The Resolution Rut

How to set yourself up to achieve those lofty 2026 goals, a breakfast perfect for meal prepping, and some fresh equity flooding into CPG to start off the year strong.

The New Year’s Resolution Rut

Let’s be real, most New Year’s resolutions are basically dead on arrival by the time February rolls around. We usually fail because we set massive, vague goals like “get fit” or “save money” without actually figuring out the day-to-day logistics of how to get there. There’s also that all-or-nothing mindset where one minor slip up makes us feel like the whole year is ruined, leading many to just give up entirely. Science shows that our willpower is a finite resource, and trying to overhaul your entire life overnight is a classic recipe for immediate burnout. By mid-January, the initial “new year, new me” excitement fades, and without a solid system in place, we naturally drift back to our old, comfortable patterns. It isn’t a lack of talent holding you back; it’s usually just a lack of a realistic structure.

To build habits that actually last, you need to start small. Create systems instead of lofty goals that you ultimately end up falling short of. Instead of trying to run a marathon on day one, just focus on putting your sneakers on and walking for five minutes every morning until it’s weird not to do it. Habit stacking is the key to long-term success. By anchoring a new behavior to something you already do, like meditating while your morning coffee brews, you can engrain new associates with things that allow you to reach your goals without changing your routine. Designing your environment to make the right choice the easy choice, such as leaving your book on your pillow if you want to read more at night, can significantly increase the probability of you succeeding. Remember, consistency beats intensity every single time, so focus on the simple act of showing up rather than being perfect. As the saying goes, it’s a marathon not a sprint, a little bit at a time over a long time makes a huge difference and is much more sustainable in the long run.

Recipe of the Week

Tater Tot Crusted Egg Bake

• 12 eggs

• 1lb of breakfast sausage, cooked and drained

• ½ - 1 bag of frozen tater tots

• 2 bell peppers chopped

• 2 cups of spinach

• ½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese

• ½ white onion chopped

• Splash of milk

• 1 tsp of garlic powder

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp of pepper

• 1 tbsp of olive oil

Take tater tots out of the freezer to thaw. Cook sausage in olive oil until browned. Drain and remove from the pan. Chop vegetables and set aside. Combine eggs, milk, seasonings, and whisk. Add in cheese, spinach, sausage, and chopped vegetables and mix until evenly distributed. Spray a large baking pan with cooking spray. Pour thawed tater tots into the pan and press down until the bottom and sides are covered. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. Add in egg mixture and cook for another 20-25 minutes or until the egg mixture is cooked through.

Notable and Newsworthy

• Better-for-you frozen waffle company Evergreen raised $15M in fresh funding

• Pasta sauce brand Sauz partners with Bulletpitch to bring on a suite of influencers and creators as equity partners

• Lemon Perfect raises almost $10M in new capital to start off 2026

• David Bar releases new SKU to compete with Barebells chocolate coated candy bar like protein bars

• Podcaster Mel Robbins launches a protein shot called Pure Genius

• MALK launches a new line of clean coconut based creamers

• Cymbiotika launches a tangerine vanilla flavored liposomal creatine with 5g per packet

• Selva Ventures first incubation snack company Cadootz!, launches 3 SKUs

• L Catterton buys a majority stake in viral cottage cheese brand Good Culture, founded in 2015, for more than $500M

Podcast of the Week

Consumer VC - Consumer Isn’t Dead, VC Just Got It Wrong ft. Michael Duda

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify