The Best Advice to Hit Your Goals in 2026

We are one month into 2026 and we are hitting that penultimate point where we are either going to follow through with our health/fitness goals or start to fall out of sync. Here are the three best ways you can keep yourself in the long game this year and crush those goals!

1 - MAKE A PLAN

So you've made your goals, and sure - you made a plan too. How is that plan going? Is it easy to stick to? Do you find yourself missing aspects of your plan on a frequent basis and trying to make them up? Here is how you can tell if your plan is working:

• You're able to stick to it with consistency

• Sticking to the plan isn't giving you undue stress or anxiety

• You're looking forward to doing what you planned

• You're starting to see that progress you want

Here are ways to tell that your plan is NOT working:

• You're consistently making days

• You're stressing about trying to make up for misses or mess-ups

• Going about your plan causes you significant stress or anxiety

• You're finding yourself not enjoying life

When setting goals and planning how to reach them, I think it is very important to understand what kind of person you are. Are you someone who is motivated by that long term, seemingly out of reach, goal? Or do you need to have smaller, short term, achievable goals to track your progress? Or maybe you are someone who needs to have both a long term goal and those achievable short term goals to mark your steps along the way. When making a plan, I think it is VERY important to figure this out about yourself. Once you have an idea about what kind of goals motivate you, then you can make your plan.

When making your plan, you need to figure out what is realistic. Sure, we hit the new year and tell ourselves "I'm going to the gym five days per week for at least 90 minutes", "I'm eating clean every meal each and every day", "I'm spending at least an hour on cardio every day", "I'm going to two yoga classes three days per week and strength training four days per week"... But is that realistic?

Most of us have to work, we have families, and we need some semblance of a social life. Your fitness goals are important, and yes, you will have to make some sacrifices, but if every other aspect of your life is falling apart then you're doing too much.

Figure out how much time you can realistically put toward your goals. For example, if 90 minutes per day, five days per week, is causing too much stress with taking your kids to activities or cutting into time with your partner, maybe try 60 minutes three times per week. If you want the extra activity, see if your partner or a friend would walk with you or even workout with you. In all honesty, you'll make much more progress in your fitness journey long term if you can reduce the outside stressors it places on your schedule.

When it comes to food, eating "clean" every single meal can be tough. Most people don't enjoy chicken, rice, and broccoli for each meal. When you starve yourself of the things you enjoy, it is much easier to overindulge when presented with the opportunity. Instead, eat the things you like - but in moderation. Maybe have one or two of your "clean" meals, but on the other meals just modify how much you're eating. I know calorie counting can be taboo, and if that isn't necessarily healthy for you that's okay. Track your hydration, maybe track your protein intake (especially if you are working out or training). On meals you would deem "unclean" just modify your portions. If you don't find yourself feeling full, have an extra serving of vegetables or maybe a little more lean protein to fill you up. There are even carb sources that can fill you up more than bread and pastas - try oatmeal, potatoes, and sweet potatoes. With kids, you might be having pizza, spaghetti, and dino nuggies more than you'd like. Same thing, just modify your portions on those meals. Eating is the same as exercise, if it doesn't feel sustainable, then it probably won't be. You have to figure out what works best for you.

2 - KEEP YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE

Accountability is one main reason most people fall off. This can come in many forms. The first thing I like to have people ask themselves is if they are more of an intrinsic/internally motivated individual or an extrinsic/externally motivated individual. By this I mean are you good with motivating yourself and keeping yourself accountable, or do you get motivation through others and find it easier when others help keep you accountable? There is not wrong answer, but I think it is important to be honest with yourself here. For most of us, we want to be able to puff our chests out and say "I don't need help, I can do this by myself." Look, I'm a pretty intrinsically motivated person, but I have had a powerlifting coach for ten years and have made a TON of progress. I have missed only seven workouts in ten years of training. I needed that external accountability to keep me healthy and motivated. It also allowed me to go to someone if I had questions or needed help. If you don't have the desire or means to pay for a coach, talk to your partner, family member, or friend. Tell them your goals and your plan, talk it through, and see if they can help you stay accountable. Often times when we reach out to others for support, not only do we feel motivated, but they will also feel motivated for us and want to be a part of our journey!

Now, no matter what, every single person has to have some semblance of self-accountability. Even if you have the world's greatest support system, nobody can make you do something. This is where the goal setting ties in. When you set those goals that make sense to you, it will be SO MUCH EASIER to wake up every day and WANT to take that next step towards them. Keeping yourself accountable toward your goals is infinitely harder if your goals don't actually make sense for you and your situation.

3 - STAY THE COURSE

The hardest part. This is where we tie in both goal setting and accountability. I don't care who you are, what your goals are, or where you are in life, something won't go as planned. That doesn't matter. What MATTERS is how you respond to it.

When we have our plan in place to reach our goals, and we are being held accountable for them, we will have longevity. The hardest part is when the train derails. Maybe you missed a workout, or you didn't lift the weight you planned, maybe your running paces slowed, you got injured, the number on the scale started creeping upward, or you've found yourself overindulging in foods or alcohol that you did not plan on.

Guess what - that's going to happen. If anyone tells you that it won't or that it shouldn't or that it can't, they're WRONG. When these hiccups happen, allow yourself to be annoyed, frustrated, even angry. That's a normal human response and honestly it tells me that you are MOTIVATED.

DON'T DWELL ON IT! The hitch in the giddy-up happened. You can't change that, but you can get yourself right back on track. Don't try to make up for it. That will only cause you more undue stress, anxiety, fatigue, and honestly self-loathing. Just hop right back on the plan - but make the necessary adjustments. For some, that might mean taking a lighter week to allow the body some recovery so you can get back to the weights or paces you want. That might mean going to PT to get your injury addressed. It might mean getting back on track with your foods and not checking the scale for a bit. Maybe you need to consult with your doctor or a nutritionist. Heck, even speaking with a therapist is great when we are trying to make change and do hard things.

DO THIS FOR YOU

We want to see you succeed. We want to see you crush your goals and love the process. You deserve this. You don't have to do this for anyone but YOU. Look at your plan, if you don't have one, make it. Ensure that your goals are motivating for YOU and that they are WHAT YOU NEED. When you fall off of the plan, adjust and get back on.

At Function Reforged we have helped countless people of all backgrounds and levels on their fitness journeys. Whether that's dealing with an injury, ongoing pain, getting started with running or lifting, or hitting plateaus in your progress - we got you! If you find that you're needing some help or even just want to talk things through, don't hesitate. Drop in through this link and schedule a free call. We are more than happy to help you out!

Keep pushing, stay the course, and enjoy the process!