2025 Review and 2026 Goals
Nicolle Morock • January 1, 2026
Every year, I post goals for accountability. Here's my 2026 goal post :)
The years fly by faster and faster, and that means I need to work smarter to keep up.
Every year on January 1st, I take stock of how I did versus the previous year’s goals and set goals for the new year. I don’t make resolutions because they’re usually cliché and easily forgotten. I set goals that are clear, measurable, and should be achievable, or if not, they lead to lessons learned.
Last year’s goals:
- Make more money, pay off the truck repair debt, and end the year with less student loan debt.
- I not only paid off the truck repair debt, I bought a new car and sold the truck. Of course, that meant taking on a car payment, which I dislike, but it also means I'm now driving something reliable that isn't require hundreds to thousands of dollars in maintenance every month. I needed that change for peace of mind.
- I also ended the year with less student loan debt, but not by much. Back in October, I realized my loan holder was playing some nasty tricks with my repayment plan, and despite my paying more than the minimum every month, I was barely making progress on the total I owed. So, I doubled the amount I'm paying each month, and if I get a windfall this year, it's going on that darned debt.
There's a reason people hate those companies. I'm also considering refinancing my house now that the mortgage rates have declined enough to make it worth it. The money I save each month in mortgage payments will go on the student loans. I graduated from NCSU with my meteorology degree in 2007, and I'm still paying for a degree I'm not even using anymore. (Talk about life lessons!) - Visit one new place.
- This is on my list every year for life, and in 2025, I visited two: Beaufort/Parris Island, SC, for my nephew's Marine Corps bootcamp graduation and Lexington, KY, for Cryptid Con. Both were nice. I saw much more of Beaufort, but had more fun in Lexington.
- Revise, have professionally prepared, and publish Daughter of the Mystic Moon.
- DONE!! I launched her with a successful Kickstarter and made her widely available in September. The developmental and copy editing, professional book cover and graphics, and all the software necessary for doing it well cost me about three times what I've made so far, but a book doesn't expire, so I'm hopeful I'll eventually make that all back.
- Treat my writing as a business, not a hobby (building on that last goal).
- Also done. Unfortunately, the business is in the red, but that's okay. I have another year to work on that.
- Put more effort into marketing The PEEP Podcast.
- Maybe "more" wasn't measurable enough, but I did it.
- Walk an average of 50,000 steps per week.
- This is the first goal I've failed at in years. I shouldn't be surprised that it's the fitness goal. Like I explained last year, my job and my avocations require me to be sitting at a desk, so getting those daily steps in requires more effort. This one is carrying over into 2026 because "if at first you don't success, try, try again." My health is important, and I'm not getting any younger.
My 2026 goals:
- Like I said in that last bullet point, walk an average of 50,000 steps per week.
- I'm also adding that I am cutting way down on ultra-processed foods. I have a tendency to snack on cereal bars, chips, and things that are full of preservatives and additives, especially when they're easily accessible at work. I've learned that those things contribute to inflammation, gut health issues, and, of course, added calories. (The calorie part I already knew.) As someone who's missing my appendix and gall bladder, I have enough GI issues. Heck, the junk in our packaged foods might be why those organs had to come out. I also have arthritis, a nerve-pain issue in my leg, and migraines - all of which can be exacerbated by eating ultra-processed foods. So, this year, I'm doing something about it.
- Secondary to that and still health related, I'm finally going to let the neurologist do the nerve test for my random leg pain. I've tried supplements, acupuncture, Chinese medicinal tea, Reiki, the Emotion Code, and meditation, and it's not better. Lately, it's been worse, so I'm convinced it's fully physical and requires a medical doctor's help. I've only postponed it because my general practitioner warned that the nerve test can be painful and unpleasant. At this point, I'll take it if it means not waking in the middle of the night with burning pain in my thigh.
- Visit one new place.
- I have no concrete plan for where that will be, yet, but it usually works out as the year progresses.
- Make $10,000 in profit on my books.
- This one is a little optimistic, but I think it's doable. I'm not being greedy by any means because I ended 2025 over $5,000 in the red, so I'm really trying to make up for last year and profit a little this year.
