Listen to the Roses
As we head into 2026, most people are already setting resolutions aimed at “levelling up” who they were last year.
There’s an uncomfortable truth behind that instinct. To stay the same, we actually have to improve (unfortunately its true!)
Everything around us, at home and at work, is constantly moving forward. If we decide the level we operate at now is sufficient, someone else will inevitably overtake us and do something bigger or better, or even take our job.
I’m all for self-improvement. I actively advocate it. Humans crave forward motion. It’s written into our DNA to evolve and optimise. It gives us purpose and meaning.
But there’s a cautionary tale here.
When we set habits to improve, we rarely stop long enough to ask three simple questions:
- Who is writing these goals?
- Do they actually serve me?
- And are they healthy?
Who’s really writing your goals?
We live in an optimisation culture. Hustle harder. Wake up at 4am. Cold plunge. Lift heavy. Snort creatine for breakfast. Run a marathon before you’ve checked your emails.
But who are you doing it for?
You, or someone else? Think about that one carefully. If you believe it’s you. Why do you think that you think that way?
How long have you allowed other people’s opinions, algorithms, or insecurities to write your story for you?
January is peak season for snake oil.
Influencers and celebrity-endorsed magic potions line up to monetise on your self-doubt. Some of those tools can help. Many are harmless. But before you buy another solution, it’s worth pausing to listen to the quieter signals you may have been ignoring for years.
The signals which will likely bring more success, for less effort and cost!
The obsession with habits
The flavour of 2026 seems to be “habits”. We’re only weeks in and I’m already a bit bored of the word. Not because habits don’t matter. They absolutely do.
I’ve built a career around Kaizen, the idea of small, consistent improvement. Habits work. We’ve known this for centuries.
William James was writing about habits in the 1890s. John B. Watson followed in the early 1900s. Then Kaizen. BJ Fogg formalised “Tiny Habits”. James Clear repackaged them for the masses as “Atomic Habits”. Now we have Jake Humphries with yet another version in 2026 of “Micro Habits”.
Different books. Same ideas.
So what’s my point?
The theories are all true, but be careful who you put on the pedestal!
Are your goals genuinely yours, or are they borrowed from someone else’s ideology? That question requires honesty and humility.
Where habits actually fail
Every January I hear friends and colleagues outline plans for marathons, monumental weight loss and exponential business success. I love that energy. Its admirable.
The pause comes when they start talking about them not knowing where the time and energy will come from. How will they deal with the repetitive boredom. This is almost always where habits fail. The goal was too big, the thought process too small, understanding what comes first hasn’t even been a thought.
The people selling the dream don’t care that you have two kids, a demanding job, a mortgage, school runs, dinners to cook and a relationship to nurture. Their job is to sell aspiration, not to live your reality.
Your dreams can still be big. But they need to start with your life, not someone else’s highlight reel.
Look at the rose bush
I once had the privilege of listening to Celynn Morin first hand. One of her stories of wellbeing was around how vineyards plant rose bushes at the end of the vine rows. Roses are more sensitive to disease than vines, so they act as an early warning system. When the roses struggle, it signals to the vineyard caretakers that trouble is coming.
We have rose bushes too.
But instead of listening, many of us stack new habits on top of old exhaustion. We can get addicted to progress without thinking about stopping to rest. We drown tired bodies in caffeine, supplements, cold plunges and miracle drinks, hoping clarity and energy will magically appear. Sometimes, you might even see a marginal improvement.
It’s like putting premium fuel into a 1996 Fiesta that hasn’t been serviced in ten years. It might help a little, but fundamentally, the thing needs care. Someone to listen to it and fix the real problems.
Supplements aren’t the enemy. Neither is ambition. The danger is using them to cover cracks instead of fixing foundations.
As the saying goes, “climbing the mountain is admirable, but sometimes you need to stop to admire the view”.
The signals we ignore
- Are you irritable?
- Is your sleep restless or broken?
- Is your patience low?
- Do you wake up needing to paint on a face?
- Does life feel heavier than it should?
- Is your life being influenced by others?
These aren’t failures. They’re information. They’re the signals the rope is fraying before the inevitable “snap”.
“They’re your rose bushes”.
Most high performers ignore them and pile on more discipline.
Elite performers stop and listen.
The narrative needs to change from “are you strong enough to keep going?” to “are you wise enough to pause?”
We listen to everyone else, but the secret is listening to yourself and trusting its signal.
Fix the root cause, not the symptom. This philosophy is engrained in my mind from working within World Class Manufacturing for so long.
Start with the nervous system
For me, everything starts with the nervous system. It exists to protect us, but it hasn’t evolved at the same speed as modern life.
Our bodies still react to deadlines, comparison and pressure as if we’re under threat. Fight or flight was designed for danger. Too much time there keeps cortisol and adrenaline high, affecting sleep, gut health, immunity, decision-making and mood.
If you’re wired but tired, can’t sleep, feel constantly on edge or keep getting sick, chances are you don’t need another coffee, supplement or miracle drink.
You need balance. Alignment.
Grounding techniques matter. Breathing. Stillness. Time in the present moment. Reducing stimulants. Consistent sleep routines. Hydration. Walking. Strength training. Human connection.
Do the basics well and you’ll outperform 90% of people globally without buying much of anything at all or introducing other habits that you might struggle to stick to because the basics aren’t in place.
Often, you don’t need to chase the butterflies (new habits and goals on top of old ones), you just need to create a beautiful garden (listen to your body and address the basics).
Listen to your body. Listen to the roses.
They were never the enemy that needed to be beaten and overcome. They were trying to protect you. Often, they’re your ticket to all the goals you dreamed about.