As we enter another new year, there’s no better time to adjust your daily habits to help you become the healthiest version of yourself mentally and physically. Here are three strategies you can incorporate into your New Year’s expectations and resolutions that will help ensure 2026 is your healthiest year yet! Start every day strong. Many Americans fall into the same routines year after year, and most are dangerous for their overall well-being. They stay up too late, wake up to an alarm a few hours later, scramble to get ready, and jump in the car as soon as possible to get to work. Your morning routine sets the tone for your day. If you’re in a hurry every morning, you will feel rushed and exhausted. Give yourself ample time in the morning to take care of yourself and some simple chores. Make your bed, have a glass of water, take good care of your hygiene, eat something, and incorporate some movement into your mornings. It will be hard initially, but you’ll feel the benefits within a few weeks. Diet and exercise matter. This is probably not news to you, but we can’t downplay the importance of diet and exercise. Listen to your body; it will tell you what it needs. Many people fall into the trap of overeating without realizing it or starving themselves when they want to lose weight, but this won’t make them feel good. 3 Daily Habits That Will Transform Your 2026
The long arm of the IRS can reach deeper into your life than you might expect. In the case of a couple who came to us recently for help, the agency even derailed their plans to visit family members overseas. This couple came to us in April 2023 with a total tax debt of $150,000 from the years 2008–2012. The issue had come to a head because the husband had been unable to renew his expired passport. This husband, a salaried employee, and the wife, a food-service employee at a school, were eager to pay a long-overdue visit to the wife’s family in Italy, and the wife had an Italian passport. But they wanted to make the trip together. And if citizens owe more than $62,000 in back taxes (the threshold as of 2024), the IRS can notify the U.S. Department of State, which in turn blocks them from securing or renewing a U.S. passport. This case was unusual in an important way. While investigating their case, I realized the statute of limitations on their IRS debt would expire in October 2025, 10 years after their last assessment or tax filing. After that drop-dead date, the ledger would be clear, and their debt would expire. With luck, if we did nothing, the debt might simply go away. We also had the option of pursuing a proactive solution to resolve the debt sooner. While we might have been able to negotiate a reduction in the couple’s total debt, they probably would still have had to make sizable installment payments to the IRS. So, I asked them: “Do you want to do nothing, hoping that we can cat-and-mouse the IRS for 2 1/2 years and make this go away? Or do you want to try to reach a proactive solution right away, so you can clear up the passport issue and take your trip?” They agreed that doing nothing was the best course of action, to wait out the statute of limitations. Fortunately, that strategy worked, and our clients ended up paying nothing. The IRS notices have stopped, and the $150,000 debt is gone. Free and clear of the IRS, I’m sure the couple will be planning their trip to Italy soon. Based on the last text messages I’ve received from them, they’ll be happy travelers for sure. HOW ONE COUPLE’S WAITING GAME PAID OFF Toph’s Tax Triumphs
Eat when your body tells you to, stick to a healthy diet, and find
time for exercise. You need to find ways to motivate yourself, especially when you want to stay in bed and stick to comfort foods. Your body will thank you.
Drink more water. How much water do you drink each day? The U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and
Medicine determined that men should drink about 15.5 cups of fluids daily and women should drink 11.5 cups. If you aren’t hitting these numbers, it’s time to adjust. Start and finish each day with a glass of water. Walk around with a refillable bottle. Staying hydrated will help your body function much better.
–Toph Sheldon
2 • 513-513-8674
Published by Newsletter Pro • newsletterpro.com
Made with FlippingBook Ebook Creator