- How can I do this? Add audiobook sales, more in-person sales, and potentially do some advertising. For the audio, I'll be using my own AI voice clone and I'll be fully transparent about that. A human-narrated audio book would only add to my debt, so until I find a solid audience, I have to go with what I can afford. Using my own voice clone solves potential ethical complaints from people who hate AI. In fact, when others are using it in Eleven Labs for their creative projects, I'm making money because I licensed my voice. (And any voice clone I were to use in Eleven Labs would be a source of income for the owner of that voice, but I am choosing to use my own.)
- I'm also writing (and hoping to complete) the sequel to Daughter of the Mystic Moon. I'm cautiously optimistic about it because it usually takes me two years to complete and publish a book. Although, I'm working on ways to speed up my process, like dictation, with the hopes of cutting that time to closer to a year.
- I may also offer a subscription with letters from my characters or something fun and creative, but I haven't quite settled on what that will look like or if I'll have time once I complete the next goal...
- Launch a second podcast.
- This one has been in the works, but on the far back burner, for a few years now. When ".space" became available as a URL (think .com and .net), I immediately bought positivehead.space. I've been wanting to do a weekly podcast about keeping a positive attitude for a long time, but last month, I finally got the message that it's go-time, so I'm launching it soon. Hopefully, this month, but I'm not going to rush because I want to do it right. It will feature weekly, bite-sized episodes about ways to keep an optimistic attitude, even during struggles and darker times. Yes, there are other podcasts with the same focus out there, but I feel called to add my version to the mix, and I'm answering the call. If nothing else, I'll give it a year and then evaluate how it's going.
- Offer being added to my Reiki grid for a week for free to anyone who needs it.
- For those who don't know, I charge my Reiki grid nearly every morning after breakfast with intentions for people who need extra healing energy and positive intentions. "World peace" is on the grid forever (or until it happens!), and I have a few others that are just as evergreen, but as people around me suffer physically, mentally, or emotionally, or as they have specific needs for positive energy (job interview, starting a new project, completing a goal, etc.), I add them. Think of it as an extended prayer that lasts all day. I charge the grid with Reiki every morning, and it continues to send that energy to the intention until I do it again the next day. Then it starts over.
I'm going to publicly offer a week at a time on the grid for anyone who needs it, and if there's too much demand, I'll figure out how to handle that, but for now, it's open to everyone always.
That’s it! If you’ve read this far, thank you for caring and being curious. I’m guessing you’re also one of my encouragers, and I have to say a great big thank you! I need your help making these goals reality. Feel free to ask me to be an accountability partner for you, too!
Nicolle's Notes
My annual accountability post :)
Nicolle shares how even the worst Mondays can end with a grateful heart.
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Every year, I publicly review last year’s goals and how I did with them, and I announce my goals for the new year. I don’t make resolutions because they tend to be cliché and easily forgotten. I make goals that I can measure and show progress toward. Being a Capricorn and type A, I need goals to keep me motivated and always moving forward. These are the big ones that I want accountability for over the course of the year. 2023 Goals – How I did Visit one new place. I visited Canton for STM Monster Fest and enjoyed my weekend so much that I’m going back this year – not so much because of Canton (although the NFL Hall of Fame was cool!), but because Monster Fest was a blast, and I made several new friends there and finally met some of my favorite podcasters and film makers in person. I can’t wait to see them again! Make more money to pay down debt. My annual raise at work helped, and I paid off the HVAC system that I had to buy in 2020 nine months early! Attend at least one paracon (and maybe a writers’ conference, too) I attended STM Monster Fest , and I’m going back this year! I didn’t get to a writers’ conference because I ran out of time off and money (because paying off debt was a bigger priority). Continue to improve The P.E.E.P. Podcast and grow its audience. This one is ongoing because it’s never really done. My niche podcast is growing slowly, and that’s okay. I had to take a couple of breaks in 2023 (for health and travel), and if my audience was huge, I might not have felt like I could do that. Timing is everything. Complete and publish the myth/fantasy novel that I started writing over a decade ago. I’ve made progress, but it’s not anywhere near complete. With only half the story told, it’s already longer than any other novel I’ve written. I joined Ream in November, and I’m using it to hold myself to a writing schedule because if someone is willing to pay to read it as I write, then I’d better keep writing! Grow my healing practice. Technically, it grew, but not the way I envisioned it. Over the course of 2023, I realized my energy was better put into the podcast and writing because they are more scalable. Great is the Spirit still exists, and I’m happy to take on clients, but I’m not actively advertising it. Expand Triangle Energy Healers I have several awesome healers listed on the page, and that’s as far as I’ve gotten. The biggest lesson I learned in 2023: When I try to do too many things at once, no one thing makes the big impact I want it to. While that’s probably common sense, it seems to be one of those things I keep having to learn for myself repeatedly. 