Wow — can you believe the year is nearly over? That means it’s time to start thinking about your 2026 goals. A new year is a fresh opportunity to make meaningful change.
Unfortunately, only about 8% of people actually keep their resolutions each year. Even more startling: 25% of people give up on their goals within the first week, and only 75% continue after that initial stretch.
Today I’ll share practical strategies to help you stick to your goals and make your 2026 objectives a reality. Let’s create a plan that works for you.
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Before you dismiss New Year’s resolutions or judge those who set them, consider this: people who explicitly make resolutions are about 10 times more likely to achieve their goals than those who don’t. That’s why setting clear goals and a plan to reach them matters.
Let’s make 2026 a year of better money management, more travel, greater personal growth, and real progress on the goals you care about. Below are practical, step-by-step tips to help you plan, track, and succeed—plus a transparent update on my personal goals and the goals I’m setting for the upcoming year.
How to make goals:
Review your goals and objectives.
Before planning for the year ahead, review the year behind you. Reflect on what went well, where you succeeded, and where you struggled. This review helps you identify the areas to prioritize and the habits or systems you may need to change.
Ask yourself which goals you reached, what obstacles came up, and what you would do differently. That honest retrospective will help you set more effective goals for 2026.
Make sure your goals are SMART.
Always shape your goals using the SMART framework so they are clear and achievable.
A SMART goal is:
- Specific – Define exactly what you want to accomplish and why it matters.
- Measurable – Decide how you’ll track progress and know when the goal is met.
- Attainable – Make sure the goal is realistically achievable given your resources.
- Relevant – Ensure the goal aligns with your values and long-term plans.
- Time-bound – Set a clear deadline or timeframe for completion.
Using SMART criteria keeps goals realistic and prevents vague ambitions from derailing progress.
Write down your goals and objectives.
Writing goals down makes them tangible and helps you remember why they matter. If a goal isn’t recorded or regularly visible, it’s easy to forget and abandon.
Ways to keep goals in sight:
- Create a blog or journal that documents your progress.
- Build a vision board to visualize outcomes.
- Place notes around your home that list your yearly goals.
- Set reminders on your phone or calendar to review tasks and milestones.
- Adopt daily productivity habits that move you toward your objectives.
Using a physical planner or digital tool can also help keep you on track and motivated.
Examples of 2026 goals – What are some good future goals?
If you want ideas for 2026 goals, consider these options:
- Learn a new language
- Improve your mindset and daily habits
- Explore a new hobby for personal growth
- Practice daily gratitude
- Pay down credit card debt
- Create a consistent schedule
- Start a meditation routine
- Pursue leadership opportunities
- Volunteer regularly
- Prioritize self-care and exercise
- Push beyond your comfort zone
- Create and follow a monthly budget
- Make and start checking off a bucket list
These can serve as long-term or short-term goals depending on the timeline and priority you assign.
Create a plan to reach your goals.
Once goals are set, create a clear plan outlining the steps required. A plan breaks the path into manageable actions so you’re not guessing what to do next.
Your plan should include milestones, deadlines, metrics to track, and what success looks like at each stage. Detailed plans increase accountability and reduce overwhelm.
Break your goal apart into smaller goals.
Big goals can feel distant and intimidating. Break a year-long goal into monthly or weekly targets so you can celebrate progress and adjust as needed.
For example, if your goal is to launch a successful blog within a year, you could assign each month a specific focus: brainstorming, setup, content creation, monetization research, growth targets, and so on. These smaller milestones make the overall goal achievable and keep motivation high.
Keep track of your goal setting progress and make changes (if needed).
Regularly review your progress—daily, weekly, or monthly—depending on the nature of the goal. Tracking helps you see whether you’re on pace and highlights when you should tweak your plan.
Tracking allows you to correct course early and celebrate small wins that fuel long-term commitment.
Find small ways to stick to your goals.
Large changes often stall because the required steps feel overwhelming. Small, consistent actions add up. Design micro-habits that move you forward even on low-energy days.
Examples of small, practical approaches:
- Batch-cook meals for the week if you want to eat at home more consistently.
- If you don’t feel like exercising, do a short series of squats, lunges, or jumping jacks while you’re doing other tasks.
- Automate financial tasks—bill payments or savings transfers—to remove friction from money goals.
Small wins compound into meaningful results over time.
Find ways to motivate yourself when setting goals.
Motivation sustains action through setbacks. When motivation wanes, use techniques that reignite your commitment.
- Create a visible vision board to remind you why the goal matters.
- Turn progress into a friendly competition with a peer.
- Reward yourself for hitting milestones to reinforce positive behavior.
Make reaching your personal goals a friendly competition.
Accountability partners make goals more enjoyable and easier to sustain. Partnering with a friend, family member, coworker, or online peer creates shared encouragement, mutual feedback, and a sense of responsibility.
Choose someone with similar aims or complementary strengths so you can push each other toward consistent progress.
Update on my goals:
- FAIL. Get at least three months ahead on Making Sense of Cents posts. I was doing well for much of the year but slipped recently. I’m currently about one month ahead in content and plan to catch up to be two to three months ahead again.
- FAIL. Grow Making Sense of Cents to 1,000,000 monthly page views. Traffic didn’t increase as much as planned, but I’ve learned that quality engagement matters more. Social channels, email interactions, and reader feedback all increased, which is what truly matters.
- PASS. Start doing more live interviews like podcasts and webinars. I’ve accepted nearly every interview opportunity and now feel comfortable with live appearances. That growth has been a major win.
- PASS. Create one more product to sell. I launched Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing, which transformed my business. A second product is in progress with many more ideas in the pipeline.
My new goals:
- Get at least three months ahead on Making Sense of Cents posts. Being ahead on content reduces stress and frees time for other priorities.
- Grow to 150,000 email subscribers. I want to reach and help more readers and deepen engagement across the community.
- Create two more products to sell. Building additional products will diversify income and offer new value to readers.
- Work less than 40 hours per week. I aim to maintain a healthier work/life balance and limit weeks that spill into nights and weekends.
- Have fun. This isn’t a quantifiable goal, but enjoying the year and staying curious is an important intention.
Have you thought about your New Year’s resolutions? What are your goals, and what goal-setting tips would you share?