Setting your goals for 2026: An eight-step system

Whether you're starting a new business or want to grow an existing one, the new year provides the perfect opportunity to refresh and reset.

Setting goals for the year makes it easier to stay motivated and focused.

Our eight-step system will guide you through the process, so that you can set effective goals and have a fulfilling year.

1. Reflect on last year

Start by looking back at the last 12 months. Spend 30-60 minutes thinking about the outcomes of your goals and the progress you made.

Here are a number of suggested questions, which you can add to or refine to match your circumstances:

• What were your top three wins or proud moments this year (big or small)?

• What drained you the most and why?

• When did you feel most alive and energised?

• What did you stop doing that turned out to be the right call?

• What surprised you about the year?

• What’s the one lesson or insight you’re carrying into 2026?

Coach Mark Elliott helps entrepreneurs “stop firefighting and build businesses that reflect their values”.

He stresses the importance of thinking about how your environment impacted your performance:

“Where you were successful, what environment did that involve? What helped you make that happen? And, for those things that didn't go quite as well as you wanted, what have you learned?”

Mark’s definition of the environment that supports goals includes the values that guide decisions, habits and accountability.

2. Understand your values

Our values are powerful motivators. Using them to anchor your goals will make work more meaningful and improve your chances of being successful.

Executive coach Simon Ong says that it's important your goals make you feel inspired:

"If you're not really connected to something, you're more likely to give in to procrastination. It's about understanding why something is important to commit your time to. It's about choosing a vision that's compelling, magnetic and exciting."

Write out your core values, so that you have a framework to develop your goals. Include both work and personal ideas, such as being a present parent or having a particular type of impact on your clients.

3. Set your intentions for the year

Now you’ve learnt from last year and set out your values, you can start thinking about the big picture – what’s your vision for the business?

Mark suggests setting three to five “intentions” for the year that will help define and achieve that vision. These don’t have numbers attached to them, rather you’re choosing a direction of travel for your aspirations.

Entrepreneur and influencer Steve Bartlett gave an example of what he terms “macro goals”, which work in a similar way, in an Enterprise Nation Lunch and Learn:

“We want to create a podcast that helps people to feel and think better, and reaches as many people as possible in all corners of the world in as many ways as we can.”

If you already have that kind of long-term goal, it’s a good moment to revisit your thinking. If you don’t have anything like that in place, set a small number of “intentions” that make you feel inspired.

4. Set your goals

The work you’ve done so far has created a goal-setting framework. You’ve learnt from last year, expressed your values and set intentions – what do you need to do to get there?

Goals should be ambitious but achievable; push yourself to dig into the details and quantify what success looks like.

You also need to consider the balance between setting goals based on completing activity and results.

Results-based examples:

• Independent flower shop: Increase average order value from £23 to £35.

• E-commerce skincare brand: Reach a 30% repeat purchase rate by the end of the year.

• Freelance graphic designer: Add two monthly retainers worth more than £1,000 in the first six months.

Completion-based examples:

• Independent flower shop: Launch an online ordering system and publish a clear delivery price list by March.

• E-commerce skincare brand: Post two Instagram Reels per week.

• Freelance graphic designer: Build a simple one-page website with services, pricing and contact form.

Having a mix of results and completion-based goals is useful because you need to innovate and outcomes can be impacted by things outside of your control.

Using the SMART methodology

The SMART goal-setting method is an effective way of making sure you've covered all the bases in your target-setting process.

For each goal, you should be able to understand what you need to achieve, by when and how you know if you’ve been successful:

• Specific

• Measurable

• Attainable

• Relevant

• Time-based

It’s time to draft your initial 2026 goals. Setting three to eight goals is manageable.

5. Stress-test your business goals

Our aim is to keep you motivated and focused. Look at your initial set of goals and sense check whether they will help you achieve the following:

• Direction: Provide a roadmap for where you want your business to go.

• Motivation: Keep you focused and motivated.

• Measurement: Set measurable targets that allow you to track success.

• Time management: Prioritise tasks, so you focus on what matters most.

Thinking about these points might lead you to change your wording, or point to a need to add or remove particular goals.

6. Get feedback from mentors or peers

Target setting doesn't have to be a solitary process. Simon believes that sharing targets with a mentor or peer builds accountability:

"You're more likely to succeed if you're accountable to someone and if you're regularly reviewing your progress: what are you doing, what are you learning and how are you progressing?"

That can start at the goal setting stage; run through your list with someone you trust.

7. Develop a system for tracking your goals

Once you’ve set your goals, you need a system for tracking your progress. There are lots of tools that can help:

1. Project management software (Trello, ClickUp, etc.)

2. Notepad apps (Evernote, Obsidian, etc.)

3. Journals

4. Boards in the office

Reviewing your goals every week, month or quarter ensures they’re impacting your behaviour, says Mark:

“Getting inspiration during the year is about building in more reflection. How did that go? What was the outcome? Was it good? Was it bad? Do we need to change?”

8. Stay motivated

Running a small business comes with lots of challenges, from time constraints to financial pressures.

It’s natural that these things impact your motivation – and may cause your goals to start to slip.

Here's how to stay motivated even when things get tough:

• Break larger goals into smaller tasks: Dividing big goals into smaller, manageable tasks makes them feel more achievable.

• Find people to hold you accountable: Share your goals with a mentor, business partner or networking group.

• Revisit your vision regularly: When motivation wanes, remind yourself why you started and the impact you’re making.

• Stay flexible: Sometimes, goals simply need adjusting. Flexibility helps you adapt without losing momentum or focus.

• Build a routine: Checking in with your goals every month or every quarter will help you stay on track.

Mark cautions that you shouldn’t expect everything to go to plan:

“If it's all on track, it's dull. If we know exactly how it's going to turn out every month, we probably haven't set ambitious enough targets.”

People also read

• Goal-setting exercise: What would your perfect day look like?

• How to set effective goals for your small business

• The good stuff: How to set goals for 2026