Read this before you set another goal in 2026 it could change everything.

In today’s letter, you'll learn:

• Why most goals fail (and it has nothing to do with willpower)

• The identity-first framework I used to build 6 types of freedom in 2025

• How 12-week sprints + weekly proof creates unstoppable momentum

• Why 2026 is the year to bet on yourself as an online entrepreneur (and what that actually means)

• The one shift that separates people who dream from people who achieve

It's January 6th, and I'm guessing you're feeling one of two things right now:

Either you're ready to attack 2026, writing down your goals with fresh energy and a clean slate...

Or you're ignoring goal setting this year, because deep down, you know this story ends in February, when life gets busy, and those goals become an afterthought

Whichever camp you’re in, this is your reset.

But what if you could be more sure your goals will be met this year?

Here's what I’d love you to know before you write a single goal in 2026:

The way most people set goals is designed to fail.

Not because of laziness, or lack of discipline.

but goal design, it’s inherently flawed.

I know this because I spent years doing it wrong.

But in 2025, I got it right and the result was FREEDOM

Let me take you back to 2016 (stay with me, it’s worth the journey).

I was in my foundation years as a junior doctor, watching the strikes unfold, and I remember saying something that made people uncomfortable:

"This is going to be long. This is going to be protracted and We might not win this War”

To me it wasn't just about pay, it was the end of the professional era as we knew it.

People thought I was being dramatic.

Ten years later, I was right. We are still striking and still stuck in the time for labour trap.

I’m no psychic. However, I've learned to see patterns and to notice the earthquake coming before most people feel the tremor.

In 2024, I made another prediction:

Doctors are entering the era of the online entrepreneur

Creativity is now a premium product.

AI will be a tool people use this year, but it won't replace the human need for authenticity, story, or lived experience.

I didn't just predict it I lived it.

I built a coaching business that transformed 30+ doctors' careers.

I launched creative projects that got me named one of the

Top 25 Women in Afrobeats

I spoke at the Royal Colleges.

I played chess with a Guinness World Record holder.

I worked from Barcelona, from Abuja, from cities I chose.

Why haven’t I spoken about any goals yet?

Well the truth is, I didn’t achieve any of this by setting better goals.

I did it by changing the foundation underneath them.

Here's the problem with how most of us were taught to set goals:

We start with the outcome.

"I want to earn £150k."
"I want to lose 20 Kgs."
"I want to start a side business."

Then we reverse-engineer the steps, into action plans and deadlines.

Like most things, it works (for a while). We're motivated. We're moving.

But then life happens (usually around Feb/March). A bad week at work. A family emergency. A moment of self-doubt.

And because the goal was never connected to who you are only to what you want it falls apart.

You might even think
“Maybe I'm just not the kind of person who follows through.”

But that's not true.

The truth is,

You can't perform your way into a new identity

You have to start with identity first and let the goals flow from there.

Otherwise you’re trying to build a skyscrapper on sand. So it’s bound to collapse

The foundation was never there.

In 2025, I flipped the script.

Instead of asking "What do I want to achieve?" I asked:

"Who do I want to become? And what would that version of me do this week?"

This changed everything.

I stopped chasing outcomes and started building identity. 

1. Identity first. Always.

Before you set a single goal, get clear on who you're becoming.

Not what you want to have. Not what you want to do. But who you are at your core.

For me, that was: A woman building freedom on my own terms.

A doctor. A creator. A coach.

Once I knew that, the goals became obvious.

They weren't something I forced, but the natural expression of who I was becoming.

I decided I was a fit person, and so running became easy for me.

Then I layered in two things that made it all work:

2. 12-week sprints.

Forget annual goals. They're too far away to feel real.

I broke everything into 12-week cycles.

Three months is long enough to make real progress, but short enough to stay focused and adjust quickly.

3. Weekly proof.

Every single week, I asked myself:

What's one piece of evidence that I'm becoming who I say I am?

Ran 5K? Proof.
Sent the pitch? Proof.
Had the hard conversation? Proof.

Week by week, I built a body of evidence that I was exactly who I said I was.

That's how you WIN. 

Not with one big goal, with small, consistent proof that you're becoming the person who gets the outcome you want.

How to Build an Identity-First Goal That Works

Step 1: Define your identity.
Write down 3-5 words that describe who you're becoming in 2026.

Not what you're doing. Who you're being.

Step 2: Pick ONE 12-week sprint.
What's one area of your life where you want to see proof by the end of March? Just one. Don't scatter your energy.

Step 3: Define weekly proof.
What will you do this week that proves you're becoming that person?

Make it small and doable, but make it count.

That's it. That's the framework that gave me freedom in 2025.

If you want to get Crystal Clear on your career and diversity routes for income.

You’re the first to hear about this as loyal reader. Free Workshop Registration

This is where we go deeper.

I’ll walk you through the exact Crystalisation Process™ I’ve used to help over 30 doctors uncover their true direction, design aligned income streams, and build careers that don’t require waiting for permission or sacrificing who they are

Here's what I know about 2026:

The world is moving fast!

AI is here, and the old rules don't apply anymore.

But here's what won't change:

People will always need people who understand them. 

That's you, that's me and all of us who choose to keep moving forward.

So don't set goals like everyone else this year.

Build your identity first. Then let the goals follow.

I'll be here every week, to help you figure out how to stay ahead.

One more thing:

One of my goals for 2026 is to dispense consistent value to you every single week, sharing what I'm learning, what I'm building, and what I'm seeing as this era unfolds.

I’m becoming someone who can reach more doctors than I ever could one-on-one.

I would be so grateful for your help, so if you know a doctor (or anyone) who needs to hear this, forward them this email. 

Let them know they can sign up at thesecond-opinion.com 

The more of us who choose freedom, the louder this movement becomes.

Until then,

Keep moving forward.

Dr Niks

P.S. If you've been waiting for a sign to bet on yourself this year, this is it.. I’m holding a clarity workshop for Doctors who want to get super clear on their identity and vision for 2026. It’s free but spaces are limited. Enjoy HERE