When a new year approaches, it’s common for us all to make many ambitious goals for how we want the new year to go. However, if we try to bite off more than we can chew, we leave ourselves feeling like we’ve failed or haven’t done enough.
To combat that, here’s some advice for setting yourself up for success for your 2026 goals:
1. Write It Down
Whenever I have a goal, physically putting pen to paper helps me. I write my goal out on a post-it note and then put it somewhere I see every day. I have had post-it notes on the bathroom mirror, near the coffee pot and even taped on my dashboard. It being front and center allows me to stay focused on whatever it is I’m trying to accomplish.
2. Give Yourself Time
As the saying goes, Rome wasn’t built in a day. Be realistic when goal setting. If you want a rocking bod, it’s not going to happen overnight. The same goes for some things you’re trying to change mentally; understand that old habits are hard to break. And while many say it takes 21 days to form a new habit, research supports the middle ground.
An article from Scientific American discusses a study that revealed that it takes 18 to 254 days to develop a habit. In the study, they found that “participants reported taking an average of about 66 days to reliably incorporate one of three new daily activities—eating a piece of fruit with lunch, drinking a bottle of water with lunch or running for 15 minutes before dinner.”
The moral of the story is give yourself time. Good things come to those who wait (and evolve).
3. Regularly Check In With Yourself
You are not the same person you were a year ago, and you could change into a different person by tomorrow. Life happens and our goals and plans can shift. There’s nothing wrong with that. Regularly re-evaluate the things you want and your plans to get there. As long as you are self-aware, you’ve already won half the battle.
4. Find An Accountability Partner
Life is easier (and honestly, more fun) when you have someone like-minded by your side. Even if you have different goals, arranging some accountability with a friend or relative can help keep you both on track. Share your goals with one another and schedule a weekly check-in to see how you’re both doing. You can do this over text, phone call or in person.
A blog from Colorado State University, demonstrates the power of accountability; they cited research that showed the odds of a person performing their goal goes up by 95% when they have an accountability partner. In contrast, the odds of completing a goal without an accountability partner range from 10% to 65%.
Have you tried any of the tactics above for meeting your goals? How have they worked out for you?? Let us know in the comments below!
