Overview of Goals, Tools, and Mindset Shifts for a Better 2026
This episode (hosted by Chris Hutchins with guest Kevin Rose) is an end-of-year / new-year conversation reflecting on 2025 and planning for 2026. Kevin opens with a major life shock — his house burned down seven days into 2025 — and both he and Chris use that context to discuss what they learned, what they missed, how they recalibrated priorities, and concrete mindset, tooling, and habit changes they plan to carry into 2026. The discussion mixes personal stories (family health crises, lost routines), practical rules (spending, calendar planning, productivity cleanups), and strategic shifts (how AI changes entrepreneurship, how to outsource better).
Key takeaways
- Major disruptions can clarify what’s essential. Kevin’s house fire forced him to rethink possessions and only keep the most meaningful items; it accelerated lifestyle changes (longer alcohol break, more regular meditation).
- AI is a foundational multiplier: both speakers see current AI tools enabling solo founders to build real products without raising venture capital — a structural change in entrepreneurship.
- Make things easier by changing how you design life: pick an organizing theme (“What if this were easy?”), simplify your tool stack, and consider outsourcing the work you don’t want to do so you can spend time on what matters.
- Small rules unlock freer decisions: Nick Maggiulli’s “0.01% rule” (if an expense is <0.01% of your net worth, just buy it) helps break scarcity thinking and reduce friction over minor spending.
- Discipline beats perfectionism when shipping content or products: Chris and Kevin both flagged missed opportunities from waiting for “masterclass”-level polish rather than publishing useful work earlier.
- Build routines that are doable and front-load what matters: Kevin prioritizes meditation plus one physical activity early in the day (short targeted workouts, sauna, treadmill) to avoid letting exercise slip away.
Notable quotes and insights
- Kevin Rose: “I had a plan. I got punched in the face.” — on how sudden loss reframed priorities.
- Chris Hutchins (theme): “What if this were easy?” — an explicit theme to reduce needless friction and over-optimization in 2026.
- On entrepreneurship/AI: “If you aren't using AI models several times a day ... you're missing a massive opportunity.” — Kevin argues AI lets individuals build and ship software that previously required teams and VC.
- Nick Maggiulli’s 0.01% spending rule: a practical way to avoid micro-friction over non-material choices.
Topics discussed (concise)
- Personal 2025 retrospectives (Kevin: house fire, minimalism, 6 months alcohol-free; Chris: family health crises, loss of routine in Q4)
- Energy creators vs. drains: what types of work and social interactions create momentum, and which produce decision fatigue
- AI’s impact on entrepreneurship, coding, education, and personal upskilling
- Productivity hygiene: consolidating inboxes, simplifying note apps, spring-cleaning digital life
- Content strategy: stop optimizing for platforms at the cost of energy; favor conversations and formats that are sustainable
- Spending and lifestyle design: using paid help strategically (house managers, meal prep, cleaning) to free family time
- Goal-setting techniques: themes, quarterly goals, “monthly memorables,” calendar-first planning (Big Ass Calendar)
- Practical small experiments: Duolingo chess, 3D printing, puzzle boxes, building small apps with AI
2025 hits and misses (high-level)
- Hits
- Kevin: built and shipped a complex credit-card optimization tool for members; meaningful travel without kids; deep focus projects (reselling example).
- Chris: capped growth to prioritize family time; stepped up intentional spending for better experiences (Four Seasons trip, ski lessons for kids).
- Misses
- Both: letting perfectionism prevent shipping valuable content (Chris’s health-diagnostics episode).
- Chris: losing routines and cadence late in the year due to family medical demands and childcare shifts.
- Small behavioral misses (e.g., never setting up a sponsored “lemonade stand” promotion) that revealed a pattern of kicking decisions down the road.
Practical action items & recommendations (what to do in 2026)
- Adopt a theme for the year (example: “What if this were easy?”) to guide decisions and lower friction.
- Do a calendar audit and color-code events (green = energy, red = drains) to spot what to keep/stop.
- Simplify your productivity stack: consolidate inboxes, reduce note apps, clean password manager entries — aim for 2–3 core tools.
- Front-load daily wellbeing: meditate first, then complete at least one physical activity (short lift, treadmill incline, or sauna).
- Ship earlier: break big, “masterclass” ambitions into publishable pieces to avoid missing opportunities.
- Use the 0.01% rule (or a similar threshold) to reduce micro-friction over small spending decisions.
- Consider outsourcing differently: instead of only hiring childcare, hire a house manager/assistant to handle errands, groceries, meal prep, and chores so parents can spend quality time with kids.
- Use quarterly goals and “monthly memorables” rather than only annual goals to maintain accountability and create memorable months.
- Learn by tinkering with AI: use small experiments to build apps, automate workflows, or learn new skills — you can build useful prototypes far faster than before.
Tools, methods and resources mentioned
- AI tooling and agents for coding, product prototyping, and learning (general encouragement to use AI daily)
- Productivity apps referenced: Notion, Standard Notes, OnePassword (clean these up)
- Rule & frameworks: Nick Maggiulli’s 0.01% spending rule; Sahil Bloom’s 7-question annual review framework; Jesse Itzler’s “life blender” and Big Ass Calendar
- Learning / hobby tools: Duolingo chess (for incremental skill learning), 3D printers, puzzle boxes
- Community / maker spaces as an idea for a shared workshop (garage/laser cutter/3D printer)
- Kevin Rose newsletter: KevinRose.com (sign up for periodic updates)
Sponsors & products briefly mentioned (episode ads)
- Whisperflow — voice-to-text productivity tool
- Element — zero-sugar electrolyte drink mixes
- Copilot Money — personal finance app (promo for 26% off)
- Fabric by Gerber Life — term life insurance (easy online policies)
- Gelt — modern CPA/tax product
(These appeared as sponsor reads in the episode and were used to illustrate tools/services the hosts recommend.)
Quick checklist you can use from this episode
- Pick a single theme for 2026 and write it down.
- Do a 30–60 minute declutter: closet, desk, and your digital inboxes.
- Choose two daily non-negotiables (e.g., meditation + one physical activity) and schedule them early.
- Consolidate email/notes/passwords into 2–3 tools; remove legacy clutter.
- Set quarterly goals and a “monthly memorable” to force better planning.
- Pick one small AI project to prototype (build a simple tool or automate a workflow).
- Decide one spending rule (e.g., 0.01% rule) to loosen decision friction.
- Identify one household task you’ll outsource to free family time.
This summary captures the episode’s core stories, tactical takeaways, and mindset shifts to consider when planning a calmer, more productive, and easier 2026.