How to Set Goals You’ll Stick with in 2026
Setting goals and making vision boards for the year to come is a good exercise, but will you actually follow through? If you struggle to stick to your resolutions after the excitement of the new year dies down, you’re not alone. With the end of the busy holiday season, the persistence of cold, dark days, and the sluggish attempt to get back into the swing of things, it can be easy to stick to what you know rather than going out of your way to try something new.
Whether your goal is to improve on something, learn a new skill, or grow your community, it all starts by starting small and keeping it simple. Here, we’ll go over the importance of goal setting, how to set resolutions you can stick with, and ways to consistently check in on your progress throughout the year. Let’s dive in.
The Importance of Setting Goals
If you’re someone who rolls their eyes at the idea of resolutions and goals, I’m here to tell you that goal-setting isn’t just a cringeworthy part of the new year. It can also be a powerful exercise in manifestation, creativity, and mindfulness. When you take the time to visualize and set goals for yourself, you’re forced to take a closer look at the last year and analyze what has worked, what hasn’t, what’s missing, and what you can do without.
In other words, goal setting is an opportunity for reflection and honest dialogue with yourself. After what can be a chaotic holiday season, setting aside a few hours to journal and think about what you want to accomplish in the future can be a great reset for your mind. Try to turn off any distractions, pick up a pen, and start by recapping your best (and worst) moments of 2025. This will help get your thoughts flowing and create a natural transition to what you see for yourself in 2026 and the years to come.
Set Resolutions You Can Stick With
One of the big problems with resolutions is that oftentimes, we set grandiose goals for ourselves that can feel impossible to meet. While it’s great to hold yourself to a high standard, it’s also important to be realistic with what you can accomplish in a year, and what’s simply too much.
One way to mellow out your resolutions is to structure your goals in terms of a timeline. Think about a goal you’d like to meet by the end of 2026, and from there, break it down into actionable items you can meet by quarter, by month, and by week. Tracking your weekly progress can help keep you accountable while also motivating you with fast-moving, measurable progress.
Another way to create realistic resolutions is to quantify your goals. Instead of generic things like “grow your business” or “learn a new skill,” get as specific as possible by adding more details, descriptions, and numbers – even when you think you don’t need to. There’s something about seeing your goals quantified that can help motivate you and gauge progress that you can actually measure.
Last, but definitely not least, remember to keep it fun. Professional goals are great to have, but what about things you want to achieve for yourself? Whether it’s learning how to play a new instrument or sport, taking up watercoloring, perfecting a certain recipe, or hosting more events for your friends, light-hearted goals that center around having a good time are just as important. Choose two personal and two professional goals to start, so you have something you can work towards while also having fun along the way.
Tracking Your Progress
Not only can resolutions be hard to stick with, but they can also be hard to track. Set yourself up for success by creating a framework to track your goals monthly or quarterly. If you’re not sure where to start, take your annual goals and break them down into actionable items you can complete monthly or quarterly with a target end date in mind. If you’re a visual person, creating a tracker using tools like Canva or Figma can help make the process less daunting and more interactive.
Seeing your progress in real-time throughout the year isn’t just motivating – it can be a great way to pivot to new ideas, make changes to your goals, or realize that you can take on even more than you aimed for. Tracking your progress is half the work and helps prevent any unwanted surprises in Q4.
Conclusion
With the start of another year, many of us are taking the time to set goals and create resolutions, which can be a great way to reflect on your work and think about where you want to go next. When setting goals, remember to keep them simple and specific, while also making room for some fun goals along the way. Happy New Year! Let’s achieve great things together in 2026 and beyond.
