Calling BS on Your Best Year Yet

It’s 2026, and Nicky is kicking things off with a truth bomb. That whole “best year yet” mantra? It’s tired. In this episode, she calls BS on the hype, the unrealistic expectations, and the pressure that rides in on the New Year’s resolution wave.

If you’re craving something deeper than empty motivation and big energy pushes that fizzle out by February, this one’s for you.

In this episode, you’ll explore:

• Why “new year, new me” is more marketing than meaning
• The difference between sustainable change and sugar-hit hype
• How to tap into your own rhythm, whether you need to push or pause
• A practical two-part approach Nicky uses with her clients (and herself) to set up the year: Vision Planning and Commercial Clarity
• Why choosing a word for the year can be more powerful than a list of resolutions

This episode is your permission slip to stop buying into the pressure and start creating a business and life that feels aligned, achievable and sustainable.

Forget best year yet. Build your most intentional year yet.

Check out this pod ep to go deeper into connection with vision. What Smart Growth Really Means (and Why Now Is the Time to Course Correct) 

Learn more about Nicky at nickymiklos.com

Grab The Growth Code™ here!

Get your a copy of Healthy Hustle: The New Blueprint to Thrive in Business & Life at www.healthyhustle.com.au

Connect: LinkedIn | Instagram

Contact: 0403 191 404 | hello@nickymiklos.com

Music by Jules Miklos-Woodley

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:06

Hello, beautiful human, and welcome to the first episode for 2026. We made it. We are here in the new year, and I want to start this conversation with really calling BS on the best year yet mantra, narrative, story that is being thrown at us at every single angle. Now, a few years ago, I absolutely was on the bandwagon of best year yet, new year, new me. But the problem is it's become too much. It's become more of a spill than something that's actually meaningful and that will help you get or help me, help all of us get long-term sustainable success. It kind of reminds me of uh, you know, there's that show in Australia, probably all over the world, Master Chef. I actually don't really even watch that show. I know, I know a lot of you out there do and love it. Um, but when I see the ads on television, seriously, every single year, they are really pushing best season yet, best season ever. And I'm like, mate, you said that last year and you said that the year before, and the year before, and the year before. It kind of gives those vibes. It's like it's become a marketing push. It's become something that is just what we say, but what is the actual meaning behind it? What is gonna make it our best year yet? Is that even factually accurate, possible, right? And that's what I want to explore a little bit today, because I'm all for optimism. If you know me, you'll know I'm quite an optimistic person. And I think that that's really great. But we also need a healthy dose of realism because again, this is about long-term sustainable success, not this falling into the trap of New Year's resolutions. So, first of all, I think we need to understand, well, have our eyes wide open and realize that this is actually a huge marketing ploy that is being pushed out at us, at us, whether it's the television shows that we're watching or what we're signing up for, what we're investing in, what we're paying for, what we're looking at and investing not just money, but time, you know, like if we think about Doom scrolling, we're investing our time when we're on our socials, when we're putting our attention anywhere, we're investing energy around that. So it is about investment of time, money, as well as energy, attention, effort. And let's just pause for a second and be really deliberate about what we're investing in. Because the danger of best year yet or new year, new me is that it turns into something where we put a heck of a lot of pressure on ourselves. It turns into something that's maybe meaningful for others, but is it really meaningful for ourselves? Because the reality is every year, every month, every day even, every week, we will face adversity and challenge. We will face triumphs and tribulations, some of them on a grander scale throughout the year. Some of them will be micro challenges throughout the day and micro-triumps. But the reality is that we are going to face these things. And I think the danger is that when we start saying best year yet, we forget to overlook that this year will still bring with it challenges and ups as well as downs. And so, how can we start a new phase? Whether it that's you choose for the new calendar year to be that phase, for some people, it might be the new financial year, it might be a new month, it might be a new quarter. Remember, every opportunity, um, there's always an opportunity to reset. It doesn't have to be when the society, the market tells us to. Um, for some people this time of year, let's keep going. Let's create consistency as opposed to a big push. And certainly big pushes are needed at different times. But I guess what I want to challenge here is what is it that you need right now? Do you need this big energy to push through? Great. Awesome. Then go for that. Do you need actually some quiet calibration and to transition quietly, seamlessly, smoothly? Do you need some inward reflection or do you need to expand outward and connect with more? And so again, when we got caught up in the narrative, the hype, I suppose, then it becomes about something else. And it also can be fraught with expectation and pressure. Now, of course, I'm big on setting intentions, setting goals. And I'm going to share with you what I do and what I work with my clients on instead of getting caught up in the news resolution or the new year, new me hype. Okay. Um, because we still