The One Decision That Shapes My Entire Year

Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Help Wanted
Episode: The One Decision That Shapes My Entire Year
Hosts: Jason Feifer & Nicole Lapin
Air Date: December 25, 2025

This episode centers on Jason Feifer’s annual practice of setting a single, guiding theme for the upcoming year—a ritual he credits for bringing clarity, intention, and flexibility to both his professional and personal life. Jason shares the origins of this practice, its powerful impact, and offers listeners a practical, two-step method to create their own year-defining theme for 2026.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Purpose and Power of a Yearly Theme

Timestamp: 03:53 – 06:45

• Jason discusses the concept of giving each new year a central theme, rather than rigid goals, to help focus efforts and filter decisions.
• The theme acts as a long-term priority rather than a specific objective, reducing the pressure to chase quick, sometimes short-sighted wins.

Quote

"When you declare a theme, you are really declaring a full year priority and you're making it hard to forget. ... It becomes a filter for decisions."
— Jason Feifer [06:19]

2. Jason's Personal Journey with Themes

Timestamp: 04:30 – 06:45

• 2024: "Year of Opportunity Creation": Spurred by the end of two major income contracts, Jason chose to focus on expanding visibility and partnerships.
• 2025: "Year of Opportunity Balance": Having overcommitted the previous year, he shifted to prioritizing balance, saying no more frequently, and stabilizing his commitments.
• He highlights how these themes allowed him to customize his response to changing circumstances each year—a flexible strategy instead of pursuing narrow, potentially irrelevant goals.

Quote

"...by the end of 2024 I had done it. But I was also completely exhausted ... So I decided that next year would have a different theme. 2025 was going to be the year of opportunity balance."
— Jason Feifer [05:45]

3. Why Themes Work Better Than Goals

Timestamp: 06:45 – 07:25

• Jason contrasts goal-setting (e.g., "earn $100,000 more") with themes ("opportunity creation"), highlighting that strict goals can lead to shortsighted decisions (like chasing quick cash) rather than addressing underlying needs.
• Themes, in turn, offer room to explore different strategies and discover what truly works.

Quote

"Goals can blind us to the big picture, but themes keep us oriented while we move."
— Jason Feifer [07:20]

4. How to Create Your Own Theme

Timestamp: 07:25 – 08:56

• Step 1: Identify a single, central problem you want to solve in the coming year.
• Step 2: Set an intention, not a specific outcome; keep it short (fewer than five words).
• Suggests asking yourself what general, positive statement you'd like to be able to make about the year once it's over.

Example Prompts:

• "At the end of next year, what general statement do you want to be able to make?"
• "It should feel both aspirational and achievable. It should excite you to think about and also be broad enough to pursue in multiple ways."
  — Jason Feifer [08:47]

5. Jason’s Theme for 2026

Timestamp: 08:57 – 10:09

• Shares his personal reflection: Despite loving his work, he misses meaningful social interaction and feels depleted by constant meetings and solo computer time.
• Jason's 2026 Theme: "The year of less work, more people."
• He intends to focus on lunches, coffees, walks, and collaborative projects—anything that deepens connection and reduces isolation.
• Emphasizes he doesn’t have all the specifics figured out, but trusts the theme will provide a guiding compass throughout the year.

Quote

"2026 is going to be this. It's the year of less work, more people."
— Jason Feifer [09:40]

6. Encouragement for Listeners

Timestamp: 10:09 – 10:50

• Encourages listeners to craft their own theme, ensuring it's broad, flexible, and aligned with what genuinely matters to them—whether that's "taking risks," "slowing down," "building something," etc.
• Invites feedback and responses from the audience, especially via his companion newsletter, One Thing Better.

