THE JANUARY “LAZARUS” PROTOCOL

Resurrecting your year before it turns into groundhog day.

It’s officially the dying embers of January 2026. That went quickly, didn’t it?

If you listen closely, you can hear the collective sound of four billion people quietly sliding their yoga mats under the sofa and sheepishly re-installing the food delivery apps they deleted with such theatrical conviction 22 days ago. Ha!

We are a fascinating species, aren’t we? Every 31 December, we convince ourselves that a simple calendar flip acts as a cosmic “factory reset”. We genuinely believe that at the stroke of midnight, our DNA will spontaneously restructure itself to enjoy kale and despise procrastination. As if.

Yet, by the second week of February, we inevitably return to the “tried and tested” – which is usually (and for most of us) a polite euphemism for “the path of least resistance” involving our pajama lamas and a lack of accountability.

But here’s the good news – January is just the “beta test” of the year. If your first month was a glitchy, crash-prone mess, you can still launch the full version in February. It’s what I’m doing anyhow. Whether you start on your right foot, your left foot, or simply lurch forward like a confused toddler who sort of resembles your drunk uncle at Christmas lunch, it’s time to look at the world as it is. And your life as it could be.

Geopolitical real estate and the “manifest destiny” fever

If you feel like your personal goals are ambitious, take comfort in the fact that you aren’t nearly as delusional as global superpowers. As we move deeper into 2026, the United States is still looking at Greenland with the same thirsty intensity of a tech bro looking at a distressed startup. Get it at half price!

Despite the rest of the world’s protests – which have ranged from “Please stop” to “Seriously, this is a sovereign nation” – the American gaze remains fixed on the icy North. It’s the ultimate New Year’s resolution (said in Trumps famous drawl): “In 2026, I will finally acquire a landmass that is 80% ice and 100% not for sale.” It’s bold, it’s unnecessary, and it perfectly encapsulates the human spirit’s refusal to read the room. Like duh already!

While the U.S. eyes the glaciers, everyone is suddenly swiping right on Venezuela. Now that global energy markets have become more volatile than a toddler on a sugar high, Venezuela’s oil fields are looking more attractive than a high-interest savings account. The U.S. and its allies are suddenly very interested in “diplomatic stability,” which is geopolitical code for “we would like to put your oil in our cars, please.”

And then there is the South African Rand. Against all odds, the Rand has been flexing its muscles lately, strengthening with a vigour that suggests it’s been hitting the gym while the rest of us were binge-watching Netflix.

It’s a reminder – to all of us – that even the most volatile entities can have a “glow-up” year. And that means you can too. Can’t you?

The legal tech ultimatum – Evolve or become a museum exhibit

If you are running a legal practice in 2026 and you aren’t aggressively employing the latest in legal tech, you aren’t just “traditional” – you’re a fossil. You’re the legal equivalent of a town crier trying to compete with a satellite network. And that’s really funny if you picture it. Promise.

Your competitors are currently using AI-driven contract analysis that can spot a “force majeure” loophole in 0.4 seconds, while you’re still squinting at a photocopier that smells like burning ozone and despair. Mostly despair. The legal industry has moved beyond “using computers” to “using computers that are smarter than your senior partner”.

If you aren’t integrating platforms like AJS for practice management or utilising advanced Large Language Models for initial drafting and research, you are far behind the curve. Legal tech isn’t just about speed. Not anymore. It’s about not being the person who brings a quill to a laser-tag match.

Streamlining your practice is the only way to survive the 2026 “efficiency wars.” If you don’t automate the mundane, you will spend your life being billed by the hour for tasks my Smeg toaster could do better. And half the time it burns the toast.

Streamlining your life – The anti-5AM club manifesto

We need to talk about the 5 AM Club. Seriously. There’s a specific brand of madness that suggests the only way to be “successful” is to wake up while the owls are still finishing their shifts, drink a gallon of lemon water, take an hour to do your skin care ritual (which consists of eight different steps) and scream affirmations at the sunrise (the rooster wants his job back by the way).

