New Year, New You: Your 2026 Performance Playbook
I’ve been fortunate enough to collaborate with and advise some of the world’s most prominent business leaders—from self-made billionaire entrepreneurs to the wealthiest families running global enterprises and Fortune 500 CEOs. And if there’s one universal truth I’ve learned, it’s this: top performers don’t rely on luck. Luck, if it exists at all in their world, is simply opportunity meeting preparation.
What I teach my billionaire clients—and what I want to share with you—is that preparing for the new year on a personal level is just as critical as any corporate strategic planning session. You see, no matter whether you’re a world-class athlete, a Fortune 500 CEO, the head of a billion-dollar family business or just someone committed to being the best version of yourself, the one thing you have full control over is your own performance.
In this article, I’m going to walk you through exactly how to do that for 2026. We’ll talk about analyzing your past performance, setting yourself up for new heights and understanding that the real fulfillment comes not just from hitting new profit levels or acquiring material gains—those are just icing on the cake—but from knowing you’ve pushed your personal boundaries further than you ever thought possible. That’s the thrill all top performers chase, and that’s what we’re going to help you achieve this coming year.
Your AI board member: A personal performance sounding board
As we step into 2026, one of the most powerful tools you can add to your personal arsenal is treating an artificial intelligence (AI) language model like a silent, trusted advisor. Think of it as an additional board member dedicated solely to your personal growth. You choose whichever AI you’re comfortable with—be it ChatGPT, Claude, Grok or another model. The key is to ensure your settings are private and secure, so your conversations remain confidential. If needed, upgrade to a version that offers these privacy features and have your tech team help you set it up.
Once you have your AI in place, treat it like a conversational partner. Feed it as much personal and professional context as you feel comfortable with. Let it learn your goals, your challenges and where you want to go. It doesn’t have to be perfect from day one—you can add details over time. The idea is to create a sounding board that can help you reflect, brainstorm and offer a second opinion.
Of course, a crucial caveat: an AI is just that—an additional opinion. It’s not infallible, and it’s not a replacement for human expertise. It can hallucinate, get things wrong or miss nuances that an experienced human advisor would catch. So, use it as a tool to enhance your thinking, not as a definitive guide.
In essence, by making AI your personal performance enhancer, you gain a private, always-available thought partner. It can help you spot blind spots, consider new angles and keep you on track. But always remember: the real magic lies in your own judgment and the thrill of pushing your own boundaries.
The magical question: How do I perform best?
There’s a single question that I’ve seen transform the lives of the world’s top performers—self-made billionaire entrepreneurs, world-record-setting athletes and bestselling authors who’ve sold tens of millions of books. It’s a question they ask themselves every day, and it’s deceptively simple: “How do I perform best?”
This mantra isn’t just a morning affirmation; it’s a mindset shift. When you train yourself to start each day by asking how you can perform at your peak, you begin to notice opportunities for improvement in everything you do. I’ve worked with these high achievers who sometimes lost sight of that question and needed a reminder to get back to it.
Whether they were billionaire entrepreneurs who climbed from poverty to building empires or world-class athletes who broke dozens of records, the pattern was the same. They were always hungry to find even the smallest tweaks that could give them an edge—not just over competitors but over their own previous best.
In other words, the real thrill for these top performers isn’t just in the final outcomes or material gains—it’s in the joy of pushing their own boundaries. The more you focus on how you perform best rather than on specific outcomes, the higher your overall performance will climb.
So, make it your ritual. Each morning, ask yourself that magical question. Let it guide your subconscious and your conscious mind throughout the day. It will become your yardstick for continuous improvement in every area of life, from business decisions and negotiations to personal interactions and strategic thinking. It’s all about that mindset of constant, incremental growth.
Fifteen minutes to find your performance gems
As you step into your “New Year, New You” journey, carve out just 15 minutes to reflect on your top three performances from the past year. Remember, we’re not just talking about successes where everything turned out perfectly. We’re talking about those moments where you know you brought your absolute best, even if the outcome wasn’t a gold medal.
For instance, in my own experience this past year, I had a long-standing client who had already seen great success with our consulting. We were discussing a new performance program—one that would elevate his company’s KPIs and unlock hidden growth. At first, he didn’t see the need. He had multiple objections, and it took a careful, patient conversation—putting myself in his shoes and addressing each concern—to guide him from a firm “no”; to a full “yes.” Ultimately, he signed up, and it became one of the most profitable decisions for his business. But what I was most proud of was not just the deal—it was the performance in that challenging conversation, the way I navigated his objections and led him to see the value.
So when you do this exercise, ask yourself: “What did I do differently in those standout moments? What made my performance shine, regardless of the final outcome?” Whether it was a negotiation, a board meeting or resolving a conflict, identify those performance gems. And remember: these insights only become truly valuable if you turn them into a performance checklist for the year ahead—which is exactly what we’ll do next.
Checklists: Your ultimate tool for personal best performance
Think about a seasoned pilot who’s flown thousands of times. Before every takeoff, that pilot still runs through a preflight checklist to make sure nothing is overlooked. If even the most experienced professionals rely on checklists, it’s a strategy that every high performer can use to reach their personal best.
In business and life, a checklist is your systematic guide to replicating and refining top performance. Just like that pilot, you’ll want to create a checklist for any recurring high-stakes scenario—whether it’s a critical negotiation, a key board meeting or a strategic planning session.
I’ve seen Fortune 500 CEOs, world-class athletes and billionaire entrepreneurs all elevate their game simply by having a checklist that captures the steps they need to perform at their best.
And each time they go through it, they refine it further.
By following their lead and making checklists a habit, you’ll find yourself not just performing better, but also enjoying the thrill of continuous improvement and personal mastery.
Tom Oliver, a “global management guru” (Bloomberg), is the chair of The Tom Oliver Group, the trusted advisor and counselor to many of the world’s most influential family businesses, medium-sized enterprises, market leaders and global conglomerates. For more information and inquiries: TomOliverGroup.com or email Tom.Oliver@inquirer.com.ph.
