Setting Yourself Up for a Better 2026: A Practical, Sustainable Way to Set Goals

Over the years, I’ve tried a multitude of different goal-setting methods. Colour-coded spreadsheets, ambitious timelines, extremely optimistic to-do lists… you name it, I’ve probably had a crack at it.

Like most people, I’ve also learned, usually the hard way,  that complexity doesn’t always equal effectiveness.

This year, as I was reflecting on 2025 and planning for 2026, I pulled together what I think is a much simpler but far more practical approach. It borrows heavily from the best ideas I’ve come across in behaviour science, clinical practice, and a fair bit of trial and error in my own life.

Although setting goals can feel motivating, what really matters is whether your plans actually survive busy weeks, low energy, and real-world stress.

In the clinic, we see this all the time. People don’t struggle because they lack ambition, they struggle because their plans rely too heavily on motivation and not enough on structure.

So if you’d like 2026 to feel different, not perfect, just more consistent and more aligned with the person you want to be, this framework may be useful.

It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing what actually sticks.

Step 1: Choose a Year-Defining Theme

Before setting lots of individual goals, start with one simple question.

“When I look back on 2026, what was it the year of?”

Examples might be:

• The year I prioritised my health

• The year I built momentum

• The year I stopped putting myself last

• The year I backed myself professionally

This isn’t about pressure, it’s about direction.

From a behaviour perspective, this matters because people are more likely to sustain habits when actions align with identity (“this is the kind of person I am”) rather than just chasing outcomes (“this is what I want to achieve”).

Your theme becomes a filter for decisions throughout the year. “Does this support the kind of year I want this to be?”

Step 2: Set Goals, But Think Beyond Just Outcomes

Goals still matter. They give structure and something to aim toward. But there are two types worth including:

1. Outcome goals

What you want to achieve:

• Improve fitness

• Return to sport

• Write a novel

• Save a certain amount

2. Capability goals

What you want to become better at:

• Training consistently

• Managing stress

• Lifting with good technique

• Setting boundaries around work

Why this mattersYou might not hit every outcome, but you can absolutely build skills, habits, and confidence that carry forward.

For structure, I used personal and professional goals, but others may like using categories such as:

• Health & fitness

• Work / business

• Relationships

• Learning

• Financial

• Personal growth

You don’t need goals in every category. Choose what actually matters to you.

While you may hear a lot about “SMART goals”, there’s surprisingly little strong evidence that this framework alone improves long-term behaviour. Research tends to support clear and challenging goals, but consistency is far more influenced by habits, environment, and support systems than by how neatly the goal is written.

Put simply. Clarity helps, but structure keeps you going.

Step 3: Schedule Your Mini Adventures (Before Life Fills the Calendar)

This is the part most people skip, yet one of the most important.

Work expands. Commitments pile up. And suddenly the year is “busy” before you’ve done anything that actually fills your cup.

Mini adventures might be:

• Trips away

• Events

• Training goals

• Personal projects

• Time blocked for hobbies

From a health perspective, these aren’t luxuries. Enjoyment, novelty, and recovery are protective against burnout and help maintain motivation over the long term.

If it matters, it deserves space in the calendar.

Step 4: Clarify Your Personal Values

Goals tell you what you want to achieve. Values guide how you behave when things get messy, which they inevitably do.

Values might include:

• Integrity

• Growth

• Family

• Health

• Contribution

Unlike goals, values are never “completed”. They’re standards you live by. A useful exercise is asking “if I truly lived by this value, what would that look like on an average Tuesday?”

For example:

• If I value health, do I protect some time for movement even when busy?

• If I value family, do I actually leave work when I say I will?

Values-based behaviour is strongly supported in psychological approaches to long-term change, because it reduces guilt-driven motivation and supports more flexible, sustainable decision-making.

If you’d like help creating or clarifying values, there are excellent free resources available online that guide this process step by step.

Step 5: Identify Your Winning Habits

Now we get practical. Think about the version of yourself you’re aiming toward or someone you admire in that area of life. Ask:

• What do they do day-to-day?

• What do they prioritise?

• What behaviours are non-negotiable for them?

Then scale that down to something realistic for your current season of life. This is where goals become behaviours:

• Instead of “get fit” → train twice per week

• Instead of “reduce stress” → 10 minutes of walking after work

• Instead of “read more” → one page before bed

Big change is built from small, repeatable actions.

Step 5.5: Set Your Bare Minimums

This step is critical, especially when life gets busy. Decide in advance. Think, “what is the smallest version of this habit that still counts as showing up?” Examples:

• If nutrition is the goal → a smoothie on hard days

• If training is the goal → mobility or foam rolling when exhausted

• If learning is the goal → one page instead of a full chapter

Why this works:

• Starting is usually the biggest barrier

• Even when you stop at the minimum, you’ve protected the habit identity and reinforced that you are someone who does X

• Often, once you start, you end up doing more anyway

This protects against the all-or-nothing thinking that derails so many good intentions. Maintenance is not failure. It is part of long-term success.

Step 6: Do a Friction Audit

Instead of asking “why can’t I stay consistent?”

Ask “what usually gets in the way?”

Common barriers include:

• Time

• Fatigue

• Confidence

• Logistics

Then look for ways to adjust the environment rather than blaming yourself:

• Training closer to home or work

• Have fruit as a snack

• Reduce screen time

• Fewer other weekly commitments

This is exactly how we approach exercise prescription clinically. We design programs around people’s real lives, not ideal circumstances. Your personal goals deserve the same respect.

Step 7: Schedule Review Points (Not Just New Year’s)

Finally, plan to review, not restart!

Good checkpoints are:

• End of March

• End of June

• End of September

At each point, ask:

• What’s working?

• What feels unsustainable?

• What needs adjusting?

• Have my goals and priorities shifted?

• How will this impact my values?

Goals should evolve as life does. Changing your plan is not quitting, it’s good self-management.

Bringing It All Together

If there’s one message I’d leave you with, it’s this. You don’t need more motivation. You need plans that work when motivation is low. When goals align with your values, fit into your real schedule, and include room for imperfect weeks, they stop feeling like pressure and start feeling like direction.

At True Potential, this is exactly how we approach health and performance. Not quick fixes, not extremes. Just structured, evidence-based plans that people can actually sustain. If you’d like support turning your goals into practical, realistic training and health strategies, we’d love to help.

Here’s to a 2026 built on momentum, not burnout. Your journey. Your pace.

Ideally insightful, definitely caffeinated.

Jono