It’s that time of year again: a chance to commit to a New You. This year, your best resolution isn’t about diet or exercise; it’s about sharpening your mind and committing to intellectual honesty.
It’s never been harder to sort fact from fiction online. Every day, our feeds are flooded, and as professionals, our credibility is built on facts, not noise.
We all know the danger: misinformation (innocent mistakes) and disinformation (deliberate lies) can spread faster than anything else—damaging reputations and skewing market perception.
Maybe it was all those research papers from my MBA program, but I quickly learned that the single most important question you can ask is the bedrock of effective critical thinking:
“How do I know this to be true?”
That question is the starting point. To navigate the noise, uphold your professional integrity, and commit to a more discerning New You in 2026, here is the 7-step model I use to check the facts before I share, quote, or act:
The 7 Steps to Intellectual Fitness
- Identify the Author: Who wrote this? As a 2026 resolution, resolve to know the credentials, affiliations, and conflicts of interest of every source you rely on.
- Go Beyond the Headline: Headlines are designed to trigger emotion. Commit this year to reading the entire article to understand the context and the actual substance, protecting yourself from clickbait.
- Check the Date: Is the information current and relevant? Make it a habit to check the timestamp. An old piece of data presented as new is one of the fastest ways to spread inaccuracy.
- Assess the Source: Is the publication, website, or channel reputable? Look for high editorial standards, transparency, and a track record of factual accuracy.
- Examine the Supporting Evidence: Does the author cite primary sources, data, or experts? If the claims are bold, the proof must be stronger than ever this year.
- Turn to Fact-Checkers: When in doubt, utilize independent, non-partisan fact-checking organizations. Don’t be too proud to outsource the verification process.
- Check Your Own Biases: This is the hardest resolution. We naturally seek information that confirms what we already believe. Commit to being honest: are you accepting this because it’s true, or because you wantit to be true?
Let’s do our part to spread truth, not rumors. We have the power to stop a rumor simply by asking a good question. I truly believe that in the end, the truth always prevails.
What’s one online source you resolve to scrutinize more closely this year?
