In Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Alice asks a simple question that turns out to be anything but: which way should I go? The answer she receives is blunt and useful. If you do not care where you end up, any road will do. If you do care, then direction matters more than motion.
That exchange feels uncomfortably relevant as 2026 approaches. Many people are busy “getting ready” without being clear about what they are preparing for. Plans are drafted, goals are listed, calendars are filled, and yet the destination remains fuzzy. Activity becomes a substitute for intent.
Planning for the next year is not about predicting the future. It is about deciding what kind of future you are willing to work toward.
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Motion Is Not the Same as Progress
It is easy to confuse movement with progress, especially in professional and creative life. Busy schedules, constant updates, and endless small adjustments can give the impression that something meaningful is happening. Sometimes it is. Often it is just motion in place.
Before thinking about tactics for 2026, it is worth asking a more basic question: what would “somewhere better” actually look like?
Not in abstract terms. Not in buzzwords. In concrete, personal terms.
- More control over your time
- Fewer obligations that drain energy
- Work that aligns with your values
- Creative output you are proud of
- Financial stability without constant anxiety
You do not need a perfect answer. You need a direction that rules some paths out.
Planning Starts With Subtraction
Most planning advice focuses on adding things: new goals, new systems, new habits. A more useful starting point is subtraction.
What are you willing to stop doing in 2026?
- Projects that exist only because they always have
- Commitments that no longer justify their cost
- Tools and platforms you maintain out of habit, not need
- Expectations that were never yours to begin with
Removing even one ongoing obligation can free up more capacity than adding three new productivity tricks. Direction becomes clearer when the noise is reduced.
Pick a Direction, Not a Script
A common failure mode in planning is over-specification. Detailed plans can feel reassuring, but they also break easily when reality shifts. The goal is not to script 2026 from January to December. The goal is to choose a direction that helps you make decisions when things change.
A useful direction has three qualities:
- It is specific enough to guide choices.
“Do more interesting work” is vague. “Focus on work that I can publish or share publicly” is clearer. - It can survive setbacks.
A missed milestone should not invalidate the entire plan. - It is rooted in what you control.
Your actions, boundaries, and priorities matter more than external outcomes.
When the year inevitably throws detours your way, a direction lets you adjust without starting over.
Walking Long Enough Still Counts
There is an uncomfortable truth in the Cheshire Cat’s final line. If you walk long enough, you will end up somewhere. Time guarantees movement, but not satisfaction.
The difference between drifting and arriving is intent. You do not need certainty. You need a reason to choose one path over another when the moment comes.
For 2026, planning is less about finding the perfect route and more about answering one honest question: if you keep walking the way you are now, will you recognize the place you end up as one you actually wanted to reach?
If the answer is no, this is the moment to turn slightly. You do not have to know the whole map. You just have to care where you are going.