A Better Way to Set Goals for 2026: How I Am Thinking About New Year Goal Setting This Year
Jan 1
4 min read
The first day of a new year carries a quiet kind of pressure. Even when nothing dramatic happens, there is still an unspoken expectation!
What we will focus on. What we will finally commit to. What we will stop putting off. For a long time, I approached New Year goal setting the same way many people do.
I looked at what felt unfinished from the year before, what seemed disappointing, and what I thought I should improve. I set goals quickly, usually while motivation was still high, assuming clarity would come later.
Over time, I realized that this approach rarely worked. Not because I lacked discipline, but because I was choosing goals before I truly understood what mattered to me in the long run.
As I step into 2026, I am thinking about goal setting very differently.
Why Traditional New Year Goal Setting Often Breaks Down
When people talk about Why New Year resolutions fail, the conversation often focuses on motivation or consistency. In my experience, that explanation misses something important.
Most goals fall apart because they are chosen under pressure rather than clarity. At the start of the year, it is easy to confuse movement with direction.
We feel a burst of energy and want to use it well. So we choose goals that sound productive, responsible, or impressive.
Goals that fit neatly into a planner. Goals that are easy to explain to other people. What we rarely pause to ask is whether those goals are actually meaningful to us.
When a goal is not connected to something personal, it becomes fragile.
As soon as life becomes busy or progress slows, it starts to feel optional.
That is not a motivation problem. It is a misalignment problem.
The Question That Changed How I Think About Goals
Instead of asking what I should work on this year, I have been asking myself a different question.
It is a question I first heard from Jeff Bezos, who once shared that when faced with a big decision, he asked himself whether he would regret not doing the thing he wanted to do.
If the answer was yes, he treated it as a goal.
That idea stayed with me because of its simplicity. When I look at my goals through that lens, a lot of noise falls away. Comparison loses its grip. Urgency softens.
What remains is a much longer view of my life, and a clearer sense of what actually deserves my attention.
Why Regret Is Often a Signal, Not a Threat
We tend to think of regret as something to avoid, but I have come to see it differently.
Regret rarely comes from trying something that did not work.
More often, it comes from inaction. From the things we never gave ourselves permission to start.
From the ideas we kept delaying because we wanted to feel more ready, more confident, or more certain first.
When I reflect on the things people regret later in life, they are rarely about imperfect attempts.
They are about missed opportunities. About not exploring something that mattered while there was still time.
Seen this way, regret is not something to fear. It is information. It points toward what deserves attention, even if the path forward is not fully clear yet.
How I Am Choosing What Is Worth Pursuing in 2026
Instead of creating a long list of New Year resolutions, I am focusing on identifying what I have been quietly avoiding.
Often, the goals we delay are not unrealistic. They are uncomfortable to begin. They require emotional energy. They ask us to step into uncertainty without guarantees.
Rather than asking what I should do this year, I am asking what I would regret never starting.
That single question narrows the field quickly. It filters out goals driven by pressure and highlights the ones rooted in honesty.
Starting Without Overcommitting
One of the biggest mistakes people make with new goals is believing that starting requires certainty or a complete plan. It does not.
Starting simply means creating movement.
For me, that might look like exploring an idea without committing to an outcome, setting aside time to test something small, or taking one concrete step that makes the idea real instead of theoretical.
Progress does not require confidence. It requires permission.
When the pressure to get everything right is removed, starting becomes far more approachable.
What I Am Carrying Forward Into 2026
As I move into 2026, I am choosing clarity over urgency and alignment over speed. I am measuring progress by direction rather than intensity.
And I am paying closer attention to the quiet signals that point toward what matters, even when they are inconvenient.
If there is one thing I believe about goal setting this year, it is this: You do not need more goals. You need a better way to decide which ones deserve your energy.
If there is something you would regret never starting, that is not pressure.
That is clarity. And clarity is a strong place to begin.
Love, Ivy 🖤
FAQs About Setting Goals For 2026
How do I set goals for 2026 without feeling overwhelmed?
I focus on choosing Fewer goals and clearer criteria: Learn how here. Instead of listing everything I want to change, I start by identifying what truly matters long term. Meaningful goals tend to feel grounding rather than overwhelming.
Why do New Year resolutions fail so often?
In my experience, resolutions fail because they are chosen under pressure rather than clarity. When goals are not personally meaningful, they are harder to sustain once motivation fades.
What makes a goal meaningful instead of just productive?
A meaningful goal is one you would regret never starting. It connects to your values rather than external expectations or timelines.
Is it okay to start small with goals in 2026?
Yes. Starting small often makes progress sustainable. Movement matters more than perfection, especially at the beginning.
Start with the FREE AI Launch Kit
It’ll help you get clear on your product idea, who it’s for, and how to share it.
Create Your First Offer That Sells With Your Next Runway
A Practical Step-by-Step Guide to Help You Launch a $27+ Offer That Sells Even If You’re Starting From Scratch