2024 Goals Visit one new place. I’m not sure where it will be, but this is an annual goal, and I always make it happen. Travel expands the mind and spurs the imagination. Make more money to pay down debt. This is my other annual goal, and while I know home ownership is full of surprises, I’m trying to be more prepared for them with each passing year. Most of my current debt is from home/yard improvements and student loans, so it’s the kind of debt that most of my generation deals with and all of us are tired of. But I took it on, and I’ll pay it off. Complete “Daughter of the Mystic Moon.” The beginning of the fantasy novel I found in journals from over a decade ago is my current work-in-progress, and I’m finally actually writing new chapters after spending last year transcribing it from journals to Word. I like the story, and I can see it becoming another series. Once I finish it and hire an editor, my next project will be the third Rayna Smith novel, especially since people are asking for it! I also have an idea from several years ago for a sci-fi/parallel universe novel and one from this year for a superhero story. I have many ideas and not enough time to write! Attend at least one writer’s conference (virtually or in person) to help hone my craft and business sense and to make connections with other authors. I didn’t get to do this last year, but I’m aware of one local workshop/conference and a couple that are hybrid or virtual that I’ll try to attend this year, assuming they are affordable. Say “yes” to exciting opportunities to get my name out there without compromising my mental health or finances. The best marketing for podcasts, books, and energy healing is word of mouth. (If you like mine, please tell people about them.) The second best is being in public. My library talks are a way to reach locals who might not otherwise hear of me, and this year, I’m seeing additional possibilities like those outside of Wake County to add to my calendar. I won’t say yes to everything because that’s a surefire way for me to burn out, but I will say yes to the ones that my intuition tells me will be good for me. Practice Swedish Death Cleaning , make a will, and create a Death Bind er . It seems morbid, but we’re all going to die. Why not make things easier for our loved ones when we do? My job as a content writer means I learn about many aspects of life and death that I may not have otherwise considered. This year, I’ll put some of them into practice to show my family I love them, even if the results aren’t needed for many years down the line. Those are my goals, and I’m excited to see how 2024 plays out for them. What are yours? Feel free to share them with me on Facebook or Twitter.
It’s the time of year when Christians send Christmas cards to each other, often with the phrase “peace on earth and goodwill to men” across the front of them. That’s me. I’m a Catholic, and my cards are typically Christian-themed, except when I know I’m sending one to someone who practices another religion or tradition. But even for my non-Christian friends, I wish them peace. How often do we actually stop and consider what “peace on Earth” would really mean? As a Reiki master, I meditate over my Reiki grid after breakfast every morning (and as a Christian, those morning meditations include prayers to God). People that I feel need a little extra healing energy and intentions that need a little extra oomph go on my grid. Sometimes those are Emotion Code and Reiki clients, some are friends or family members going through health crises, and occasionally, I put myself on there. For example, after over a month of post-nasal drip related, nearly non-stop coughing, I finally added my health to the grid earlier this week, and I’m coughing much less today. Everyday since I started the Reiki grid practice, “world peace” has been on that grid. I mean every single day for almost two years. So, every day, I reflect on what that phrase means. When I was younger, I thought it simply meant no more wars, but as an adult, I realize the lack of war doesn’t guarantee peace in the world because there will still be crime, drug abuse, mental illness, grief, physical disease, and all sorts of suffering. We’re humans. Those things typically come with humanity, and they disrupt our personal peace. But as humans, our collective goal should be that each individual finds peace, despite or beyond all those aspects of being human. We can pray for world peace, but without action on every person’s part, it’s not going to happen. As Michael Jackson sang, “I’m starting with the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways, and no message could be any clearer…” (I hope that’s stuck in your head now.) While the man was very flawed, the message of that song hits the mark. We must find peace in our own hearts first before we try to help others find it. Only by experiencing the true joy, contentment, and happiness that comes with a peaceful heart can we find the inner strength to help other people work on theirs. And really, if we all just put in the work to become more peaceful ourselves, then the whole world might experience peace. Think about it! If for just five minutes, every individual in this world experienced personal peace at the same time, what a true miracle that would be! It’s not impossible, but it won’t happen if we don’t try to make it happen. So, while you’re doing whatever it is you do during this time of year, I challenge you to be more mindful about what brings you peace and how you can incorporate more of it into your everyday life. Whether that’s your first sip of coffee during the quite of the morning, meditation, yoga, sitting on a garden bench, working the soil, crafting, painting, watching children play, listening to a favorite song, visiting a holy sanctuary, or whatever – savor it and make sure it’s part of your daily life.
