“The time has come for everyone to clean up their own backyard, before they go knocking on their neighbor’s door.” These words of wisdom are from a House of Pain song from their eponymous 1992 album. I still remember every lyric on this album 34 years later, but somehow can’t remember the names of some of my current co-workers. Such is the power of music, I guess.
Anyway, I can’t espouse the virtues of business and personal finance to medical professionals on this site without a little personal accountability. So, this yearly goal-setting exercise is my version of cleaning up my backyard. I don’t want Everlast, DJ Lethal, or Danny Boy to come after me.
2025 Goals
A goal without a plan is just a wish, and accountability involves keeping score. No participation trophies here, people.
2025 Business Goals
Sell a Business (Win)
I sold one of our family practice businesses. I mentioned it already in “My Obligatory End-of-the-Year Article,” and I’ll go into more detail in a separate post later this year.
Grow BBM (Loss)
Heather and I published 59 articles in 2025 and managed to publish at least one article every week. The late-year addition of my monthly favorite blog post article and Heather’s newly started monthly favorite podcast episodes article should bump up that total this year. But what was my plan to grow?
“To facilitate this growth, I will attend at least one related conference and write at least one guest post on another site. I would also like to write more about business this year. . . I would also like to finish a book this year. I have begun writing three books and have only finished one short e-book, which I haven’t released. This goes to another goal: to be bolder and take some risks with my writing and the site. I tend to be overly conservative.”
Let’s look at each one: I did not attend a conference (Fail), I did write a guest post for WCI that I’m proud of, but it wasn’t published until Jan 3, 2026, so I guess I’ll still count it (Win). I didn’t write more about business (Fail), and I didn’t finish a book or do anything with the E-book I wrote (Fail). Finally, I do believe I was bolder and took some risks with my writing. That is evident in articles like: “Going Home Again”, “A Lighthearted Look at 50”, and “The Seven Deadly Sins of Money.”
Although I’m proud of the content we published in 2025, I don’t believe we grew the blog very much, and I certainly didn’t accomplish all the items I said I would, so this one goes in the Loss column. I still love writing and believe that our message is important, so I don’t intend to stop BBM anytime soon.
Grow UC Company (Loss)
After purchasing three UC clinics in late 2024, last year was never going to be a big year for expansion. However, I still wrote the following last January: “While expansion is not in the cards for 2025, I would like to identify at least one location or market for expansion in 2026. We plan on continued growth and opening a new location next year, so we need to start that process by the end of this one.”
Things didn’t go as smoothly as I had hoped after our acquisition. Throw in some personnel issues, and 2025 turned into an all-hands-on-deck kind of year, so we won’t be expanding in 2026 either. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men, as Robert Burns would have said . . . more or less.
2025 Financial Goals
Reduce Debt (Win)
In March, I wrote “I Have Millions of Dollars of Debt,” describing my remaining real estate liabilities and how I wasn’t very worried about it. However, I had the goal of reducing that debt as I approach retirement. So, how did I do?
My total liabilities (normalized to a net worth of $10 million) was an astonishing $3,326,656! This is all real estate debt, broken down as follows at the beginning of 2025.
After publishing this article, I made a concentrated effort to pay down my debt, starting with my family home, which carries the highest interest rate. I ended the year with $2,935,178, meaning I paid off 11.8% of my debt in 2025. Here is the same table at the beginning of 2026.
Remember that these are not absolute numbers (although the percentage I paid down is still correct). I index all these numbers to a net worth of $10M, as I do not reveal my net worth. Regardless, paying down 12% of my debt in a year without having to sell anything absolutely puts this goal in the Win column.
Open DAF (carried over from 2024) (Win)
In a case of better late than never, I finally opened a donor-advised fund in late 2025. I outlined my $234,000 contribution of appreciated stock in “Putting My Money Where My Charity Mouth Is”. Goal finally accomplished. I will continue to update my charitable progress over time, as I continue to grow that total substantially.
2025 Personal Goals
Be Consistent (Win)
I met my goal of exercising at least 3 times per week for 48 or more weeks. In fact, I did it every week of the year. Unfortunately, I did not meet my goal of working out 250 days, falling shy at 237. However, I have been consistent for the last two years. There were many times that I didn’t want to work out, but I did anyway. When internal motivation fails, having an extrinsic goal helps to keep me on track.
