Do This To Start Your New Year Off Right

Hey! Prefer to listen instead of read the Newsletter? I got you! The Resilient Reiner Newsletter also comes as a podcast! 🎙️ 

Every year, right at the start of January, I do a little ritual.

Not because I’m trying to be that person with a vision board and a color-coded planner…

(not gonna lie, I’m an eldest daughter who thinks office supply stores are “fun” places to visit. I don’t know what’s wrong with me). Anyway…

…but because it keeps me from repeating the same mistakes with a fresh 2026 sticker on top. 😅

I grab my notebook (yes, actual paper — I’m old school like that) and I ask myself two questions.

So grab your notebook and let’s do this together, friend!

Question #1: What actually worked?

Not what I tried.
Not what I hoped would work.
Not what I meant to do.

What actually produced results? 

For us riders, that might look like:

• What helped you stay calm when it counted?

• What made your runs feel more consistent?

• What made your horse softer, more honest, more “with you”?

• What helped you stop spiraling after a mistake?

• What habits made your weekly riding feel better — even if nothing about your life got easier?

Write down everything that worked — even the “small” stuff.

Because the small stuff is usually the stuff you can repeat on purpose.

Pro tip: do this with your calendar open. Flip week by week and jog your memory. Or go through your photo album on your phone. (Otherwise your brain will be like, “This year was… a blur… I think I rode… maybe?”)

Question #2: What do I want to do differently?

This one is spicier. Because it requires honesty.

But notice the wording:

Not “What did I suck at?”
Not “What was I a failure at?”
Not “Why am I the way I am?” (we’re not doing that today)

Just: What do I want to do differently?
No judgment. No self-attack. No shame spiral.

And here’s the sneaky truth:

The stuff that didn’t work is often more valuable than the stuff that did.

Say whaaaatttt?!?! 

Because when something goes well, it’s sometimes hard to tell why.
Was it the prep? The mindset? The warmup? The pen? The horse? The moon phase? 😂

But when something doesn’t work?

That’s a signal.
That’s data.
That’s your nervous system (and your habits) leaving you clues.

And the faster you learn, the faster everything gets easier.

Here’s what I’ve noticed:

The riders who level up aren’t the ones constantly hunting for a brand new magic trick.

They’re the ones who get really good at:

• recognizing what works… and doing more of it

• recognizing what doesn’t… and changing it without making it mean something about who they are

That’s the game.

Repeat what works. Fix what doesn’t. Repeat.

So if you want to start your New Year off right, do this with me:

1. What actually worked for you this year (in your riding + mindset)?

2. What didn’t work — and what do you now know because of it?

You might be surprised what you discover.

Happy New Year,
Nicole

P.S. If you do this, hit reply and tell me one thing that worked for you this year. I read every response — and I love seeing what’s clicking for you.