January brings a familiar pattern. You start the year with high energy and new resolutions. By early February, most people quit. This happens to about 80% of people. It is not because they are lazy. It is because they set goals that kill momentum before it starts. Many people rely on SMART goals. These are specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. They sound good on paper. They live in the logical part of your brain. The problem is that growth does not happen in safety. Dogs and humans grow when there is desire, emotion, and a challenge. SMART goals are often uninspiring. They do not give you a reason to push through hard days. Dream Driven Goals I want you to try DUMB goals instead. These are dream driven, not method driven. SMART goals focus on the method. DUMB goals focus on your heart and vision. They change your energy and your mood. People around you will feel the difference when you have a vision that lights you up. Examples of dream driven goals include: Becoming the calmest person in the room. Being the clearest leader your dog has ever had. Waking up with energy and purpose every day. Aligning your life and your business so they feel right. You must decide who you need to become before you decide what you need to do. In dog training, we start with the picture of the finished dog. We see the outcome first. Then we break it into small actions. Life works the same way. Use Structure to Support Vision I am not against SMART goals. They are excellent for execution. They are terrible for inspiration. Use them only after you set your vision. Once you know who you are becoming, the structure keeps you on track. Think of a dog. You do not use precision tools until the dog understands the game. You build desire and relationship first. If you go straight to the tools, you micromanage the life out of the training. If you go to the gym without a vision and overwork yourself, you will not go back. You must have the "why" to survive the "how." Stack Your Wins People quit because they focus on one massive goal. If they do not hit it immediately, they lose motivation. You need to stack small wins to build momentum. Momentum builds confidence. If you want to improve your fitness, do not just focus on the weight you want to lose. Focus on showing up four days this week. If you want a better relationship with your dog, schedule three short training sessions. Put these on your calendar. Celebrate when you finish them. These small links create a chain of success. Practice Self Regulation When you feel overwhelmed, do not bark. Reset. Your dog reflects your energy. If you are frustrated, your dog will be too. Use your breath to train your nervous system. Inhale through your nose for four seconds. Hold for two seconds. Let the breath out slowly for six seconds. Do this three times. You might need to do this twenty times a day. That is fine. Consistency beats intensity every time. Your future depends on the choices you make today. Stop playing it safe. Start with a vision that makes you sit up straighter. Then build the structure to get there. Your dog is waiting for you to lead.

The new year usually starts with a rush of resolutions and high energy. By mid-January, that motivation often fades. Reality hits, schedules fill up, and the weight of your responsibilities returns. If you want your dog to change this year, you have to look at the person holding the leash first. In this first episode of 2026, Duke Ferguson breaks down why dogs do not rise to our intentions. They rise to our state. A stressed or distracted human creates a stressed or distracted dog. Duke discusses the power of regulation, the importance of vision over goals, and why "Breathe Don't Bark" is a philosophy for life, not just a slogan. In this episode, you will learn: Why your dog needs your presence more than your perfection. How to use the "Breathe Don't Bark" technique to regulate your nervous system in 60 seconds. The three questions your dog would ask you to work on this year. Why vision must come before you set any specific training goals.

This episode lands in that strange stretch between Christmas and New Year’s when the leftovers are hanging on, the schedule is gone, and most people feel stuck between who they were this year and who they want to become next year. I talk about regret, pressure, the fear of setting goals you are worried you will miss again, and why this week makes those feelings louder. I walk you through how high performers approach this time of year and how I reset my own mindset before stepping into 2026. I share how your dog rises when you rise and why your state shapes their behavior more than anything you teach. I also take you back to the season when coaching saved me at twenty-one and how that experience still guides my work today. If you want clarity, courage and a stronger start to 2026, this is your bridge into it.