Quote

"Whatever it is, it should feel both aspirational and achievable. ... Tell me. I would love to hear your theme."
— Jason Feifer [10:07]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "It becomes a filter for decisions. And critically, themes don't lock you into specific outcomes."
  — Jason Feifer [06:23]
• "At the end of 2026, I want to be able to say I spent more time with people and I built deeper relationships."
  — Jason Feifer [08:40]
• "When I do take on new projects ... I'll prioritize ones that are socially additive. More collaboration, more connection."
  — Jason Feifer [09:57]
• "Look, we've got a whole year ahead of us. A year of opportunity, a year of creation, a year of growth, and we can maximize it together. But to do that, we have to be focused on what matters most."
  — Jason Feifer [10:37]

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Key Timestamps

• 03:53 — Jason introduces the concept of a yearly theme.
• 04:30 — Explains the personal origin of the ritual.
• 06:19 — Describes the impact and value of declaring a theme.
• 07:25 — Outlines concrete steps for creating your own theme.
• 08:57 — Shares reflection and his 2026 theme: "less work, more people".
• 10:09 — Encouragement for listeners to create and share their themes.

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Takeaways for Listeners

• Setting a theme for the year is an adaptable, motivating way to give direction and intention to your decisions, sidestepping the traps of narrow, rigid goal-setting.
• To get started: Identify a broad problem you want to solve, turn it into a concise and compelling theme, and share it to cement your commitment.
• Jason’s practice exemplifies how these themes can evolve, responding to life’s demands, and helping maintain a balanced, fulfilled approach to work and life.

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How to Participate

Listeners are encouraged to subscribe to Jason’s newsletter One Thing Better (onethingbetter.email) and reply with their own themes for 2026. Jason reads and responds to submissions personally.

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For anyone seeking a simple but powerful strategy to shape their next year—professionally or personally—this episode serves as both inspiration and a practical roadmap.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Over the years I've spent a lot of time thinking about what it takes to build a great business and my personal area of expertise is in being really forward facing about being out there, about being the personal brand and being the person who can grab the attention and pull people in. But you know what? That's just the most visible part of business. There's also the equally important but very invisible work like legal paperwork and website security and state license. Your business deserves the best foundation possible. So to get more for your business, more privacy, more tools, more guidance you need. Northwest Registered Agent Northwest Registered Agent has been helping entrepreneurs launch and grow businesses for nearly 30 years. They're the largest registered agent and LLC service in the US with over 1500 corporate guides. These are real people who know your local laws and can help you and your business every step of the way. For example, protect protect your identity and keep your home address private by using Northwest's address on your state's formation documents. With Northwest, privacy is automatic. They never sell your data and all services are handled in house because privacy by default is their pledge to all entrepreneurs. Don't wait. Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Visit www.northwestregisteredagent. and start building something amazing. Get more with Northwest registered [e-mail] paid helpwanted. This is Help Wanted, the show that makes your work work for you. I'm Jason Pfeiffer, Editor in Chief of.

[A]

Entrepreneur Mag Money expert Nicole Lapin. On Tuesdays, Jason and I answer the helpline and help callers solve their work problems.

[B]

And on Thursdays, I give you one way to improve your work and build a career or company you love.

[A]

And it starts now.

[B]

