In this episode, host Adam Nugent discusses why most people stay stuck.

As 2026 approaches, most people will do what they always do: set goals, make promises, and hope this year feels different.

But hope doesn't change a year. Willingness does.

In this episode, Adam Nugent delivers a raw, deeply honest reflection on what actually creates real change—not vision boards, not motivation, and not another fresh start, but the courage to face what you've been avoiding.

Drawing from his own experiences with divorce, addiction, financial collapse, obesity, and moments of near-suicidal darkness, Adam explains why most people stay stuck: not because they lack information, but because they resist the truth about themselves.

This episode is an invitation to take off the mask. To stop numbing. To stop outsourcing responsibility. And to stop carrying unfinished pain, unspoken truths, and repeating patterns into another year.

Adam reframes pain as a teacher, darkness as a forge, and radical accountability as the foundation of confidence, intimacy, success, and peace. He challenges men to accept "what is" as the starting point for freedom—and to understand that the work they avoid will follow them until they're willing to face it.

If you want 2026 to be the year everything changes, this episode shows you where it actually begins.

The fire isn't the problem. It's the way through.

Key Takeaways:

• Why most people repeat the same year with a new calendar

• How avoidance quietly shapes your relationships, body, confidence, and peace

• Why acceptance of "what is" ends suffering faster than motivation

• The hidden cost of secrets, white lies, and self-betrayal

• How radical accountability becomes freedom—not pressure or punishment

• Why the work you avoid follows you into every new year

• How numbing behaviors keep you stuck in the same patterns

• Why pain and discomfort are not enemies, but gateways to growth

• How identity tied to money, status, or validation creates fragility

• Why confidence is forged through honesty, not performance

• How rock-bottom moments become transformational when pain exceeds avoidance

• What it actually takes to enter 2026 without carrying unfinished darkness

• Why you can rewrite your story at any point in life—starting now

Resources:

• Follow Adam Nugent on Instagram for more motivational content and insights
• Learn about Adam Nugent's work at the Burn Up Website.

For listeners seeking inspiration and a path to authenticity, dive into this episode of the Burnup Podcast. Stay tuned for more enlightening conversations that explore personal growth, resilience, and finding your true self amid life's fires.