Three golden rules for goal setting in 2026

Are you already dreaming of change in your career or business in 2026? Wishing things will be different, wishing for something new or something huge? Perhaps you just wish you could be happier in your work in 2026 (whatever happier means for you).

We’ve all got something we’re dreaming of for our careers or business next year. And it’s never too early to start trying to get those dreams out of the clouds and into a more realistic place. That’s when dreams turn into goals. Yep. I’m going there, let’s talk goal setting for 2026…

I decided to look up the definition of goal, and of course, there were lots of ones about sport, in particular football. And at first I scrolled away from those but they do, actually, sum up the idea. A goal is something you’re aiming towards, something to focus on. A chosen spot that you will aim for that gives you purpose.

Goals are so very personal, and it might be you haven’t thought too much about them (I hope you are starting to). But it’s most likely you have been subconsciously considering your goals for 2026. Every moan about being stuck in your job is the flipside of a goal about finding a new job or role. Every missed client is a goal of hoping for new clients.

Every time you feel a pang of envy at seeing a freelancer on social media is your ‘I want to go self-employed’ goal giving you a nudge.

When you feel like everyone else is happy (although, remember social media is only a highlights reel!) it might be your goal-ometer (yep, just made that up) saying ‘I’d like to be happier at work, too’.

It can feel quite overwhelming to answer ‘What are your goals for 2026’, so let’s dig in a bit more with some golden (Goalden?!) rules that I’ve learned along the way as a coach and in my career.

And a question: If you could wave a magic wand, what would your career or business look like next year?

Golden rule #1: Goals don’t have to be MASSIVE - they can be made up of smaller steps and micro goals

I’m a big fan of micro goals. It’s a bit of a ‘thing’ that a goal has to be huge. For example, quitting. Or going freelance. Ditching a client. Moving to the other side of the world. Running a marathon. Making a million quid in January. Big goals can often feel very overwhelming. I’m not saying big goals are a no-no, but I am saying it’s important to remember the smaller goals.

It might be you want to find one new client. To consider freelancing, or freelance as a side-hustle. Maybe a 5k, or one trip to the gym in Jan would be the goals for you.

Smaller goals are also the stepping stones to the bigger goals. So you DO want to quit? What steps do you need in place before you do that? Those are the smaller goals - beginning to post more on LinkedIn, updating your CV and so on.

Golden rule #2: Goals can take a while - they can also evolve

I am very impatient (yes, people who know me, I can hear you laughing and rolling your eyes). But when it comes to goals I can often get quite annoyed when they don’t happen straight away.

For example, I spent over five years working towards the goal of having a fiction book published!

Your goals can be ongoing, too. For example, if you’re thinking of going self-employed, the big goal will be that resignation day and then day one of freelance life. But there will still be elements of that ongoing, such as announcing your new business, and finding clients and work.

If your goal is a new job, you will work towards that with applications and connections, but when you do get the new job, the goal shifts a little into starting the job, getting to know it, and, hopefully, enjoying it and progressing.

Golden rule #3: You can control how you get to your goals - this isn’t just wishful thinking

Goals aren’t the same as dreams. These aren’t just wishes, hopes, potential things that could happen for you. If you commit to them, and take the right actions, your goals will happen.

Yes, there is also the hoping and wondering, but we’re not talking about manifesting or wishing here. We’re talking about saying ‘I want to achieve X, so I need to do THESE things to work towards that’.

It’s often a big commitment, and that can be scary. Once you make the goal a ‘thing’, by saying ‘yes, this is what I want to happen’ then you have to go from the dreaming stage to the action stage. It’s not always easy but I promise, if you take action, your goals will begin to happen.

I’m running a FREE goal setting workshop on December 16th and I’d love to see you there. It’s at midday GMT and is an informal workshop to talk about goal setting for 2026.

We’ll look at how to focus on your goals, micro vs maxi goals, ‘magic wand’ goals and a little bit of manifesting/mood boards. There will be some writing exercises and a chance to share (if you’d like to). This is a taster for a group coaching course I’ll be running in January called The Career Happiness Reset. More details about that coming soon.

Sign up to the free workshop here. I’d love to see you!