want clarity of direction. We still want to have an anchor to come back to. But I just wanted to do a sense check to check with you, check in with yourself. Am I getting caught up in this hype? Uh and therefore, is it creating pressure? Is it creating um, you know, unrealistic expectations? Now, maybe you need that hype to get you going. Sweet, ride that wave, baby. And if you implement what we talk about today or what I talk about today, then that's going to give you the long-term sustainable success. Because interestingly, um, when I look at actually, you know, this is season four of Smart Business Growth Podcasts, the first three seasons I recorded with Ness. Um, and last year, Ness and I recorded a podcast episode that is our number one of all time most listened to episode that is called uh beep news resolutions. I was like, how do I pronounce that with the apostrophe? Beep news resolutions. Um, and here's what to do instead. Now, super interesting to me that that's our most listened to podcast episode because that tells me that actually what we want is almost to be left off the hook or we want a different way. And that doesn't surprise me because statistically, uh, news resolutions don't work. You know, when I did the research last year, 70, 74% of Aussies set news resolutions, yet only 8% will fulfill their news resolution. So 74% are actually setting goals and news resolutions, but only 8% are fulfilling them. And the 12th of January, which is already past now, is the date that most people break their new years resolution. So it's no wonder there is a yearning for a different, better way. And also it's no wonder that we get caught up in this hype. It's just that the hype gets a bit old after a few years. So what do we want to do instead? Because it's not that we don't want to focus on anything. But I think first thing is check in what do I need? Like I said, is it big energy? Is it momentum? Or is it the quiet, small steps? Now, when we think about motivators, there's two types of motivators that we as human beings have. One is we're moving towards pleasure, and that tends to be more of a quiet, solid, small step-by-step motivator. The other is to move away from pain. Now, moving away from pain is like a rocket up your butt. It is the pain is so bad now, I need to, you know, boom, do something. Let's get out there and get it done. That can be amazing for bursts of energy, but it's not sustainable for the long term. So that's often what happens when we caught up in get caught up in this hype at this time of year. It's because, you know, maybe we've eaten too much, we've drunk too much, we've been not been exercising as much. We're like, oh, I feel gross. I need to set some health goals, which are the number one types of goals that are set or news resolutions that are set. Uh so yeah, great, because it's that initial boost. And then we need to tap into move towards pleasure for the small consistent steps to make it last. If we rely on motivation, motivation is fickle, it won't work. Um, you know, for the long term, that's reality. Again, Atomic Habits by James Clear is an excellent book to read about setting those small, sustainable habits. So, you know, why do we buy into this hype at this time of year? Because we do want to do things differently. We do want to create change, we do want to be a better version of ourselves. You know, we are sick of these patterns that are repeating and holding us back. We want to create change maybe in how we work or how we live or how we play. And so the intention behind it is spot on. And let's stay connected to that intention. Because when we can do this in a way that we have anchors and focus, we remove the pressure, we're actually giving ourselves more of a chance to be successful. So, a couple of things that I do and I do with my clients, I break it down into two key areas. The first one I call vision planning. Actually, I've got a workbook on this. Those of you that are watching, um, I'm happy to do a version, you know, if anyone wants a version, I'm happy to flick it through to you. Just send me a DM or email or text, whatever you want. You've got my contact details. So, vision planning. The first part around this is reconnect with, re-evaluate. You might need to redo your vision, your mission, and your purpose and your values. So, vision, mission, purpose from a business point of view, and then your values from a business point of view and from a personal point of view. And I also encourage you to think about what's my vision, what's my purpose personally? So you want to do them both, business and personal. Now I recorded a podcast episode, it was actually the first one of this season, which is called What Smart Growth Really Means and Why Now Is the Time to Course Correct. That's a long title, but I'm gonna pop the link in here for you to check out because I talk a bit more about the importance of your business, your career is a vehicle for you to create and to meet your purpose and vision in life. Um so if you want to go deeper, if you're like, oh, I haven't done that for a while, then I'll share that podcast with you. Now, if you've got your vision, mission, purpose, and values already locked and loaded for the business, amazing. Check in with it because it can change. This year for me, I did a lot of rework around that. You know, I did some work with a client late last year who's been in business over 20 years and we reworked her vision. So for the business. Um, so you know, just because you have it in place doesn't mean you don't do a check-in because we're constantly evolving and changing. And for some of you, it might be a slight tweak, it might just be the confidence that it's the right thing, or you might throw it out and start again. So for me this year, I completely revamped my values because of, as you know, the business has changed so much over the last four