A Very Short Story Based on a Vivid Dream
It's my favorite season - Spooky!
Keeping Myself Accountable with Your Help
One of the benefits of becoming an energy healer is being able to use the modalities for my own healing. You can practice Reiki and the Emotion Code on yourself as much as you can for anyone else – and you should! Part of the process of becoming better at anything is putting in the work, and part of the process of becoming a better version of me is releasing the emotional baggage that weighs me down. I’ve written before about why I decided to become certified in the Emotion Code . To sum it up: releasing trapped negative emotions related to my divorce almost two decades ago cured me of migraines. No kidding! It really did! But that’s not the end of my story. It’s an ongoing process. Adults can have thousands of trapped emotions – all there because we didn’t process them correctly (or at all) at the time of their origin. And they can fester and contribute to mental and physical illness. I’ve released emotions for myself related to things seemingly as trivial as a used John Deere mower that has cost me more than twice what I paid for it in repairs to my head-on collision that caused my near-death experience. With each session, I feel a little lighter. The Emotion Code process is so simple that it’s elegant. Using muscle testing or a pendulum, I ask my subconscious (or my client’s subconscious if I’m working with someone) if there are any trapped emotions that can be released. If we’re working on a specific intention – like letting go of a traumatic event, trying to end recurring themes in our dreams, or removing a blockage to achieving a goal – then that’s where we focus our energy. Or we just ask for whatever needs to be released in that moment. During a session for myself tonight, I was focusing on ridding myself of dreams in which my ex-husband shows up. His leaving was traumatic for me, and I know I didn’t process anything correctly for about 48 hours. The migraines were related to that period of my life, and the dreams were, too. I’d already done one session with that goal, but I couldn’t release all the trapped emotions in that session. Whether you’ve let go of three or ten, when your subconscious is tired, it lets you know, and the session is over. So, tonight was session number two. I released four emotions, and one was a shared emotion, which means when it was trapped, someone else and I experienced it the same way at the same time. Surprisingly, that someone was not my ex, but intuitively, I knew exactly who it was. I asked, received confirmation, and let it go. And for the first time since starting to work with the Emotion Code, I experienced a rare symptom of purging a big emotion – I sobbed. Only for a minute, but as I acknowledged that weight being lifted, it hit me hard. And then I let Confusion go. And I trust that he will no longer randomly haunt my dreams. The Emotion Code is an easy way to rid yourself of emotional baggage. You truly feel lighter when a session is over. And in cases of shared or inherited emotion, the release happens for you and the others affected, whether they’re aware or not. I’ve seen evidence that even long-passed ancestors are aware of the release in the case of inherited trapped emotions. Think about how powerful that is – to be able to truly let go of generational trauma! If you’re interested in changing your world on a very personal level, schedule an Emotion Code session with me by clicking the “Book Now” button at GreatIstheSpirit.com . You’ll be glad you did!
The Sequel to The Tritium Hypothesis Is Live
