Misogi 2026: One Year of Publishing Every Week
Reposted from Substack (January 19th, 2026)
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had the thought, inkling, desire, idea, goal, whatever you wanna call it, to start writing and publishing online.
It’s definitely TOO MANY TIMES to have a thought without taking action. 🤦🏻♀️
Okay well, I’ve taken itty bitty actions a bunch of times over the years but nothing concrete enough to stick.
Here it is on my 2022 vision board… lol
Yeah, I blanked out a bunch of other stuff on here ;) nosy people!
I think I wrote one or two pieces and published them on my personal website that year, but then I got my US permanent residency and was finally allowed to get a job and well, I had to get busy makin’ money.
But this time, it’s different. I’m committing to this.
It’s my MISOGI. (pronounced: mih-SOH-gee)
If you’ve never heard that word, you’re definitely like, what the heck? So let me explain.
If you’ve never heard that word, you’re definitely like, what the heck? So let me explain.
A misogi is technically a traditional Japanese ritual of purification through cold water immersion, like standing under a waterfall to cleanse the body and spirit.
But, entrepreneur and overall really cool person, Jesse Itzler, has popularized this idea of a modern misogi, which is where individuals undertake a daunting, year-defining personal quest to push their limits and foster transformation, growth, and resilience. He talks about misogi more here. I’m extremely inspired by him and his community.
A lot of people in Jesse’s circle choose crazy physical feats like ultramarathons or summiting mountains, but many also choose things like writing a book, cutting out alcohol, or going all in on a business.
This year, my misogi is to write and publish atleast once a week on Substack. I’m not limiting myself to any one particular topic or theme (it’s definitely gonna be a little all over the place, that’s what makes it fun), but I always want to be improving my communication skills and writing is one way to do that.
This is post #3 of 52 and I have basically no idea what I’m doing, but I’m having fun figuring it out tbh.
I’ve done a misogi one other time: in 2022, I did the 12-hour-walk.
I read the book 12 Hour Walk by Colin O’Brady (he’s a world-record-holding-adventurer who walked across Antatarctica alone for 54 days and has survived a whole bunch of other crazy dangerous and fascinating feats). He challenged readers to embark on a 12-hour walk to overcome limiting beliefs and achieve a “Possible Mindset”.
No music, no podcasts, no conversation buddies, no texting, no distractions: just you and your thoughts outside for 12 hours.
I even roped my brother into participating (all the way in Canada). We walked on the same day at the same time, and we said we’d debrief our thoughts and revelations at the end of it. We mostly complained about how much our feet hurt, but then we debriefed about our experience, thoughts, and beliefs.
That misogi was done in a day. This writing misogi will be done in a year. This is good for me though. I’ve fallen into a trap lately of starting things and giving up too soon.
As of this writing, I haven’t even told anyone about it, but honestly that’s making it feel too easy. I’m avoiding the hard part.
I wanted to just write, not worry about who was reading it (ahem, judging it), and not make it a whole “big thing”, but, I probably need to hold my own feet to the fire, get over myself, and tell people about it.
So, hello to anyone who found my Substack and bothered to read this far: besties, friends, and family (hi!!), old friends from high school, random acquaintances I met on vacation years ago, and maybe even people who are secretly wanting to see me fail (ouch, but true, hello anyway!).
While you’re here… I challenge you to figure out your own 2026 misogi. Don’t overthink it, just make your own life interesting by going for it and doing the damn thing.
Feel free to follow along while I figure things out and share what I learn in real time.
I’ve got ambitious (and many undefined) plans for 2026 that include another cross-country move from Tampa to Baltimore, starting a business, and hopefully, getting out of my own way.
