I’m not a big one for goal setting.

But in January, I made a few 2026 plans for this newsletter and my coaching. Plans I then announced in a daily email as a way to hold my feet to the fire.

So how am I getting on?

With May a couple of days away, let’s see:

*** Keep sending my “week-daily” emails: I don’t know why I put this on the list to be honest. I’ve been writing my newsletter for four years now. With the exception of a holiday here and a hangover there, I’ve written pretty much every weekday. Long may this continue

*** Add 2,000 readers to my newsletter: In the first two months of the year I added a grand total of diddly squat new subscribers. But in the last two months, that’s changed. My new lead magnet (How to Work Your Way) is going great guns and I’ve welcomed 488 new readers to my newsletter since then (hi there!). So nicely on track to hit 2,000 by the end of the year and maybe even sooner

*** Publish my book Don’t Quit Your Job: Oh my goodness, where to begin. Long time readers will be tearing their hair out at my occasional updates along the lines of “we’re almost there!”. I mean, we ARE almost there. But the latest twist in the saga is the email I sent a couple of weeks ago with the three final book covers (thank you to everyone who voted), only for one thoughtful reader to give me a bit of tough love and tell me not just what was wrong with the three covers but what I should do instead. And I have to say… I kind of agree. My dilemma? Choosing between a cover which doesn’t look “pretty” yet which will absolutely stop the scrolls on Amazon (and thus sell books) vs a slicker, more understated cover that’s true to the book's content. So right now, that’s my quandary. Onward:

*** Create a new info product: I’m really excited about this. I’ve taken an insight which has had a HUGE impact on my working life. Then I’ve gone deep into the insight, unpacking it, sharing examples and ultimately exploring all the ways this insight has led to a much greater sense of freedom at work. Hence the title of this product, Freedom At Work. Next step is to find a few beta-testers before I launch. More to come on this one soon

*** Complete my Executive Leadership Coaching Apprenticeship: I’m about 100 hours down, 250 odd hours to go. Less hare, more tortoise. And that suits me just fine

*** Running more Mindset & Clarity Workshop for my banking colleagues. I ran a new workshop a couple of weeks ago. Other than that, I’ve deliberately toned this one down to make space for the 350 hours of coaching and learning I need to do for my apprenticeship

*** Taking my Mindset & Clarity workshops on the road. Over the last 24 months, I’ve run 50+ of these workshops for my esteemed banking colleagues. We’ve covered topics like stress, pressure, work/life balance, resilience, overthinking, listening and how to get a good night’s sleep.

One colleague posted this on LinkedIn after a workshop:

“Tom’s thought leadership and raw personal storytelling hit home in the best way – authentic, uplifting and packed with practical wisdom. I left feeling not just inspired, but equipped. So many reflections I can actually action, starting now”

Which is great to see, but I want to branch out of the banking bubble with these workshops now.

With that in mind:

Are you part of a team or community who’d like to perform better without constantly grinding harder?

If so, hit reply and let’s chat.

To fulfilment,

Tom