The “Misogi, 6 Mini Adventures, 4 Winning Habits” Framework: A Blueprint for an Intentional Year

The “Misogi, 6 Mini Adventures, 4 Winning Habits” Framework: A Blueprint for an Intentional Year

Every year, we set out with resolutions: get fit, travel more, be more present. But too often, those goals fade by February. Jesse Itzler’s Misogi, 6 Mini Adventures, 4 Winning Habits framework flips the script. Instead of focusing on generic goals, it structures the year around one defining challenge, six small adventures, and four sustainable habits – a formula for growth, joy, and presence.

1. The Misogi Challenge: Define Your Year by One Big Thing

A “Misogi” is a life-shaping challenge - something so difficult that it redefines your personal limits. It’s meant to push you outside your comfort zone, creating a story you’ll talk about for years.

This could mean:

• Running your first marathon (even if you’ve never been a runner).
• Launching a side business or creative project.
• Quitting a draining habit or breaking through a personal fear.

The key is to pick something so bold that there’s a 50/50 chance you’ll fail. Why? Growth lives on that edge. When you finally cross the finish line (literally or metaphorically), it becomes a “year marker” - the event that defines your growth.

2. Kevin’s Rule: Six Mini Adventures to Keep Life Fresh

Big challenges make for defining moments, but small adventures keep life vibrant. Jesse credits his friend Kevin with the idea of adding one mini adventure every two months - things you wouldn’t normally do, but that punch color into your routine.

Think hiking an unfamiliar trail, camping overnight, salsa lessons, or exploring a nearby town without a plan. These micro-adventures build novelty and prevent the grind of routine from dulling the year.

Six adventures allow for structure (one every two months) but also spontaneity - an invitation to say “yes” more often. You don’t have to travel across the world to live adventurously; curiosity at home counts too.

3. Four Winning Habits: One Quarterly Focus That Lasts

The third part of the framework brings balance: four new habits, one per quarter. The trick is focus - instead of juggling five improvements at once, you dedicate three months to mastering a single, meaningful habit.

Some simple but powerful examples include:

• Q1: Morning journaling for clarity.
• Q2: Daily movement - even 20 minutes counts.
• Q3: No-phone mornings or screen-free dinners.
• Q4: Practicing gratitude each night.

By slowing down the pace of habit-building, you make each one stick. At year’s end, you don’t just have a list of abandoned resolutions - you have four integrated, lasting changes shaping your lifestyle.

Living by Design, Not Default

The beauty of the Misogi framework lies in its balance:

• One bold pursuit expands your limits.
• Six adventures enrich your daily experience.
• Four winning habits anchor sustainable growth.

Instead of a year that blurs together, you finish with a collage of stories, habits, and moments that define who you’ve become.

‍

My own 2026 Commitments

Misogi

Getting my driver's license. I know this seems trivial, but I'll be learning to drive a manual car on the other side of the road than I'm used to, having just moved from a country I lived in for 12 years that didn't require me to have one.

6 Mini Adventures

1. Cottage week with my friends in Spain. While this is an annual ritual for my friend Brad (as this centers around his birthday), this week serves as a fun "do nothing" week and a chance to completely disconnect.
2. Go to the theatre in London. I'll be living close by in Brighton, and one of my favourite things about the London is going to the theatre so I want to take advantage of it more often.
3. Take a pottery class. There's a studio around the corner from where I live, and I thought it would be fun to give it a try.
4. Go on a long bike ride. This is one that may seem silly considering I live in Amsterdam, but I'm moving to the UK and have a new gravel bike so I want to take advantage of it.
5. Embark on a new culinary challenge. Since becoming vegan this past February, I've been challenging myself in the kitchen. I would love to cook something outside of my comfort zone.
6. Speak at an event or conference. I usually try to line up a few speaking opportunities every year. I had one lined up in January that I had to cancel due to immigration issues, so I'll be on the hunt for a new one.

4 Habits

I'm adapting this slightly from the quarterly implementation since not everything is a daily ritual.

1. Daily movement. Walking more, strength training, pilates and biking.
2. Write more. I'd like to publish a new article to my blog 2 times per month, which will leave me with 24 unique pieces of content by the end of the year.
3. Read more. At least 10 pages every day. I used to read so much and this habit has completely ground to a halt in the past few years.
4. Reach my savings goal. The same amount deducted off every pay cheque, automatically in a savings account. Non-negotiable.