Peace & Ease in 2026: The 1% Year with Dr. John A. King (Th.D.)

My name is Dr. John King. I’m one of the partners at Manna Life. I’m a writer, an author, and I work in the area of mental health. And if you’re on Substack, you can find me Dr. John A. King (Th.D.) and DrJohnAKing.com.

Coming into a new year, I want to talk about something most people say they want—but rarely build on purpose:

Peace and ease.

Because here’s what tends to happen at the end of the year: we look forward… but the fuel underneath that “motivation” is often regret.

* Regret about what we didn’t achieve.

* Regret about what we did and wish we hadn’t.

* Regret about how stressful it all felt.

* Regret that we “got some wins,” but still feel behind.

So before you start stacking goals like a madman, I want to give you permission—and a practical framework—to walk into 2026 with less pressure and more momentum.

The Problem With Big Goals

I’m not a big fan of big goals. Not because ambition is wrong—but because a lot of people use big goals as a way to punish themselves.

They decide:

“This year I’m changing everything.”

They make bold declarations. They try to flip their life 100% overnight. And then… life happens.

They miss a few days. They fall off. They get discouraged. And what started as “new year, new me” turns into new year, same shame.

Here’s what I’ve learned:Huge goals can quietly steal your peace.Not because growth is bad—but because unrealistic expectations create constant internal pressure.

And pressure always has a cost.

The Bodybuilder Lesson: 500 Pounds

I’m an old bodybuilder. Years ago, I decided I was going to push toward a personal record on the bench. The target? 500 pounds.

Now imagine if I walked into the gym and said,“Right. Today’s the day. I’m pushing 500.”

I would’ve failed miserably. I would’ve ripped everything up. I would’ve thrown the plan out. And I would’ve walked away frustrated.

So what did we do instead?

We went small.We went incremental.We went consistent.

Day after day. Week after week.

Sometimes it was as simple as showing up two or three times a week and putting one pound on the bar. I had to get those tiny half-pound plates. Later I “graduated” to the two-pound plates.

And eventually? I got to 495. I didn’t break 500—but I got close enough to call it a win. It was sustainable. It was maintainable. It didn’t destroy my body or my mind in the process.

That’s the mindset I want you to carry into 2026.

The One-Degree Rule

I also had the privilege of getting my private pilot’s license. And here’s something people don’t think about:

If you’re one degree off in an airplane, over time you can end up a hundred miles from where you intended to land.

Recovery works like that.Personal growth works like that.A performance mindset works like that.

You don’t usually “crash” your life in one dramatic moment.

You drift.

And the way back isn’t usually one dramatic moment either.

It’s small course corrections, repeated.

The 1% Framework

Now let’s talk numbers, because this is where people get their heads twisted.

If you did 1% a day, that’s 365% in a year. That sounds impressive—but it’s not realistic to transform your entire self three times over in twelve months.

If you did 1% a week, that’s 52% in a year. Better—but even that can feel like a lot depending on what you’re carrying.

So here’s the target I want you to aim for:

1% a month.

Because if you improve 1% each month, in eight years you’ve completely revolutionized your life.

And it’s sustainable.It’s maintainable.It doesn’t rob you of peace and ease.

This is how real change actually sticks.

Try Less (Yes, I Said It)

For the folks who ended 2025 feeling like they didn’t hit their benchmarks, I’m going to say something you might not expect:

Try less.

Not in the sense of “care less” or “be lazy.”Try less in the sense of:

* Stop taking on so much.

* Stop setting goals that require you to become a different human being by next Tuesday.

* Stop stacking expectations so high you live under a constant sense of failure.

Here’s the truth:

Disappointment comes from unmet expectations.

I’m not saying don’t have expectations. I’m saying set them realistically.

Some people set 50%, 60%, 100% life changes—and when they can’t maintain that pace, they don’t just fail…

They