7 Things You Need to Think About When Making Your 2026 New Year Goals

Cassandra Simpson
3 days ago
2 min read

Every December we crack our knuckles, open a fresh notes app, and start writing the same recycled list: eat healthier, earn more, travel, save money, be happier. But 2026 deserves a different approach — one that’s intentional, realistic, deeply personal, and more aligned with who you actually want to become. Here are seven things to consider before you write a single goal for the new year.

1. What You Truly Want vs. What You Think You Should Want

Most goals fail because they aren’t yours — they’re society’s. Weight loss. Productivity. Money. Career. Romance. But what does your life actually call for?

Ask yourself:

“Would I still want this if no one knew about it?”
“Does this goal excite me or drain me?”

2026 rule: stop chasing goals that impress others and start chasing goals that feel like home.

2. The Version of Yourself You’re Becoming (Not the One You’ve Been)

We often set goals from guilt or self-criticism: "I need to fix myself. "But 2026 is your chance to write them from identity: "I’m becoming a happier, healthier, more grounded version of myself.”

Identity-based goals stick because:

They shift your behaviour naturally
They create long-term habits
They feel aligned, not forced

Create goals that match the future you — not the past you.

3. Your Capacity, Not Your Fantasy

If 2025 exhausted you, 2026 should not begin with 50 goals, 15 resolutions, and a colour-coded spreadsheet.

Ask:

What is my emotional capacity?
What is my time capacity?
What is my financial capacity?

The most successful goals are the ones that fit your real life — not your imagined one.

4. Building Systems Instead of Intense Bursts of Motivation

Motivation gets you started. Systems keep you going.

Instead of writing:

“Go to the gym 5 times a week "Try:
“Walk every day and attend the gym twice.”
“Move my body in ways I enjoy.”

Small systems create long-term change. Big intense goals create burnout.

5. The Why Behind the Goal

Your “why” determines whether you follow through.

When writing each 2026 goal, finish the sentence: "I want this because…”

If your why is:

Punishing
Shallow
Someone else’s expectation

…it’s time to rewrite it.

Your goals should add to your life, not drain it.

6. Your Support Systems (Because No One Succeeds Alone)

2026 is not the year to white-knuckle your way through growth. You’ll go further with:

A coach
A therapist
A supportive partner or friend
A community class
A mentor
A group challenge

Success is easier with scaffolding. Put your people in place.

7. The “Let Go List” — What Needs to End Before Anything Begins

Your 2026 goals will mean nothing if your 2025 baggage comes with you.

Write TWO lists:

What I want in 2026
What I must release to make it possible

This may include:

Old relationships
Self-doubt
Unhealthy habits
Overcommitment
Perfectionism
People-pleasing

To step into the new year, you must step out of something first.

2026 isn’t calling for a “new you.” It’s calling for a more aligned, intentional, self-aware version of the person you already are. The goals you set will shape your year — but the thought you put into them will shape your life. Slow down, reflect honestly, and build a year you’ll actually be proud to live.

Love Cass xoxo