years. So now I'm really anchored to my vision of, you know, creating or being in a world where results and happy humans go hand in hand. My values, I've simplified it to three. It's about commercial impact to get results for clients. It's about intentional energy so that there's optimal results through healthy, happy humans within the business. And it's about smart growth. So, you know, it's not about short-term transactional success. It's about how do we build businesses for the long term. So I'm really clear now on my three core values around impact, commercial impact, around smart growth, growth, and energy, intentional energy. Um, I could go into more detail about the mission, the purpose, but I'll leave it there. I think you get, I think you get the picture. Now, the other thing I do within vision planning, there's a whole bunch of other stuff, but I'm just pulling out the key non-negotiables is really look at what is your word for the year. Now, some of you might think, oh, that's a bit wee-woo or a bit fluffy. Um, I'm telling you right now, be careful what you choose for your word, because if you really have your word as a anchor in your ear, in your ear, in your ear and in your ear, then it will absolutely help you stay on the right path. And, you know, I talk a lot about clarity of direction. We need clarity of direction to embrace uh beautiful chaos instead of destructive chaos. Destructive chaos is what leads to uh overwhelm, exhaustion, negative stress, which leads to burnout or addiction to work. Whereas beautiful chaos, we are going to have chaotic times. That's the reality in our careers and in our businesses. But when we have that clarity of direction, we can embrace the chaos in a very different way. And so this vision planning values, vision, mission, purpose for business, for work, uh, for personal, as well as your word of the year, they are what help you, along with some other pieces, really have that clarity of direction. So I love having a theme or a word for the year. It's a practice I've done for I don't even know how many years. Um and I do this with my clients as well. So again, we you might think it's a bit fluffy woo-woo if you haven't done it before, but it's really impactful. My word for this year is or, A-W-E. And it's a it's a bit of a double meaning because, first of all, it is all about or living in a state of ore. Um, but it's also about abundance with ease. So it's an acronym. I was very pleased when this came to me in my journaling. I was like, oh my goodness. Um, because I started with abundance. That was my word for the year. Last year it was evolution, and boy, did I go on an evolution in business personally. Um, and this year it's about abundance, but I want to have abundance with ease, with grace, with calm. Uh, and I'm slightly obsessed with uh finding ways to be in awe in this amazing, one precious life that we have. And so, yes, I was very excited when that came to me with the double uh double meaning. So you can have fun with it. Your word can be anything you want it to be, as long as it's meaningful for you. A quick interruption to this podcast episode. I'm really curious, do you want to close more sales in less time? If the answer is yes, which I hope that it is, then you need to get your hands on the growth code. It is going to give you three proven frameworks and tools that will help future-proof your business and scale with clarity. All you have to do is head down to the show notes and click the link below. Now, I just want to read from you, Ariana Huffington is an incredible businesswoman, um, founder of Huffington Post. She's written amazing books. You've probably heard me talk about her before. She has an incredible uh monthly, I think, newsletter that she shares on LinkedIn and email. And she just, it's amazing. You put the word out there, and then you'll have uh different bits of information and reminders come to you from all different angles. And she said in her recent newsletter, our capacity for wonder and awe is what help helps us keep perspective, feel gratitude, and connect with something larger than ourselves. It's like the pilot light for our souls and needs to always stay lit. I love that, like the pilot light for our souls. She goes on to share a quote that our goal should be to live life in radical amazement. Get up in the morning and look at the world in a way that takes nothing for granted. Everything is phenomenal, everything is incredible. Never treat life casually. To be spiritual is to be amazed. What a way to live, right? And again, I go, she didn't know that my word was awe. She didn't know. One of my favorite books is Um Phosphorescence by Julia Baird, which is all about this um living in awe and finding ways to. And so when you get clear on your anchor your word for the ear, it's like the world around you will start to support that. Now, from a neurological point of view, a psychology point of view, we have a reticular activation system in our brain, a RAS. And that RAS is like a honing beacon. Again, this is why if somebody you know is pregnant, all of a sudden you see pregnant people everywhere or women everywhere. When I always shared a story in my book about the first time I bought a red Mini Cooper, I was very excited. It was my first Mini Cooper and it was red. And uh all of a sudden I saw mini red Mini Coopers everywhere. I'm like, what? I was the first. It's not that there are more pregnant women, it's not that there are more minis on the road or red minis, it's just that our reticular activation system, our RAS, the honing beacon in our brain has gone, oh, that's important to me. I'm gonna start showing it to you and presenting it when it's around in your orbit, because our brain cannot take in all the information around us. So again, when you get really clear on things like your vision, mission values, the ideal clients you want to