Ep. 79 The January Reset Is a Lie: New Year’s Resolutions & Doing 2026 Differently | Keira Brinton

It’s the first episode of 2026, and we’re flipping New Year’s resolutions on their head. I’m joined by my best friend (and the woman who helped bring this podcast to life), Keira Brinton, on the pod today, where we talk about WHY January pressures set so many of us up to fail!! In this conversation, Keira and I talk about how to start this year in a way that actually matches real life, real energy, and real healing. We go deep on integrity, self-trust, cycles (in nature + in your body), and the mindset shifts that turn “starting over” into steady momentum.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why “New Year, New You” hits hardest in the coldest, darkest season—and why that matters
• The idea that a 500-year-old calendar system isn’t a good blueprint for motivation (Gregorian calendar history: https://encyclopediavirginia.org/entr...)
• Why most people quit early—and how to stop making that mean something about you.
• The real foundation: integrity with yourself (and why overcommitting breaks self-trust)
• “Your pace is allowed to be your pace”—and how cycles apply to reinvention
• A mindset experiment that shows how your brain “fills in the gaps” based on what you focus on
• Prayer/gratitude as a frequency shift (moving from “please help me” to “thank you, it’s already here”)
• The rules that shaped my life (Bob Parsons’ “16 Rules”: https://bobparsons.com/16-rules/?utm_...) and the ones that still guide me today
• The line I swear by: a good plan executed today beats a perfect plan that never happens

Gentle content note: This episode includes discussion of suicidal ideation and mental health struggles.

What to do after listening (simple action steps):

• Instead of a January overhaul, choose one tiny “Kaizen” move you can repeat daily. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen?...)
• Write your version of: “Thank you for…” (safety, health, support, strength)—and sit in it for 60 seconds.
• Pick ONE decision you’ve been dragging out and execute a “good plan” today.

What’s coming next: Keira is back for Episode 80, and we’re continuing the rest of the 16 Rules (plus some real-life stories that usually stay in our voice memos).

Here are the key moments from the episode:
00:00 Why This New Year Needed a Different Conversation
02:05 The Origin Story of Heidi’s Lane—and the Woman Who Helped Start It
06:12 From $1,500 to Millions After Divorce
06:45 “Lonely at the Top”—What Success Doesn’t Protect You From
10:55 A Raw Conversation About Mental Health, Darkness, and Being Seen
14:01 The Night Everything Almost Ended
18:12 What Actually Saved Her Life
17:40 Quitter’s Day & Why January Sets Us Up to Fail
21:55 The Calendar Wasn’t Built for Human Energy
24:45 Winter Is for Rest—Not Reinvention
34:10 Why Your Body Resists January “Fresh Starts”
38:06 How Cycles Create Real Change
29:40 You Are Literally Not the Same Person You Were Years Ago
34:35 Letting Your Ex (and Yourself) Be New
37:55 The Mindset Experiment That Proves Focus Shapes Reality
40:45 Why Gratitude Changes What You Attract
45:30 The Rules That Quietly Shaped My Life
49:05 Comfort Zones, Perseverance & Being 10 Feet from Gold
54:07 Integrity, Self-Trust, and Lasting Change
55:10 Small Daily Improvements That Actually Stick
59:20 A Good Plan Executed Today Beats a Perfect Plan Someday
1:04:40 How to Do 2026 Differently—Without Burning Out

Connect with Heidi:
Website: https://heidipowell.net/
Email: podcast@heidipowell.net
Instagram: @realheidipowell
Facebook: Heidi Powell
YouTube: @RealHeidiPowell
Train with Heidi on her Show Up App: https://www.showupfit.app/

Connect with Keira Brinton:
Website: https://www.keirabrinton.com/
Instagram: @keirabrinton

About Keira Brinton:
Keira Brinton is the CEO & Founder of JOA Publishing, host of the Sacred Wandering podcast, 7x author, and creator of the internationally known Book Activator method. She is “The People’s Publisher,” helping visionaries channel, write, and launch the books they were born to lead with. Through her retreats, webinars, TV show Writer’s Island, and her publishing house, Keira has activated thousands of authors into their life’s work. She blends strategy and spirit, business and devotion, and is known for making the impossible feel inevitable.