This is ludicrous!

For most of us, 5 AM is not a “golden hour”. It’s a time for bad decisions and hitting the snooze button with the force of a thousand suns. All while my cats sing in harmony with my neighbour screaming her affirmations at the rising sun. I kid you not. Instead of trying to become a person you fundamentally hate, let’s streamline your life in a healthy, stable, and responsible way.

Here is your step-by-step guide to a 2026 that won’t result in a burnout (or breakdown) by March –

1. Step 1 – The inventory of absurdity – look at your current schedule. Identify three things you do purely out of habit that provide zero value. Do you spend 40 minutes a day reading comments on news articles about Greenland? Stop it. You don’t live there, and the US isn’t going to let you stay in their new “Summer House” anyway. Unless of course you claim refugee status. But we know how that all went down don’t we?
2. Step 2 – Automate your decision fatigue – the human brain can only make a finite number of good decisions per day. If you spend your morning choosing between 20 pairs of identical socks, you’ve already lost. Streamline your wardrobe, automate your grocery orders, and set your bills to “auto-pay.” Save your brainpower for things that matter – like figuring out why the Rand is suddenly so confident and how you can get you some of that.
3. Step 3 – The “stable start” (not the “early start”) – wake up at a time that allows you to eat a piece of toast without having a panic attack. If that’s 7:30 AM, great. Use the first 30 minutes of your day for nothing. No emails, no news, no social media. Just you and your coffee, preparing for the inevitable chaos of a world that is currently arguing over Venezuelan oil rights.
4. Step 4 – The 20 minute focus block – forget the “eight-hour workday.” No one works for eight hours straight. Admit the truth and shame the devil. People, not machines, work for two hours and spend the other 6 hours looking busy. Adopt the 20-minute focus block. 20 minutes of pure, unadulterated work on a single task, followed by five minutes of looking at a plant (or the latest pics of your cat). It’s sustainable, it’s responsible, and it keeps you from wanting to hurl your laptop out of a window. Or looking at your co-worker Susan suspiciously – “I wonder if all that hairspray is – in fact – flammable?”.

Why we fall back (and why that’s the point)

The reason we notoriously fall back on the “tried and tested” by mid-February is that the “tried and tested” is safe. It’s the neurological equivalent of a warm blanket. But the world of 2026 isn’t safe. It’s a swirling vortex of shifting currencies, geopolitical land-grabs, and AI that can write better poetry than your high school sweetheart. Trust me, I tried it.

We make fun of New Year’s resolutions because they are usually a lie and we tell ourselves to feel better about the holiday dessert (especially when it was the third helping. I’m not judging). But real change isn’t a resolution – it’s a system. It’s about realising that you don’t need to be a “new person.” You just need a better operating system (Shhhh I’m only supposed to mention AJS once…… but AJS can help you there).

If the United States can still hope to acquire Greenland despite every logical indicator suggesting it’s a terrible idea, you can certainly find the courage to implement a new billing software or start a sensible sleep schedule.

As we approach February, don’t mourn the resolutions you’ve already broken. The gym doesn’t miss you, and the kale was going to go bad anyway. What’s done is done. Instead, focus on the “streamline.” Adopt the tech, ignore the 5 AM lunatics, and keep an eye on the Rand.

The year is just getting started, and if we’re lucky, we might just make it to 2027 without someone trying to buy the Moon. Until then, keep your legal tech updated and your coffee strong. It’s going to be a long February.

In the meantime, if you are in need of a service provider who has a proven track record or if you want to find out how to incorporate a new tool into your existing practice management suite – or if you simply want to get started with legal tech – feel free to get in touch with AJS. We have the right combination of systems, resources, and business partnerships to assist you with incorporating supportive legal technology into your practice. Effortlessly.

AJS is always here to help you, wherever and whenever possible!

– Written by Alicia Koch on behalf of AJS