Founder of 1% Better™ | Former accountant, future author | Follow me for the best self-development content on LinkedIn

Former accountant.
Future author.

I share actionable, educational, and entertaining self-development content to help my readers live their best lives.

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Colby Kultgen

The scariest part is how normal this feels.

Like we just woke up one day and our entire life existed between three different screens.

If you want to reduce your screen time in 2026, I wrote a step-by-step article on what actually worked for me.

Link in comments.

5 mindset shifts that will change your life in 2026:

1. I can't → I'll learn

Every expert was once a beginner who refused to quit. If you're struggling, it just means you haven't put in enough reps yet.

❌ "I can't do this"
✓ "I'll learn if I stick with it."

———

2. I don't have time → I'm not prioritizing it

Be honest about what matters. If something's truly important, you'll find the time. 

❌ "I don't have time to work out" 
✓ "I'm choosing other things over working out right now."

———

3. I need motivation → I need momentum

Motivation doesn't find you—you create it through action. Motion beats mood every time.


❌ "I just don't feel like it today" 
✓ "If I just start for 5 minutes, I'll probably keep going."

———

4.  I'm quitting → I'm pivoting

Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is climb down the wrong mountain so you can start climbing up the right one.

❌ "I've spent 5 years on this, I can't quit now." 
✓ "I've spent 5 years on this, better to cut my losses now and move toward something I enjoy."

———

5.  I failed → I learned

Failure isn't the opposite of success—it's part of the process. Every setback is data for your next attempt.

❌ "I tried and failed, so I guess I'm not cut out for this" 
✓ "I tried and it didn't work. Now I know what not to do next time."

———

♻️ Repost if these resonate.
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A simple question I use to turn around an “off” day:

What’s the best way I can spend the next 5 minutes?

Yep, that’s usually all it takes.

5 minutes of movement.
5 minutes of writing.
5 minutes of conversation.
5 minutes of something that brings you back to yourself.

When an airplane is off course, a shift of just a few degrees can make the difference between landing in New York or ending up in the middle of the ocean.

Our days work the same way.

Never underestimate the power of 5 good minutes.

♻️ Repost this if it resonated.

Something interesting I've been trying lately:

The “No-Power” Hour.

Every day for the last month, I’ve been setting a 60-minute block where I don’t use any electronic devices (phone, laptop, headphones).

I know this might not sound like much, but consider this:

What’s the longest stretch of time each day (other than sleeping) where you’re not reading, watching, or listening to something on an electronic device?

I don’t know about you, but for me, the answer was “not long”.

We’ve become so used to stimulating ourselves every second of the day, that NOT using a device feels weird.

I’ve decided to fight back.

My challenge to you:
Put at least one “No-Power” Hour in your calendar this week.

♻️ Repost this so others can try too.

Discipline doesn’t need to be difficult.

Here are 5 ways to stay consistent in 2026 (without superhuman willpower):

1️⃣ "Dailyish" Habits
Committing to something “dailyish” keeps you consistent without the guilt of missing a day. It’s flexible, sustainable, and removes the all-or-nothing pressure that leads could lead to burnout.

2️⃣ Shrink the Starting Line
Big goals feel overwhelming. Instead, start with a ridiculously tiny version of the habit: one push-up, one sentence, one minute.

3️⃣ Set "No-Later-Than" Rules
Set buffers instead of rigid deadlines. For example, instead of waking up at exactly 6:00 AM, commit to being up no later than 7:00 AM. Anything earlier is a win.

4️⃣ No "Zero Days"
Even on your worst days, find one small action to move forward. A single page, a quick stretch, or just tidying your workspace keeps the momentum alive.

5️⃣ Design for Bad Days
Don’t build habits for your most motivated self. Build them for the tired, distracted, low-energy version of you. If it only works on “good days,” it won’t last.

How do you plan on staying disciplined in 2026?

———

Shoutout to Oliver Burkeman for tips 1 and 3.
Image credit: No One Cares on Facebook

An exercise everyone should do in 2026:

The Calendar Energy Audit.

We often assume that our biggest limitation is time.

It’s not. 

The real limitation is our energy.

