Welcome to 2026! Hopefully you’ve had a break, the head’s a bit clearer, and you’ve had a moment to picture the year ahead. Now that you’re back at work: the inbox springs to life, the team needs decisions, and the “urgent” stuff starts doing what it always does. If you’re feeling fired up and inspired by the goals you have set for 2026, here are our top tips for setting goals that actually stick:
1. MAKE GOALS FOR YOUR GOALS
Most goals die because they’re motivational, not executable. “Lift performance”, “improve culture”, “get on top of my systems” are all fine, but too fluffy to survive a busy week. Give each goal a backbone: what does “done” actually looks like, how you’ll measure it, who owns it and when you’ll review it. A simple (but useful) template:
Goal: What are we changing?
Why: Why does it matter (commercially, operationally, people-wise)?
Measure: How will we know it’s working (numbers or behaviours)?
Owner: Who is responsible for movement (not “the team”)?
Cadence: When will we review (weekly/fortnightly/monthly)?
First step (48 hours): What’s the first visible action?
If you can’t answer these, the goal may not be ready yet…
2. YOU CAN'T ADD GOALS WITHOUT SUBTRACTING
This is the one that catches everyone out especially when the “goals” aren’t little tweaks, but big moves like buying a new farm, taking on a block next door, stepping into a new sharemilking role, growing your family or dropping 15kg. These aren’t things you simply fit in around the edges of your same routine. They’re strategic choices that change what you can realistically achieve.
That means that every new goal needs a subtraction decision attached to it. Ask: What are we going to stop, pause, remove or do at a lower standard to make room for this? Prioritisation isn’t just choosing what matters it’s choosing what you’re deliberately not going to do.
3. OUTCOMES DON'T CHANGE BEFORE BEHAVIOURS
You won’t get a different year by writing different goals, you get a different year by creating different habits. If you’ve read Atomic Habits (James Clear), you’ll know big outcomes are usually the result of lots of small choices done consistently and the goal is the direction, the habit is the system that gets you there.
So if you want a different result, design the behaviour change. Make it:
Obvious (schedule it, put it where you can’t miss it),
Attractive (pair it with something you enjoy or do it with someone else),
Easy (reduce friction — start smaller than you think)
Satisfying (track it, tick it off, get a quick win).
Anchor it to identity: instead of “I want to be more organised,” shift to “I’m the kind of person who plans the week before it plans me.”
If you’re waiting for the “right time” or the perfect plan, you’ll be waiting until 2027 or later… Start small and back yourself. You’ll wobble, miss some goals, you’ll reset and you’ll improve.
Go well and get stuck in!