It's the end of 2025 and you're probably thinking ahead. You're thinking about what worked in 2025, what didn't, what you want from 2026. Well, here is a year end tactic that I have found incredibly clarifying and that can help you. You too. I give every new year a theme. A theme. I theme the new year. It helps me prioritize what matters without getting locked into narrow goals. And once I choose a theme, it guides my decisions all year long. I'm going to share how it works and how it can help you thrive in 2026. But first, let's back up and I'll tell you how it all started. In 2023, two major contracts of mine were ending together. They made up most of my income. That meant that 2024 was shaping up to be a financial cliff and I was scared. So that December I came up with an idea. I declared 2024 to be the year of opportunity creation. To me, that meant increasing visibility, seeking partnerships, creating new opportunities. However they emerged, however I could manage it. I had the whole year to figure it out and by the end of 2024 I had done it. But I was also completely exhausted by all of this opportunity creation and all these commitments and all these new projects and teams and things that people expected from me. So I decided that next year would have a different theme. 2025 was going to be the year of opportunity balance. That is what I spent this past year doing. I pulled back, I renegotiated commitments, I said no more often. It felt stabilizing. And now as 2025 ends, I'm thinking about what comes next. Because what's my theme for 2026? It is perhaps the biggest question of the year. And you, I think, should have a theme too. Here's why I love this ritual. When you declare a theme, you are really declaring a full year priority and you're making it hard to forget. I share my theme with everyone. My wife, my friends, my business partners. I rep it to myself throughout the year too. It becomes a filter for decisions. And critically, themes don't lock you into specific outcomes. In 2024, for example, I could have said I want to make an extra $100,000 this year, right? That could have been my goal for the year. But then what would I have done to achieve that? It probably would have pushed me towards short term money grabs, you know, day trading on Robinhood or selling crap on ebay. I don't know. None of that would have solved my actual long term problem. The put together a theme in the first place. The reason that I wanted that extra money, it was because what I really needed was a more resilient professional life so that my income wasn't tied to a few contracts. The theme opportunity creation Instead of let's go make another $100,000. That theme gave me room to explore, to experiment, and to discover what actually worked without chasing a narrow definition of success. That is the power of themes. Goals can blind us to the big picture, but themes keep us oriented while we move. So here's how to create your own theme. If you're ready to start, just follow these two steps. Step number one, you want to identify a central problem to solve next year. In 2024, I needed more opportunity. In 2025, I needed balance. These are two big problems. They required sustained attention across a whole year. Not any just kind of quick win. So what is yours? What is the central problem that you want to solve next year? And then step two, set an intention, not an outcome. Your theme should be compelling enough to commit to, but broad enough to say in fewer than five words. Maybe a way into it is to ask yourself, at the end of next year, at the end of 2026, what general statement do you want to be able to make? For me, for example, it was simple. I wanted to say I created more opportunity for myself. I Wanted to say I balanced those opportunities and had a more fulfilling life. And then at the end of 2026, I want to be able to say I spent more time with people and I built deeper relationships. Once you have the theme, start telling people because that is when you really commit to it. Which is the reason I'm going to tell you mine right now. Now. So here's how I decided on my 2026 theme. I asked myself to start what feels missing in my life, right? I'm trying to identify a central problem to solve. Well, here's the answer. I love my work, but I don't spend enough quality time with people that I enjoy. Too many conversations happen in 30 minute meetings and there's just too much alone time at my computer. As an extrovert, I hate this. My energy and my best ideas come from being with people. So I made a decision. 2026 is going to be this. It's the year of less work, more people. I want less time spent on work and more time spent on lunches, coffees, walks, hikes. When I do take on new projects, and I'm sure that I will, I'll prioritize ones that are socially additive. More collaboration, more connection. And how exactly am I going to do that? I mean, I don't know. But good news, I have a whole year to figure it out. So what is your theme? Maybe it's the year of taking risks or saying no or building something or slowing down or speaking up. Whatever it is, it should feel both aspirational and achievable. It should excite you to think about and also be broad enough to pursue in multiple ways. So consider what it is and then. You know what, tell me. I would love to hear your theme. Here is the way to do that. Uh, so if you subscribe to my newsletter where. Where I. I first wrote about this theme idea. If you subscribe to the newsletter and you ever hit reply to the newsletter, it just goes straight to my inbox and I gen. I genuinely, I read everything and I reply to everybody. Might take me a minute, but I do. So you could just go to one thing better. Email. That's a web address. Plug it into a browser. Because the newsletter is called One thing better. It's like a companion newsletter to help wanted. One thing better. Just plug it into a browser and you'll get the newsletter subscribe and then you can hit respond and me your theme. I would absolutely love to because look, we've got a whole year ahead of us. A year of opportunity, a year of creation, a year of growth, and we can maximize it together. But to do that, we have to be focused on what matters most. Help Wanted is a production of Money News Network. Help Wanted is hosted by me, Jason.

[A]

Pfeiffer, and me, Nicole Lapman. Our executive producer is Morgan Lavoy. Do you want some help? Email our [e-mail] for the chance to have some of your questions answered on the show. And follow us on Instagramoneynews and TikTok MoneyNewsNetwork for exclusive content and to see our beautiful faces. Maybe a little dance?

[B]

Oh, I didn't sign up for that.

[A]

All right, well, talk to you soon.