Address Medical Issues (Loss)
This one was a big L. I only saw my PCP once this year for a routine annual visit. I am still having shoulder pain that affects my workouts. My knees still sound like breakfast cereal (snap, crackle, and pop) every time I squat. In some good news, I started running a bit with my son a few months ago and got up to 3 miles without any knee pain, so I’ll take that as a win, but otherwise… physician, heal thyself? Nah, not enough time.
2026 Goals
Now that we have tallied the 4 wins and 3 losses of 2025, let’s move on to 2026, where I will try to do better. I’m not going to get crazy with my goals this year. The most important things to me remain my family and my health. Everything else is less important at this stage of my life.
2026 Business Goals
Maximize Urgent Care Profitability
Our profit margin dropped in 2025 as we assimilated the new clinics we had purchased. We were in the black as a company, but adjustments will be needed to return to our previous profitability level.
I wrote about some challenges to the UC industry in our local market way back in January 2024, in “Don’t Be Bitter, Be Better.” Some of those challenges have progressed as I predicted, and we will have to focus more on the bottom line this year. My year-over-year goals for 2026 are to lower expenses by at least 3%, increase revenue by 15% at our two new clinics, and increase our profitability by 50%. Those are lofty goals, and it’s going to take some work, but I think we can get there.
Complete a Book
As I mentioned above, I have been “working” on a book for the last couple of years, but I’ve never really gotten serious about finishing it. 2026 is the year. Spoiler Alert: This is a book about personal finance for medical professionals. I have no desire to get a book deal, which seems like a giant PITA to me. I plan to self-publish the book and give it away to residents, new attendings, APPs who work for me, and anyone else in my life who will benefit from it.
2026 Financial Goals
Continue to Reduce Debt
As I have millions of dollars in real estate debt, I’m not going to get rid of it all in one year unless I start selling properties, which isn’t part of my long-term plan. Therefore, I will continue to aggressively pay down my debt this year. Specifically, I would like to reduce it by a higher percentage than in 2025, pay off another rental property, and finish paying off my Austin home mortgage.
2026 Personal Goals
Be Consistent
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I will attempt to continue my consistent workout schedule for the third straight year, working out at least 3 times per week for 48 of the 52 weeks of the year. Overall, my goal is to work out 240 days this year.
The only problem with my workouts over the last few years is that sometimes I can just phone them in. If I’m tired and need one more workout by the end of the week, I just throw on a 25lb weight vest and go walk the hills in my neighborhood. While this is much better than doing nothing, it isn’t what I would call a spirited workout.
My goal this year is to make sure I look as fit as I have in the past—no excuses for age. I need to make sure my diet is a little better and that I am performing enough cardio to maintain my desired lean/muscular physique. I will write an article about FI and exercise toward the end of 2026 and include a few pictures of my results. This will force me to focus on both the process and the outcome.
Run a 5k with My Son.
My 10-year-old son became interested in running toward the end of last year. I ran with him several times in our neighborhood. I have not run for at least 5 years due to my knee pain. I guess taking some time off helped, because I was able to run up to 3 pain-free miles.
I am not running fast, but I am running again. We have been talking about running a 5k together sometime this year. I think that sounds like a great way to spend some time with my boy. So, let’s make it a goal.
Conclusion
“The weight of the world ridin’ on my shoulders, ‘cause I’m a soldier, I thought I told ya’.” – Helmet & House of Pain.
There was a time when I felt like I had to take on the world each year with the ferocity of a caged animal. I had grand ambitions to buy real estate, start a business, do more, and make more money. Always more. It was almost a visceral need. Fortunately, I don’t feel that way anymore. I became successful. I realized life wasn’t always a battle. I grew up.
My goals for 2026 are more iterative than ambitious, more subdued than ferocious. No growth for growth’s sake anymore. But I still need goals. They help to keep my tendency towards blind ambition in check by making me focus on the things that are important for me to accomplish each year. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
Thanks for reading. What are your 2026 goals? How did you do last year? Let me know in the comments and consider subscribing to our blog.