Most business owners are trying to figure out how to set goals for the year ahead, but they’re doing it the hard way, by copying what the industry says success should look like. Right now, you’re probably scrolling, comparing, and borrowing goals that don’t belong to you, and that’s exactly why so many people drag the same ambitions into the next year with nothing to show for them.
If your goals aren’t aligned with who you actually are, you won’t hit them.
You’ll procrastinate.
You’ll push the work away.
You’ll resent the business you’re trying to build.
Not because you’re incapable but because the goals were never yours in the first place.
It’s time to stop setting goals based on noise, pressure, and “what looks good online,” and start choosing goals that are rooted in clarity, truth, and alignment.
Let’s reset how you choose your goals for 2026 — properly.
Start With the Only Question That Matters
Not:
- “What should I aim for?”
- “What do successful people in my niche usually want?”
- “What would look impressive?”
But:
“What do I want?”
You’d be shocked how many people don’t know the answer to that.
They’ve spent years making choices based on:
- what Instagram says success looks like,
- what other business owners are pursuing,
- what they think they should want,
- what looks good on paper.
But your strategy cannot be built on external expectations. It has to come from you. Your values, your priorities, your life, your definition of success.
Stop Borrowing Goals That Don’t Belong To You
One of the biggest goal-setting mistakes people make is “borrowing” goals.
You see a coach celebrate a £10k month?
Suddenly it’s your goal too.
You see someone buy a new car?
Suddenly you think you need one to “prove” you’re successful.
Designer bags. Luxury holidays. Aesthetic milestones.
These goals sound impressive, but they’re not always aligned.
In fact, many people chase things they don’t actually care about.
Here’s an example:
A new car sat on my goals list for four years.
Four.
Years.
Not because it was difficult, but because it wasn’t meaningful.
It wasn’t a priority.
It wasn’t aligned.
And the only reason it finally happened was because someone else wrote the car off, not because the goal was achieved intentionally.
Borrowed goals waste your time, energy and focus.
Aligned goals move you forward.
Interrogate Every Goal: Ask “But Why?” Until You Hit the Truth
If you want a £10k month — why?
If you want 100 new clients — why?
If you want more visibility — why?
If you want more time off — why?
Most people discover their “goal” isn’t the real goal.
You might think you want £10k months.
But the real desire might be:
- security
- breathing room
- the ability to help family
- fewer financial worries
- freedom to choose
And once you identify the real desire, you may realise your actual goal is not £10k.
Your aligned number becomes obvious.
Your target becomes powerful.
Your strategy becomes clearer.
Decide What You’re NOT Taking Into 2026
Aligned goals aren’t just about what you’re adding.
They’re about what you’re removing.
Ask yourself:
- What caused unnecessary stress this year?
- What patterns or habits drained me?
- Which tasks or offers no longer feel aligned?
- What am I absolutely done with?
- Where did I waste time, energy, or emotion?
Letting go is just as strategic as adding in.
You’re creating space for a bigger, clearer, cleaner 2026.
And you’re taking back control of the business you’re building.
Choose 3–5 Aligned Goals for 2026
Not 15.
Not a wishlist.
Not an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink list.
Just 3–5 aligned goals that actually matter to you.
Aligned goals:
- excite you
- feel true to your life
- feel meaningful, not performative
- support your version of success
- feel like momentum, not pressure
- give your year direction
These goals become the anchor for everything else:
- your content
- your visibility
- your sales cycles
- your launches
- your asset building
- your offers
- your energy
- your boundaries
When your goals are aligned, your strategy can finally become structured, intentional, and profitable.
This Is Your Moment to Reset Before 2026 Begins
Before you set anything in stone, ask yourself:
- How do I want 2026 to feel?
- What am I no longer available for?
- What do I want more of?
- What do I want less of?
- What kind of business supports the life I want?
- What will bring me joy next year?
When the answers come from alignment, not comparison, everything in your business shifts.
Business becomes easier.
Strategy becomes clearer.
Consistency becomes natural.
Income becomes stable.
Momentum becomes inevitable.
Because aligned goals don’t require forcing.
Aligned goals create flow.
Aligned goals build businesses that grow.
Want more goal setting tips – buy my book – Goal Setter to Goal Getter!
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Shelly Shulman 