Before You Set 2026 Goals, Ask This First

Let me make a wild guess: You're already thinking about January.

Your goals. Your habits. Your fresh start. And maybe you've got a list going—the things you'll finally tackle, the systems you'll finally implement, the person you'll finally become.

And maybe, underneath all that planning, there's a quiet voice asking: Why didn't last January stick?

Here's what I want you to know:

The problem probably wasn't your discipline. It was your sequence.

You're setting goals before you understand what the year actually taught you. You're planting seeds without checking the soil. You're building next year's plan on top of this year's unprocessed lessons.

And that's why it keeps feeling hard.

Farmers don't plant without understanding the harvest. Athletes don't train year-round without rest. Midlife—especially midlife—doesn't reward urgency.

It rewards alignment.

What If December Had a Different Job?

We've been taught that reflection is optional and action is everything.

But December serves a different purpose. This is a harvest month. A pause month. A meaning-making month.

When you skip this step, you don't create new futures—you recreate old patterns with shinier labels. The same pace. The same pressure. Same outcomes.

This is especially true for people in transition. When you're changing careers, redefining success, or quietly letting go of an identity that no longer fits, rushing to set goals can actually delay the clarity you're seeking.

Before you ask What should I do next year? try asking: What's actually true now?

A Better Framework: SPARK as Reflection

I use the SPARK Method™ to help people move forward—but it works just as well for looking back. Not to judge your year, but to understand it.

Step Back Zoom out. Not from metrics or résumés—from patterns.

Where did your energy rise this year? Where did you override yourself? Where did things feel surprisingly easy, or stubbornly heavy?

Distance brings honesty. And honesty beats hustle every time.

Permission What are you finally allowed to admit?

Maybe it’s a role you've outgrown. Maybe it’s a pace that no longer works. Or it could be a definition of success that quietly expired, even if it still looks impressive on LinkedIn.

Midlife permission rarely arrives with fireworks. It usually sounds like a soft internal exhale: Oh. That's why this has been so hard.

Align Instead of asking what you should want next year, ask what actually energized you this year.

Energy isn't mood. It's data.

What gave you a sense of rightness? What drained you, even when it came with approval or status?

Alignment doesn't demand immediate change—it asks for truth.

Reclaim Now we get to the story rewrite.

It’s not: I stalled. Instead, it’s: I gathered information.

It’s not: I didn't follow through. Instead, it’s: That path didn't fit.

You're not behind. You're integrating. And integration is work—even when it doesn't look impressive from the outside.

Keep Building (Gently) Only after all this do we look ahead.

And even then? Not with goals.

With seeds.

Why Seeds Beat Resolutions Every Time

Seeds are small by design. They don't announce themselves. They don't demand you have it all figured out.

A seed for 2026 might look like:

• A weekly walk-and-think ritual

• One honest conversation you've been avoiding

• A boundary that protects your nervous system

• A curiosity you'll follow without monetizing (yet)

Seeds don't rush. They trust the season. And they grow quietly, underground, long before anything is visible.

That's not a weakness. That's how growth actually works.

Two Questions Worth Your December

As this year winds down, ask yourself these questions. Perfection isn’t the thing here, but sit with these honestly:

• What did I learn about how I actually function best—not how I wish I did?

• What seed wants to be planted next—not to impress, but to grow?

You don't need a five-year plan right now. You don't need perfect clarity.

You need a sense of direction—and permission to move at the pace your life is asking for.

December isn't asking you to reinvent yourself.

It's asking you to listen to what you learned.

Hit reply and tell me one seed you're planting for 2026. I read every response.

I’m Richard Taliaferro. I’m a certified career coach specializing in helping mid-stage professionals gain clarity on their career journey. I’ve written a guide on how to escape the work hamster wheel. Click here to download yours.