CEO coach Matt Mochary puts it like this:
“We all feel like we have limited time, but that’s not the case. What we really have is LIMITED ENERGY. If we start doing more things that raise our energy, it enables us to do more things in general.”

So where do you start with this?

By removing the activities that drain you.

Here’s how:
1. Review your calendar from a past week, hour by hour.
2. Label each activity GREEN (gave energy) or RED (drained energy).
3. Look for patterns. What consistently shows up as RED?
4. Reschedule, delegate, or eliminate those tasks.

For every RED item, ask yourself three questions:
• Does this need to happen?
• If yes, does it have to be done by me?
• If yes, how can I make it more enjoyable?

You won’t be able to eliminate every RED task (and that’s okay).

But even cutting a few can make a huge difference.

♻️ Repost this if it resonates.

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How to read 50 books in a year (even if you’re busy):

How to read 50 books in a year (even if you’re busy)

7 questions that will define your next decade (a 15-minute exercise you won’t regret):

7 questions that will define your next decade

The goal-setting method used by the best baseball player in the world:

If you don't know who Shohei Ohtani is, he's basically the Michael Jordan of baseball.

The single most dominant two-way player the sport has seen in a century.

When he was a high school freshman in Japan, he created this detailed 64-cell roadmap with one central goal: to be the number 1 draft pick for 8 NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) teams.

And it worked.

If you're wondering, this is called the Harada Method.

Here's a quick breakdown:

1. Choose one clear, meaningful long-term goal and a deadline.
2. Break that main goal into 8 subgoals that cover different areas needed to achieve it.
3. Break each subgoal into 8 specific actions, skills, or habits (filling the 8×8 grid).
4. Turn the most important actions into a small set of daily routines and track them.
5. Review your progress regularly, adjusting subgoals and actions based on what you learn.

This is a pretty intense exercise, which I definitely don't think is for everyone.

But I do think it's an amazing way to break down a big goal into something actually actionable.

I’ve linked a template in the comments if you want to try it.

I’ve spent the better part of the last decade obsessing over productivity.

Not just how to get more done.
But how to get the IMPORTANT things done.

Here's everything I wish I knew 10 years ago summed up in 20 sentences.

Make sure to save them.

♻️ Repost this if it resonated.

I’m 34. 

Last year, I moved to a city where I didn’t know anyone.

I wish I could say that I immediately built a strong social circle, but that’s not true.

The reality is I struggled.

I’m a huge introvert, so socializing doesn’t come naturally to me at all.
And adult friendships don’t “just happen” like they do when we’re young.

The big unlock for me was realizing that building friendships requires the same intentional effort as anything else important in my life.

So that’s what I did.

I got intentional. I put in the reps.
And guess what happened? It worked.

Here’s everything I learned along the way:

How to build (and maintain) friendships as an adult

I love the message here.

It's so easy to get caught in the trap of "I'm too old", or "it's too late".

But here's the reality: Five years from now, you’ll be five years older regardless of what you do with that time.

You may as well spend it becoming the person you want to be.

It reminds me of a story I heard from writer Mark Manson:

"A friend of mine once told me a story about his grandmother. He said that when her husband died, she was 62, and for the first time in her life, she began to take piano lessons. For weeks, she practiced all day, every day. At first, the family thought it was a phase, but months went by and she kept playing.
​
By the time she was in her 90s, she had been playing piano every day for 30 years—longer than most professional musicians have been alive. Everyone who heard her play swore she must have been a concert pianist in her youth. No one believed her when she said she took her first lesson in her sixties."

As we head into 2026, don’t let “too old” or “too late” be the reason you hold yourself back.

12 habits in 12 months to change your life forever.

My friend Justin Wright put together this useful cheat sheet of 12 daily habits with massive ROI.

My challenge to you:
Pick one habit per month for the next year.

Master it before moving to the next.

By December 2026, you'll have 12 life-changing habits on autopilot.

♻️ Repost to share with your network.
➕ Follow me (Colby Kultgen) for daily self-improvement content

I’m 34.

Here are 7 career “cheat codes” I wish I learned sooner:

7 career cheat codes I wish I knew sooner

Don't set SMART goals in 2024.

Set SMARTER goals...

