Either way, there’s still a meaningful stretch of time between now and January 1. Enough time to start something, change something, build something or make progress on a goal you’ve been saving for “later.”

So, instead of looking at the final months of the year as a countdown to the finish line, what if you looked at them as a head start? Rather than asking what you still need to accomplish before December 31, ask yourself a different question: What do you want to bring with you into 2027?

For James Lawrence, that question has been playing out all year. And now, his next challenge is taking him somewhere even he hasn’t raced before: Antarctica.

You Don’t Wake Up Ready for the Impossible

James has spent much of his career doing things most people would consider impossible. He completed 50 full-distance triathlons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days. Years later, he pushed even further with CONQUER 100, completing 100 full-distance triathlons in 100 consecutive days.

Those are the accomplishments that make headlines. They’re the numbers that get repeated on stages and the finish lines people remember. But they can also make it easy to overlook what happened before them. James didn’t wake up one morning capable of completing 100 consecutive triathlons. He spent years building the physical endurance, mental resilience and discipline required to even attempt it.

That same philosophy has shaped his 2026.

James entered this year with another big target in mind: breaking the 10-hour mark in an Ironman. But his preparation hasn’t only meant logging more miles on the bike, in the pool or on the road. He decided to spend the year deliberately challenging himself in different ways, taking on one significant challenge every month.

Some played directly to his strengths. Others absolutely did not.

He committed to 31 straight days of yoga, something very different from the endurance events he’s known for. He ran the Boston Marathon and the Utah Valley Marathon, swam from Alcatraz, competed in Oregon 70.3 and took on Hell on the Hill. He challenged himself through Double LoToJa and Ironman California, with more still waiting on the calendar before the year is finished.

Each challenge has asked something slightly different of him. Some have tested endurance. Others have demanded patience, consistency, adaptability or a willingness to be uncomfortable. Together, they’ve made 2026 less about preparing for one race and more about continually putting himself in situations where growth is required.

And now he’s adding another one.

Next Stop: Antarctica

This December, James is heading to Antarctica to take on the Antarctic Ice Marathon.

Running 26.2 miles across one of the most extreme environments on Earth certainly sounds like the kind of challenge you’d expect from the Iron Cowboy. But in the context of the year he’s been building, Antarctica feels less like a random extreme adventure and more like another opportunity to test what he has spent the year developing.

That’s what makes his approach worth paying attention to, even if your own goals have absolutely nothing to do with marathons, triathlons or freezing temperatures.

James doesn’t wait until the big moment arrives to find out whether he’s ready. He creates opportunities to practise being ready, and that’s something the rest of us can borrow.

What Are You Building Before January?

There’s something tempting about January. We treat it like a reset button. We tell ourselves that when the calendar changes, we’ll get more disciplined, finally tackle the project, have the difficult conversation, take the risk or commit to the goal we’ve been thinking about.

But the person who wakes up on January 1 is being shaped right now.

You don’t need to spend the next 85 days doing something extraordinary. Your version of James’s monthly challenges might be protecting time each week for something that matters to you. It might mean finally starting the project that keeps getting pushed down the list, practising a skill you want to get better at, changing a habit that isn’t serving you or simply getting more consistent about following through on the promises you make to yourself.

The individual actions may not feel particularly significant. Neither does every training session. But repeated often enough, they start to change what you’re capable of.

That may be one of the most useful lessons we can take from James’s year. Big goals tend to get the attention, but they’re rarely accomplished in one big moment. They’re built through a series of much smaller decisions made long before anyone is watching.

What Are You Bringing Into 2027?

James will close out 2026 having spent a year intentionally putting himself in uncomfortable situations, testing his limits and preparing for what comes next. One of those situations now happens to be a marathon in Antarctica.

Your next challenge probably looks very different.

It doesn’t need to make headlines. It doesn’t need to impress anyone else. And it definitely doesn’t need to involve Antarctica.

It just needs to matter to you.

There are 85 days left in 2026. Instead of waiting for January to decide what you want to change, think about what you could begin building now.

When 2027 arrives, what do you want to bring with you?