2026 Goals, Training & Otherwise
Happy New Year, everybody! I always look forward to writing up my yearly training goals. I have a lot of classes I want to take and instructors I want to train with. Each new year is a new opportunity to do that. There are also some non-training things I want to accomplish, like reading more books (always more books!), teaching a few classes, etc. Here’s a look at what I want to get done in 2026.
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Some people don’t like New Year’s resolutions, though I usually just call them “goals.” I have a pretty strong track-record of keeping (and usually exceeding) mine, however (2020, 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025). . It just takes discipline. Maybe more importantly, they are an awesome opportunity to build some discipline. Anyway, these are my goals for 2026.
Dry January
Since I totally spaced on doing Sober October in 2024, today is the first day of Dry January (for me, anyway). It’s also time for me to re-read Drink? The New Science of Alcohol & Health by Dr. David Nutt. Alcohol is an incredibly powerful and addictive substance. Proving to yourself (if no one else) that you can step away from it is an important step if you choose to imbibe. It’s also a good break for your liver, and it’s an awesome opportunity to reset your relationship with this drug. Feel free to join me this year - but no pressure.
Rangemaster Defensive Shotgun Instructor
I had planned to take this class last year. I booked the course and was looking forward to it (partially in hopes of taking Advanced Shotgun Instructor this year). Unfortunately my job intervened. I had the opportunity to take a rarely-given law enforcement class that overlapped. I had to jump on that opportunity; I had a rare opportunity to take this class during the first three weeks of my LE career. That’s OK, though - I’m taking Rangemaster Defensive Shotgun Instructor this year in June. The class is held in Buford, GA, just outside of Atlanta - a pretty easy flight from just about anywhere. I would love to see some of you there!
Hearne/Pressburg Who Wins/No Fail Pistol
John Hearne’s “Who Wins, Who Loses, and Why” lecture has been on my shortlist for a long time. Chuck Pressburg’s No Fail Pistol has been on my shortlist for a long time. The two combined? I couldn’t pass it up.
I’ve had the short version of Hearne’s presentation a couple of times in the first Cognitive Conclave and at the Rangemaster Protective Pistolcraft class. The class title is a take-off on one of my favorite books, Deep Survival: Who Lives, Who Dies, and Why by Laurence Gonzales. The presentation covers some fascinating topics, like tangible, achievable things you can do to better your odds of success in a gunfight, other than just go to the range…and much, much more. I’ll update you in the after action.
I haven’t trained with Chuck Pressburg, but I want to. No Fail Pistol - as I understand it - is about extreme accuracy when you have to make the shot. I’m very much looking forward to learning what I can from his class. The class is in November out at Mead Hall. Again, I would love to see some of you there.
Basic SWAT Operator
I am scheduled for the Basic SWAT Operator course through work this year. This is part of my job…so I don’t expect it to be the best tactical training ever, but I’m keeping an open mind.
Read 120 Books
Since I started keeping track in 2020, I have kept up a pretty ambitious reading pace. I have read almost 550 books in that time. This year I want to elevate my goal just a big. I would like to read 150 books. That’s twelve and a half books a month - more than I’ve read since I’ve been keeping track, but also not really that many more per month than I typically ready. I will have to stay on it throughout the year, making this an actual challenge.
Visit Delaware
Delaware is one of the few contiguous U.S. states I have not visited. This year I plan to correct that. Unfortunately there’s not a lot of big attractions in DE, so if you have an idea of what I should see, eat, or experience while I’m there, let me know!
This Seems Like a Short List
This does seem like a fairly short post. I’m sure some things will come up, though. By next December, hopefully I’ll be writing about having accomplished all these things and a few more.