS. Just us. We’ve realized that allocating time for just us is the magic sauce. We have a healthy babysitter budget, and we went to St. Barth last year, and it was wonderful. Continuing the babysitter budget, but looking to add a SECOND trip for the two of us.
- Take the boys on an overnight fishing trip. It’s time. They are old enough. Mom can stay home. Do all the things – fish, get dirty, tell jokes, cook s’mores, go to bed late…make those core memories that they’ll carry with them and hopefully reapply to their kids.
- Introduce the boys to the relationship between money and work. Our boys have been asking for a lot of things…which is totally normal, but Mrs. RCS and I want to instill foundational rules around working and money. This is a simple weekly allowance conversation, but we will build requirements to get that money…and then get things. The more you work/do/behave, the more you get.
- Annual check-up and bloodwork. Yeah, I know. This shouldn’t be a ‘goal’, but I need to write it down.
- Maintain a healthy waist measurement. I did this last year, and it was good. As I age, the older my body gets, the more I prioritize core strength and a balanced diet. All of this is for vanity…so I’m not getting any wider than a 32″ waist. Period.
- Add 2/week yoga/stretching to the workout. A dear friend of mine goes to a stretching place every week. He told me all about this on the golf course, and I honestly thought he was joking. Nope. He goes and gets stretched out for 45 minutes a week, and absolutely swears by it. He’s a couple of years older than me and in great health (and an outstanding golfer)…and he calls this a game changer. I’m going to dig into stretching in 2026.
- Maintain a 9 handicap. I worked my ASS off to go from a 13 to a 9 in 2025. I’m very proud of it. My goal this year is to maintain. I’d love to see it go down, but it’s not a requirement. Playing at a 9 is fun golf.
- Eliminate low-return obligations. This is tough to conceptualize, but I want to feel like I’m wasting less time. Be more efficient. Automate. I’m excited to see how this pans out.
- 10 house projects. We moved into our house in 2015 and did a TON of work. We had our boys in 2017 and 2019, and not much has happened since then. I want to make a concerted effort to (effectively) do a house project a month. Nothing that requires a permit or a licence, but make improvements that make a difference and positively impact the quality of living at the house.
- Read six books. Last year, my goal was ten. I read three (up from .5 in 2024). I’m trying to catch the trend-line.
Other things I want to do: Reevaluate our investment portfolio. Reorganize the RCS portfolio and focus on quality. Catch a species of fish that I haven’t yet. Go deer hunting with my FIL. Make four new (formal) professional connections. Wear a tie once a month.
Feedback welcome.
