You can still win 2026

First… if you’re in South Florida, you’re invited:

📍 Fort Lauderdale meetup, Monday, October 19. 6pm to 8pm at General Provision - the best co-working spot in Laudy. Club sodas, food, gift bags from Q Mixers and real conversations, no speeches. We've been a virtual community long enough. Time to meet one another IRL. Keeping it small on purpose, 30 spots.

Happy Thursday, Clubbies,

There are 84 days left in 2026. Double digits.

I'm not sad about it. Honestly? I think it's the best opportunity of the year to finish on a high note and still make this year a success.

Like a lot of you, I set goals every year, personal and professional. The big one I keep rambling about in here: average 20,000 steps a day for the entire year.

On paper, I'm close. Technically, I'm short.

But here's the good news. Regardless of how you started the year, or how fast those New Year's resolutions faded, there's still just enough time to make 2026 count.

Every year, the fourth quarter is a hidden opportunity to reset and build momentum.

Here's how to play Q4 like it matters (because it does - and there’s no 5th quarter):

1. Do a quick audit

Take stock of your progress so far toward your 2026 personal goals.

What's actually worked for you this year? What hasn't? No judgment, just facts. Write it down, otherwise you can't fix what you ignore.

If cutting back on drinks and eating healthy was on your list, pull up your bar tab and your bank app. Did more cash go to cocktails or to groceries? Did more nights end with DoorDash or with you actually cooking? It's not about shaming yourself. It's about spotting the patterns. Because once you see them, you can flip them.

2. Narrow it down to one priority

Choose the one thing that would move the needle most, and make it the focus for the rest of the year.

Block time on your calendar to focus on this priority and try to knock it off early in the day.

If your priority is drinking less, set yourself up with a swap strategy. Have your go-to club soda order ready, keep a stash of Q Club Soda or your favorite alcohol-free options in the fridge, and line up a couple of "yes" plans that don't revolve around the bar. The goal isn't forcing willpower every time temptation shows up. It's stacking easy wins and putting yourself in situations where you don't have to think twice.

If your priority is working out, make it the first thing you do. Hit the gym, the bike lane, the yoga mat, whatever your thing is, before life piles on. Because once Slack/Teams, work emails, family obligations and random errands come crashing in, that workout slot vanishes. Pay your dues early, and the rest of the day feels like extra gravy.

If your priority is eating healthier, start by eliminating the temptations. Delete the delivery apps. Yes, even McDonald's, even DoorDash. Don't worry, all your points, your coupons, your "order again" history will still be there if you ever reinstall. But for now? Out of sight, out of mouth.

Replace it with a short list of easy, go-to meals you can make at home without hating your life.

3. Reverse engineer the next 84 days

Break it down backwards. Where do you want to land on December 31st? Now map the milestones you'll need to hit in October, November and December to get there.

If your goal is to get in shape by New Year's Eve, picture it: stronger, fitter, more confident in your clothes. Cool. Work it back:

Same goes for drinking less. Want 36 alcohol-free nights before New Year's? That's three a week.

4. Use Q4 as a launchpad, not the endgame

Don't buy into the myth that "it's too late." That's the easy excuse. These 84 days are the foundation of 2027.

Think of October as your on-ramp. If you're taking October off from drinking, that's momentum already in your pocket. Don't let it slip away at Halloween just because you're banking on Dry January. Ride that wave through November and December, and you'll hit 2027 already ahead of the pack.

5. Replace the drinking buddy with an accountability buddy

It's easy to find someone who'll split a bar tab with you. What you really need is someone who'll split the grind with you.

Going solo is tough. Having someone in your corner who knows what you're aiming for makes it harder to drift off course.

An accountability buddy gives you two big wins: they cheer when you hit your marks, and they call you out (with love) when you start slipping.

And if you don't have one? I'll be that guy. Seriously. Just hit reply to this email with your Q4 goal.

Or find a few in person at a meetup. Cleveland showed up 55 strong last month. Fort Lauderdale, you're next on the 19th.

You don't need to wait till January 1st to mark a fresh start. You need a line in the sand.

Eighty-four days, one priority, and the guts to stick with it.

Stay Sparkling,

Sorin

produced by Scott Nixon

Michael Gezze is an artist and a year and nine months into the Club Soda Club. In this episode, he talks about how drawing caricatures full time gave him purpose and connection, why a mural project changed how he thinks about his own work, and the simplest advice on the show: learn to love yourself. You can't grow what you're still masking.

Know someone who's thinking about it? There's no membership requirement.

Part-time members, full-time members, "I'm just curious" members. All welcome. So whether you've got a friend who's been saying "I should probably cut back" every Sunday morning for the last six months, or a friend who's already all-in on the alcohol-free life and just hasn't found their people yet — send them your link. They subscribe to the free newsletter, you both win. No pressure, no program, no weird pamphlets.

Basically, if they've ever ordered a club soda (or anything else alcohol-free) and felt like they had to explain themselves... they're already one of us.

👇👇👇