We've all heard it before, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, etc.

But I've always thought something was missing from this framework.

Actually, a couple things:
1. Making goals easy to start immediately(most people get stuck here).
2. Encouraging regular reflection and adjustment of goals.

Thus, SMARTER goals were born:

Specific: Clear and well-defined.
Measurable: Quantifiable or assessable.
Achievable: Realistically attainable.
Relevant: Aligned with broader objectives.
Time-bound: Has a defined timeline.
Easy to start: Simple to initiate or begin.
Reflective: Encourages regular reflection.

Try them out.
Let me know what you think.

———

♻️ If you enjoyed this, repost it to your network and follow me (Colby Kultgen) for more content like this.

7 cheat codes to remember (almost) everything you learn.

Save this and send it to your study/work buddy!

7 cheat codes to remember (almost) everything you learn

In a perfect world, we'd be off our phones completely.

Probably skipping through a meadow somewhere.

Sadly, we don't live in a perfect world.

So I figured if you're going to be on your phone, you might as well be doing something that actually adds to your life.

Save this and repost it if you got some value.

8 Apps to Grow Your Brain Instead of Rotting It:

Avoid these time management mistakes in 2026.

Save this and repost if it resonated!

5 brutal time management mistakes stealing your life

How to improve any relationship in your life in 2026.

Take out your phone and send this text message:

“How can I be a better [friend / partner / son / etc.] to you?”

When I first heard this idea, I knew I had to try it immediately.

To be honest, I was pretty nervous.

Sending a message like this requires a lot of vulnerability.

But the responses I received were amazing.

They gave me specific and practical ways to show up better in the lives of the people I care about most.

This is the kind of question we should feel comfortable asking but rarely do.

Instead, we go through life assuming we know how others feel.

What they need.
What they expect.
How they want us to show up.

But the truth is: most of us don’t have a clue.

Asking is how we learn.

Try this out.

You might be surprised by what they share and how much they appreciate that you cared enough to ask.

January 16th was National Quitter's Day.

Yep, by the second Friday of January, roughly 80% of people will have already given up on their New Year's resolutions.

Which makes today the perfect day to recommit.

Save this and send it to someone who needs it.

How to actually start doing something (and stick with it)

Liam Curley

I help consulting firms articulate what they excel at (visually)

I help three types of experts sharpen their positioning and lead their niche by developing, packaging, and publishing unique insights.

Learn more here - https://www.liamcurley.co.uk/about

Founder

I translate complex services and knowledge into a simple message your prospects can understand, which means your B2B earns more inbound leads and closes more sales.

How does an invisible expert become an undisputed authority?

For 10 years, Carl Richards wrote The Sketch Guy column for the New York Times. He built a bestselling book, a thriving advisory practice, and became peers with people like Seth Godin and Dan Heath. 

All through minimalist visuals that simplified complex financial concepts. 

But Carl wasn't a doodler. He had no art background. 

So how did a financial advisor with no artistic ability become The Sketch Guy? 

That's the story I'm telling in Episode 1 of my new podcast: Undisputed Authority. 

Each episode tells the story of how one expert became THE voice in their field. 

This isn't your standard interview-style podcast. 

It's a narrative built from deep research – I read Carl's books and articles, his keynotes, and listened to his podcasts to find the threads.

Then I had a conversation with Carl Richards to fill in the gaps. 

I'm gathering strategies and patterns you can apply to your expertise-driven business. 

Episode available now on all podcast apps (search Undisputed Authority)

I help consultants uncover, document, and publish their expertise.

Nancy and Mark Duarte had no formal business training, no design training, and no public presenting experience.

And yet together, they built the world’s leading firm specialising in strategic communication – Duarte Inc.

They started their business from their apartment in 1988.

Today, Nancy is THE undisputed authority on storytelling and presentations. Her TED talk has 3.7 million views, her books changed how the world thinks about communication, and Duarte Inc. employs over 140 people.

How did she achieve all this?

She followed a principle best articulated by Cal Newport: focus on the one thing that moves the needle, not the many that nudge it.

That's the story I'm telling in Episode 4 of Undisputed Authority.

Episode available now on all podcast apps (search Undisputed Authority).

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