get in, we'll talk about that in a minute, your anchor or abundance with ease, where everything is set up to help us move towards that clarity of direction. So, you know, that's just a really simple example that then in a newsletter, Ariane is talking about or an amazement. I'm like, what? That's awesome. So really think about what your word could be. Because it's in these turbulent times, it's in these challenges, it's in the ups and downs of the year that these tools are gonna help you. Uh, I would be remiss if I also didn't share an excerpt from just a short one from Julia Baird's book, Phosphorescence, which I highly recommend as a great read. I'm gonna read it again this year. Uh, we must look outwards and upwards at all times, seeking wonder and stalking awe. Every day to find the magic that will sustain us and fuel the light within. So, what is that magic that will sustain you and fuel the light within? And again, remember if you're not resonating with some of these words, nothing has meaning except the meaning we give it. So every day to find the magic, every day to find the tools, the resources, the sustenance, the energy that will fuel the light within, that will connect with your purpose and help you keep going in the tough times. Now, can you see already by even just focusing on these things that I've mentioned, that all of a sudden we're not getting swept up in a hype. Sure, if we're consciously choosing to do that, to create that momentum, to create that um motivation short term to get us going, go for it. But it's this stuff that is the deep connection that will keep you going throughout the year, even when it's the tough, the good, the up, the down, all of that. Now, the second key area, so that's all a part of vision planning. It's stepping into almost a daydreaming, big picture, ideating, what do I want that to look like and how can I bring that to the world? We then want to anchor that with commercial clarity. So for me, um, this is a big part of the work I do every day in other people's businesses and also my own. I have a smart growth playbook that I do every year. Um, but this also aligns with uh if you have the book Healthy Hustle, um and you can grab a copy if you don't, or um any other tool that you have around business planning. So are you clear on your targets? Are you clear on your markers of success? So in our world, business planning is very much around what are my 12-month weeks, what are my 90-day goals and milestones that I want to achieve? So make sure commercial clarity, number one, you're clear on your targets, you're clear on what your markers of success are for the year and for the first quarter. Also, part two of that, do you have a sales strategy in place? Are you actually aware of what is the culture, sales culture in the business? Do you have operating rhythms around sales specifically if you're looking at growth and maintaining existing new clients, that kind of thing? Um, are you clear on what activity is expected of anybody that's responsible for sales within the business? Are you clear on lead nurture strategies? So for hot, warm, cold. Now I've got some resources in the growth code which Which we've got some information in this podcast episode that you can actually download to help you with your sales strategy. Just some of the key starting points. And then you want to make sure that that's there, there's some goals that are set out. Okay. So you've got your targets, you've got your markers of success, you've got your sales strategy in place, and bonus points within our uh POP or our plan on a page process, we always look at what are personal goals as well as business goals. Um, now I realized this year that my personal goals last year actually got really blended with business. Like Nikki, you talk about this all the time. How did this happen? And it just goes to show that it can happen, even to the people, you know, I'm talking about this daily and it's still the lines got blurred. So this is my reminder to you to make sure you check in. I now have really clear separate personal goals and really clear separate business goals. Now, if any of this has struck a chord with you and you're not sure where to start, whether it's your vision, mission, purpose, your values as a team, for leaders in the group, whether it's for yourself as an individual or the sales strategy, the commercial clarity side of things. I actually do run VIP days for business owners or leadership teams where we really nut this out stuff out just in a half day or a full day. So if that's something you just want some more information on, shoot me a quick text or email, details in the show note, and I'll give you some info. But even if you don't do it with me, make sure you do it, is the big message I want to get across here. So forget best year yet. Please, let's call BS on it. Let's not get swept up in the hype. What if instead the norm became we back ourselves, we back our team, not to be perfect, but to be present enough to identify what do we need in this moment? There is a level of exhaustion or fatigue that I'm saying in the conversations that I'm having, that it always has to be such big, big, big, big energy. And it just really, really doesn't. Sometimes that's what we need, sometimes it's not. So instead of having to tick a box or getting caught up in that hype, really want you to check in with yourself. How do I need to approach this as we enter the new year? And you've got your checklist of places to get started with vision planning, commercial clarity. If you end up doing a word for the year, reach out and let me know. I always love hearing what people's uh words are for the year as that anchor. Have some fun with it. Take it lightly because then you will actually get better, more long term results. So you don't need hype, you need clarity, and you absolutely have got this. I'll see you next week.