How To Achieve Your Personal Goals in 2026

Every December, people make bold promises to themselves — then abandon them by February. Last week, I shared how Capitalogix plans for a new year in business. This week, I want to use the same principles to help you design personal goals you actually keep in 2026: clearer, more specific, and rooted in what matters most to you. Specifically, we’ll discuss a simple way to turn vague intentions into specific, values-driven change.

What You Focus On Changes What You See

I’m naturally a big-picture guy, and tend to spend a significant portion of my time thinking about longer-term possibilities. With that said, it’s also essential to consider your strategies for achieving them on shorter timeframes. I tend to break that up by Quarters. Lower timeframes than that are more tactical, and I consider that short-term planning or scheduling.

Dan Sullivan says, “Progress starts by telling the truth.”

I think goal setting is a lot like using a map. To find the best route, you must start by figuring out where you are and where you want to be.

Activity alone isn’t as important as many people hope. Think of it this way … from where you are, there are infinite potential paths – but motion in a particular direction isn’t “progress” if it doesn’t take you toward your desired destination.

The right action is far more valuable than merely taking action … and that means beginning with the end in mind. Said differently, you are unlikely to hit the target if you aren’t aiming at it.

Resolutions only work if you actually “want” to make them happen. It’s one thing to hope that something happens; it’s another to commit to making it happen. 

The Four Focuses Framework

With that said, here are some tips. 

• Focus on What You Want.
• Focus on Why You Want It.
• Focus on How You Might Get it.
• Focus on Evidence of Progress.

Let me show you how this works with a real example.

Moving Towards a Solution, Rather Than Suffering From the Problem.

Like many people, I carry around a few different versions of myself. There’s who I used to be when life was louder and more chaotic, who I am right now in the middle of responsibilities and transitions, and who I imagine myself becoming with more clarity and calm. That gap between “then,” “now,” and “next” isn’t about physical change anymore—it’s about presence, patience, and peace of mind.

At first, my instinct was vague and unhelpful: I need less stress. That realization didn’t get me very far. My mind quickly tried to dress it up into something more positive but equally generic, like: “I want to feel more balanced” or “I choose to slow down and enjoy life more.”

Blah, blah … still just words and nice sentiments — but that doesn’t change how I live.

What I needed wasn’t a nicer sentence — it was a reason that actually mattered. Not something measured in minutes meditated or notifications silenced, but something that made the change non-negotiable.

That’s when the WHY became obvious.

This year, my focus isn’t on optimizing my body (like it has been in previous years); I’m focusing more on the inner game of mindfulness. For example, being more fully present for my family — especially with a new grandchild. I don’t want to experience those moments half-distracted, mentally elsewhere, or rushing toward the next obligation. I want the time, energy, and peace of mind to actually be there, and to slow down, to listen, to play, and to remember.

This post isn’t really about family or stress management; it’s about mindset and specificity. It’s about how meaningful change starts. You can list tactics all day long, but without a strong enough WHY, they become good intentions you abandon when life gets busy.

For me, peace of mind isn’t the goal … it’s the path. The real goal is to show up as the version of myself the people I care most about deserve: calmer, more available, and more loving. The HOW will evolve, but the WHY is locked in.

And just like with health or business goals, that WHY is what creates momentum.

Focus on Potential Solutions Rather than Problems or Challenges.

The bad news is that obstacles exist. I’m CEO of a start-up. I have meetings with my employees, investors, and potential investors. I have flights, late nights, and stress … I don’t get a good night’s sleep as often as I want or should. Not to mention the actual work I have to get done on top of all the talking, traveling, and brainstorming.

The good news is that none of those things preclude progress.

It is natural to focus on obstacles, but most obstacles are surmountable — with a big enough WHY, I might even choose to go to sleep at a consistent time. Instead of dwelling on limitations, use them as a reminder to focus on potential solutions. They are beacons pointing the way.

How do you do it? To focus on solutions, you can make two action-based lists: one is of things To-Do … and another is of things Not-To-Do.

Here are some sample To-Do items:

• I will protect blocks of time that are not scheduled, optimized, or spoken for.
• I will put the phone down when I’m with my family, especially during meals and visits. (Fun fact: I now keep my phone on “Focus”; so anytime I check my phone, it’s deliberate and not reflexive)
• I will start mornings more slowly — no news, email, or social feeds for the first part of the day.
• I will make space for quiet reflection as intentionally as I once made space for productivity.

Here is the actionable list of Not-To-Do items:

• I will not treat every open moment as an opportunity to work or be “useful.”
• I will not check messages just because I can; urgency does not equal importance.
• I will not compare how much I’m doing now to how much I used to do. Instead, I will measure success by presence and peace of mind. I can do more with less.

Create Calmer Habits.

Routines are powerful. Instead of trying to eliminate them, improve, evolve, or transform them. Small shifts can create big outcomes. Here are some simple ideas.

• Create a simple end-of-day shutdown ritual so work doesn’t follow you into family time.
• Keep your phone in another room when reading, playing, or spending time with loved ones.
• Pair something calming—music, a walk, or sitting outside—with parts of your day that already exist.
• Choose activities that naturally slow you down: walking, cooking, reading, or unstructured play.
• Plan family time around shared experiences, not just meals or screens.

You get the idea. Look for small shifts that reduce friction or help build momentum in the right direction. For example, ask: What habits can you slightly adjust to create more calm? What can be automated, delegated, or simply left undone?

For three books about the subject, I recommend Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg, Willpower Doesn’t Work by Benjamin Hardy, or Atomic Habits by James Clear. 

Focus on Your Progress.

Here, it really is about the journey. Instead of fixating on how busy life still feels, notice the moments you showed up fully. Use an internal measure of success. This is about building ease, momentum, and a quieter mind.

• Sitting through a whole meal without checking your phone.
• Being able to slow down without feeling guilty.
• Spending an afternoon with family and remembering it clearly.
• Feeling present enough to enjoy the small moments—especially with a grandchild.

It doesn’t matter what the milestones are. They all count, as long as you know you’re moving in the right direction.

Summary

The point of this exercise was not really to focus on meditation. These techniques and goal-setting tools work in any situation. The principles are:

1. First, determine what you want and why it is important. Then, focus on only the few things that are truly important to you. 
2. Second, find something you can do right now that will move you in the right direction.
3. Third, notice which things create (rather than take) energy. Spend your time on those, and automate or create routines to handle the rest.
4. Fourth, plan forward but measure backward. Set milestones so that you can recognize and celebrate your Progress.

In my business, this translates to having a mission and vision – defining what we want, why it’s important, and the basic strategy to achieve it. Then, we create yearly “Big 3” goals that move us toward that long-term vision. Then the team creates SMARTs (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely) and KPIs (key performance indicators) or OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) to measure evidence of success. Doing those things lets the team know where to spend their time and whether they’re on the right track.

It isn’t magic, but it works.

If you want to try this right now, take one personal goal that really matters next year and fill in these four lines:

• What I want:
• Why I want it:
• How I might get it:
• Evidence of progress I’ll look for:

Keep it somewhere you’ll see weekly, and update it as you learn.

It is pretty simple and easy to make progress. That’s how you become the version of yourself your future self — and your family — will thank you for.

If you’re interested, here are a few more articles I’ve written on health and longevity. 

• Getting Healthy: Creating A New Normal
• Living Longer and Healthier
• Snake Oil Or Cure?

Onwards!