Hickory Algorithm
One Big Goal for 2026
My Formula to Plan Better in 2026
by: Chris Goldby ∣ Hickory Algorithm
Such a great time to look back on your goals for 2025. To see where you fell short and where you excelled.
I find that most of the time your journey took to a place that made you pivot and go down another avenue. My goals for 2025 were clear - growth on social media.
Growth on Substack (the newsletter you are reading).
Growth on YouTube.
Growth on Facebook.
Growth on Instagram.
More content. More content. More numbers. That was the theme for 2025.
I fell short of my growth numbers.
Fell short of my goal for 2025.
Because I was undisciplined? No.
A New job? No.
Is 2025 a disappointment?
Hardly.
In the summer of 2025, I looked internally.
“There was a shift.”
In the writing. In the mindset.
That is a line multiple people have told me when talking about the Hickory Algorithm.
They were right.
I decided to leave my comfort zone, walk my ass back into a classroom after 20 years, and to be more hyper focused on the skills I want to sharpen.
This newsletter turned into more self help - for myself. Instead of the algorithm being the focus on Hickory as a city and the things happening in it but to focus on…
ME, in the city of Hickory. And how Hickory shapes MY personal Algorithm - me as individual in Hickory.
I say 2026 but I mean, right now. I want to be a week into 2026 before I begin it.
I am going to be intentional with the rooms I walk into.
The things I create.
To NOT look at the numbers and look for outside influencing to dictate if things are “good” or “bad.”
Just do the work that you are proud of.
Work on the relationships not the follower count.
Work on helping those relationships, to be successful.
Work on the things I want to work on.
Just do the work that you are proud of.
How does that go into planning for the new year?
Well pretty deeply actually.
I had to chisel back the layers in my mind to mine the minerals and surround myself with people that have the same #fortheloveofthegame that I do.
Our Members Only Group had a 5 year plan meeting with the members for our monthly meeting. Instead of talking about business and important dates on our calendar we dove into personal goals.
Layer by layer we peeled back our insecurities. We talked about hard things like parenting ideals that each person wants to work on individually, mental blocks, better workout routines and hurdles we have to overcome ourselves.
Ourselves. Our inner battles.
Really heavy stuff.
So what now?
Somewhere between looking at the missed goals from 2025 and talking about 5 year goals…
I needed to shift my every day focus not just my goals.
Every one plans their day and thats what I thought I was going to do better. Plan my days better.
I started writing down blocks of time and how I would use them.
Things I’ve done in the past.
Just didn’t feel like that was the way to go.
I needed a complete overhaul if I was serious next year. I can’t do the same thing and expect different results. Isn’t that an insanity saying of some kind?
I wanted to eat better, work out more, and get bigger accounts.
I sat down and planned out my meals, my week, the times to make calls, meetings, and how wonderful it will all go.
Life ain’t that.
It never goes as planned.
We all talk about blocking time for things but, what if we took an even further back look at our schedule.
Now, my day planning looks something like this.
I feel like I’m onto something and it’s so simple! Hear me out.
My days don’t start at midnight - Monday isn’t midnight to midnight.
I am planning my schedule with my days starting at 7pm the night before.
That still wasn’t going to keep me disciplined. I needed an immovable object in there. I
Now, this is nothing earth shattering but, where I feel the sweet spot for me is the third thing on my todo list will always be…
Sleep.
Being more fluid with scheduling is how I want to start the year too.
Yes, there are things that can be micromanaged and large chunks of things that can planned and implemented.
This formula helps me in multiple ways.
1. Sleep is the 3rd thing I do. A cenotaph riding with me for keeping my day beginning the night before.
2. This keeps large chunks of my schedule open that will be filled depending on the day.
3. This keeps me more consistent writing down every day goals and to do lists. When the day begins the night before with two things I want to MAKE SURE I do before bed. No matter how silly or trivial it may seem.
I have personal, financial, and vocational goals for 2026 but, I need something for it to bleed together and make it a system.
Sleep,
Is the third thing we do on the to do list each day.
This is the foundation I build on every day.
Now.
We have living to do.
💪
#fortheloveofthegame
Last Week:
The Hickory Algorithm
Chris Goldby is a writer, marketer, and multimedia storyteller based in Hickory, North Carolina. He owns The Hickory Algorithm, a multichannel marketing agency, serves as an Account Representative at WHKY TalkRadio, and is a contributing writer and Head of Documentary/Docuseries with Akula Literary Partners.
CONTACT ME:
chris@hickoryalgorithm.com
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I'm nearly 73 years old. I've been in Toastmasters for over 30 years. Just about every meeting has a "word of the day" to try to enlarge our vocabulary. I've got 2 degrees. Yet I truly believe this is the first I've ever seen, or heard, the word "cenotaph."
I had to look it up.
Guess what the word of the day will be the next time it's my turn.
2026 here we come.