FRLN106: Choose Your Fitness Adventure, Track The Golden Money Metric, Make 2026 Your Best Year Yet
We’re officially in the very first stretch of 2026.
And before I touched goals, metrics, or tactics, I spent the last week working 1-on-1 with my coaching clients on something more important:
Vision.
Not “what do you want to do this year?”
But…
“What would have to happen for 2026 to be the best year of your life?”
This entire issue is about setting the tone — in fitness, money, and life — so the year compounds in the right direction.
Let’s dive in.
FIT — Choose a Fitness Adventure
Some of the most joy, excitement, and aliveness I’ve felt in my life have come from fitness adventures.
In past years, that’s looked like:
Spartan races
Long-distance bike events
Obsessive training blocks with a clear purpose
In 2026, my fitness adventure is simple:
I’m taking pickleball seriously.
That means:
Competing in DUPR-rated games and tournaments
Attending one (or more) pickleball training camps
Committing to becoming significantly better
Here’s the honest starting point:
I don’t even have a DUPR yet.
FTR: DUPR = Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating. It’s a global skill rating system for pickleball players that aims to accurately measure a player’s level based on actual match results, not self-assessment.
Based on my coach’s feedback, I’m probably around a 3.5–3.7 right now, which means step one this year is getting rated by stepping into the arena and competing.
I’m setting a lofty fitness goal for 2026: 5.0 DUPR (pro-level territory)
Will I hit it? Probably not. I only started playing in April 2024.
But that’s not the point anymore.
If I start this year unrated, earn a DUPR, and break into the 4.0+ range over time, I’ll be absolutely stoked. I’ll be faster, sharper, and far more capable than I am today.
And that’s what matters.
For context: 4.0-4.5 is an advanced recreational (competitive) player, and a 4.5+ is a high-level tournament player.
One of my favorite client examples from last year:
A client came to me unable to do a single unassisted pull-up.
By the end of the year, he was doing multiple sets of 10+ reps.
His physique changed.
His confidence exploded.
He felt powerful in his body.
That’s what happens when your workouts are in service of something meaningful.
So for 2026, ask yourself:
A HYROX race?
A marathon?
A six-pack?
Pull-ups?
Something totally different?
The goal itself doesn’t matter.
The meaning does.
Choose a fitness adventure that gives purpose to your training — and let your body become a byproduct of the pursuit.
RICH — Track (and Raise) Your Savings Rate
If financial independence is the goal, this is still the single most important metric:
Your savings rate.
Your savings rate is simply:
How much of your income you keep after expenses — and then invest.
There is no path to financial independence without saving and investing.
Here’s the magic most people miss:
If you can reach a 50% savings rate, you’re looking at roughly a 10-year path to Financial Independence (FI), starting from a net worth of zero.
So the strategy for 2026 is straightforward:
Track your savings rate
Set a savings rate goal
Improve it over time
That’s it.
Maybe:
You’re at 5% → push it up to 10–15%
You’re at 15–20% → aim for 30–40%
You’re feeling bold → go for 50%+
Apps like Monarch Money make this ridiculously easy (not sponsored) to track your SR as they calculate it for you. Monarch has a monthly subscription fee, but you can also do it manually as long as you track your income & expenses. There are plenty of free apps that can track your income & expenses. Then you can manually calculate your SR at the end of every month.
If savings rate tracking becomes part of your money routine, 2026 will almost guarantee you’re wealthier by the end of the year.
Even if you miss the goal this year — this habit of tracking your savings rate will radically change your money trajectory and put you on the path to FI.
LIFE — Design the Best Year Yet (On Purpose)
Here’s the exercise I did with every coaching client last week:
I had them imagine it’s December 2026.
They’re looking back on the year and saying:
“This was the best year of my life.”
Then I asked:
What happened to make that true?
The answers were wildly different:
More joy
More money
More mobility
Feeling rooted
Deeper marriage
Better boundaries
Consistent workouts
Going on adventures
There is no “right” version of the best year yet.
There’s only your version.
Once they had clarity, I had them choose:
A word or phrase for the year.
A simple anchor to guide daily decisions.
My phrase for 2026 is:
Ultra High Net Life.
Not maximizing net worth.
Maximizing life.
Using the resources I’ve built to create the richest possible lived experience.
That doesn’t mean I won’t grow income or wealth — it just means life comes first.
One final question to lock this in:
If Q1 sets the tone for the year…
What has to be true by April 1st for you to feel like you’re on track?
For me:
Attend a pickleball camp and/or compete in a tournament
Do things that clearly signal “Ultra High Net Life”
For you, it might be:
A goal officially in motion
A decision finally made
A boundary enforced
A routine established
A habit locked in
A trip booked
Whatever it is — name it.
Because clarity creates momentum.
And momentum is how you make 2026 your best year yet.
ACTION — Set The Tone
Pick one and implement it this week:
FIT — Commit to your adventure.
Choose the fitness challenge that will guide your training this year. Sign up for the event, book the camp, hire the coach, or put the date on the calendar. Motivation follows commitment — not the other way around.RICH — Set your savings-rate target.
Calculate your current savings rate and write down a clear 2026 goal. Even a small increase changes your financial trajectory. Track it monthly and let progress — not perfection — be the win.LIFE — Name your North Star.
Write your word or phrase for 2026. Use it as a filter for decisions this week. If Q1 sets the tone, let this be the week you start choosing in alignment with the year you want to look back on.
Your best year yet isn’t created in December 2026.
It’s created now — in the early, quiet weeks when you decide who you’re becoming and what matters most.
Here’s to building your Fit Rich Life with intention, momentum, and a clear vision for the year ahead.
To your health, wealth, and happiness,
— Justin David Carl
P.S. I have 2 spaces open in my coaching practice for truly ambitious people who want to take their fitness, money, and life to the next level in 2026. If that's you, book a FREE Consultation to find out if we're a good fit. Serious applicants only. I only work with 10 aligned clients at a time.