Updated for 2026: I've been using Michael Hyatt's Best Year Ever (BYE) goal-setting system since 2015. After more than a decade of setting and achieving goals with this framework, here's my honest take on whether the course is still worth your investment.
If you're in a hurry: BYE remains the single best goal-setting system I've ever used. The framework is timeless, Michael Hyatt is still actively teaching and refining the material, and the community of goal-setters keeps me accountable year after year. Check out the current Best Year Ever offering here.
What Is Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt?
Every January, we make resolutions. By March, most of us have forgotten them entirely. If that cycle sounds painfully familiar, Best Year Ever was designed to break it.
Best Year Ever is a five-module video course created by Michael Hyatt, a New York Times bestselling author, former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, and one of the most respected voices in personal development and leadership. The course walks you through a proven system for setting meaningful goals and actually achieving them.
I was so impressed after my first year that I kept coming back. Now, with more than ten years of results under my belt, I can tell you the system works — not because it's magic, but because it addresses the real reasons most people fail at goal-setting.
What's Inside the Best Year Ever Course?
The course is structured around five modules, each designed to be completed in a single day (though you can pace yourself however you like). All content is available immediately after purchase — no drip schedule to wait through. Each module includes video lessons (20-45 minutes), downloadable audio, transcripts, and fill-in-the-blank workbooks.
Day 1: Master Your Mindset
The foundation of the entire system. Michael helps you identify the limiting beliefs that are holding you back and replace them with what he calls “liberating truths.” For me, the big one was always “I don't have time.” The liberating truth? I have time for anything I prioritize — but not everything. That shift in thinking changed how I approach every goal.
Day 2: Complete the Past
You can't design a better future if you're dragging unresolved regrets and disappointments behind you. This module helps you extract the lessons from the past year and put them to work. Michael uses a brilliant exercise where you imagine your past year as a movie — what would the genre be? What would you title it? It's a surprisingly effective way to process and move forward.
Day 3: Design Your Future
This is where the goal-setting framework really shines. Michael teaches his SMARTER goals system (an upgrade from the traditional SMART framework), and by the end of this module you'll have 7-10 clearly defined goals for the year ahead. The most important principle here: your goals need to be for you, not for someone else.
Day 4: Connect with Your Why
As Michael often says, quoting his wife Gail: “People lose their way when they lose their why.” This module helps you connect deeply with your intrinsic motivations. When February hits and the excitement of January has faded, it's this connection to your “why” that keeps you moving through what Michael calls “the messy middle.”
Day 5: Execute
The rubber meets the road. Michael shares twelve practical steps for achieving your goals, including strategies around commitment (not just “trying”), selective sharing of goals, and staying focused when momentum fades. My favorite insight: knowing when to share your goals and when to keep them private can make or break your success.
Who Is Michael Hyatt?
I first met Michael when I moderated a panel he was on at Social Media Marketing World in 2015. In person, he's exactly who you'd expect from his content — genuine, thoughtful, and deeply invested in helping people succeed.
Michael is a personal development and leadership expert, a former CEO of one of the largest trade book publishers in the US (Thomas Nelson, the 7th largest), and a multiple-time bestselling author. He was named one of the Top 50 Social Media Influencers by Forbes in 2013, and his platform has grown substantially since then. His company, Full Focus, continues to produce some of the best productivity and goal-achievement content available anywhere.
What Kind of Results Can You Expect?
The BYE community regularly reports achieving 75% or more of their goals within the first few months. That's not hype — I've seen it happen year after year, including in my own life. The secret isn't just better goal-setting. It's the combination of proper goal construction, deep motivation, and a structured execution framework.
The course works for virtually anyone with goals: business professionals, students, entrepreneurs, caregivers, creatives. If you've ever set a resolution and abandoned it by February, this system was built specifically for you.
Things I Love About Best Year Ever
- It's action-oriented. This isn't theoretical fluff. Every module ends with specific next steps and workbook exercises.
- It's completable. Students consistently report that BYE is one of the few online courses they actually finish. The five-day structure makes it manageable.
- The community is exceptional. VIP members get access to a private community of like-minded goal-setters, plus Michael and his team are actively engaged. When you're stuck on a limiting belief or struggling with a goal, there's always someone who's been there and can help.
- It compounds over time. Each year I go through the system, I get better at it. The framework becomes second nature, and my goals become more ambitious and more achievable simultaneously.
One Thing to Watch Out For
If you're the type who equates course value with sheer volume of material, you might initially feel the course is light. It's not. Michael has deliberately cut the fluff and focused every minute on what actually moves the needle. This is a feature, not a bug. If you want 237 hours of padding, look elsewhere.
Is Best Year Ever Worth It in 2026?
Absolutely. The core principles of effective goal-setting haven't changed. What has changed is that Michael's team continues to refine the delivery, update the examples, and strengthen the community. The VIP experience, which includes mid-year accountability sessions and the “Conquering the Messy Middle” presentation, is particularly valuable for staying on track when motivation naturally dips.
After more than a decade of using this system, I can say without hesitation that Best Year Ever has been the single best investment I've made in my personal development. It's not just about setting goals — it's about becoming the kind of person who achieves them.
Check out the current Best Year Ever offering
Disclosure: I'm both a long-time customer and an affiliate for Best Year Ever. If you purchase through my link, I receive a commission. I purchased this course with my own money for more than a decade running and will continue to do so. If you have any questions about BYE or my relationship with Michael Hyatt's company, don't hesitate to reach out.
