Hey there Reader,

In case you’ve hit any bumps with your 2026 goals, I'm here alongside the road to offer support.

It’s the end of January, which means that if you were among the many people who set some fresh goals for the year, you’re at least a few weeks into your journey.

How’s it going?

As I prepared for my recent workshop on “Choosing Your Focus for 2026”, one thing I found helpful was returning to the actual definition of a goal.

One I particularly liked was from a paper by Elliot T. Berkman, of the University of Oregon’s psychology department:

“Colloquially, a goal is any desired outcome that wouldn’t otherwise happen without some intervention … In practice, we set goals in cases where we need to do something that hasn’t happened yet and isn’t likely to happen on its own.”

It’s a good reminder that whenever we set a goal, we are fundamentally seeking to change our own behavior, and it takes effort and doing things differently. This isn’t easy stuff. If it was, it wouldn’t be a goal!

So if you've hit some roadblocks, don’t worry.

That’s normal, and really that’s what this journey is all about: Learning how to keep moving toward your ideal life and work, no matter what comes your way.

As a coach, my work revolves around helping people with their goals. Every day, with every client, we work together on the complex, myriad elements of goal-setting, from behavioral to psychological to spiritual!

There are so many aspects to it – that’s why we often do this work one-on-one, because every person is so unique.

But there are some best practices and as you travel this road, I wanted to offer my roadside support for how to keep going, for wherever you might be with your own goals for 2026.

This week I’ll share two common bumps in the road and ideas for how to resolve them – and next week I’ll give you two more.

Common Roadblock #1

“I didn’t set goals because I’m not even sure what I want.”

Common causes:

Many people I speak with share that they're not really sure what they want in various parts of life.

Yet, in my experience, I find that with some encouragement and support, they soon begin to discover – with clarity – that they do know what they want.

There can be different life experiences that can make that self-knowledge hard to access, such as past disappointments, even trauma, or being in environments or with people that communicated that you weren't allowed to want things.

Try this:

Pick one small thing that is clear that you want to do. Maybe it’s something you’ve wanted to do for a long time.

Don’t discard this “want” because maybe it seems silly, or not terribly significant. Just use it to set a goal and start taking action.

Then, notice how that makes you feel. Take a moment to reflect: Is this shedding light on something bigger that I want for myself? (I bet it will! Our ability to tune into ourselves and our wants is a practice that we can strengthen and grow.)

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Common Roadblock #2

“I started out strong but now I’ve all but abandoned my goals. I’ve got to get back on it.”

Common causes:

Setting goals feels good. Making progress on our goals feels good too. Often, we can make good initial progress riding on these good feelings, and on our willpower.

However – as we all know – life happens. There are so many things that can get in the way of our progress: getting sick, travel or other disruptions to routine, work deadlines, etc.

Try this:

If there’s no question that this goal is the right one for you right now, and you'd like to get back on track, then first, give yourself a big dose of self-compassion. No need to beat yourself up for getting off track; that doesn’t help long-term with motivation.

Instead, look back with curiosity at what got you off track. Then, plan your next step to get back on track and also identify any future obstacles that could get in your way. Make a plan for what you will do when these roadblocks (re)appear.

Did any of these situations resonate with you, Reader?

The most important thing to remember overall when it comes to goals is to always value progress over perfection. Experiment with both the behaviors and the mindset that support you to keep going.

This is a road worth taking! I’ll be back next week with more roadside support for your 2026 goals. 🚗

Until soon,
Lisa

Hi, I'm Lisa Hoashi. I'm a coach who can help you find clarity about what's important and what's next in moments of important change. Curious about working together? ​Schedule​ a free, no-obligation conversation with me.