Setting Goals That Actually Stick: A Family Guide to Making 2026 Your Best Year Yet

Let's be honest: most New Year's resolutions fail by February. You know the drill. Everyone gets pumped up on January 1st, declares "This is OUR year!", and then... life happens. The kids get sick, work gets crazy, and suddenly those beautiful goals are gathering dust like that gym membership card in your wallet.

But here's the thing: it doesn't have to be this way.

After working with hundreds of families and couples over the years, I've learned that goal-setting isn't really the problem. It's HOW we set goals that makes all the difference. So let's talk about a better approach, one that works for real families dealing with real life.

Why Family Goal-Setting Matters (Especially Now)

Think about it: when was the last time your whole family sat down together and talked about what you actually want? Not what you SHOULD want, or what looks good on social media, but what genuinely matters to YOU as a unit?

Most families run on autopilot. Wake up, rush through breakfast, work, school, activities, dinner, homework, bed, repeat. There's no time to ask the bigger questions like:

• Are we connecting the way we want to?

• What memories are we creating?

• Are we supporting each other's dreams?

• What do we want to look back on when 2026 is over?

When families set goals together, something powerful happens. Everyone gets a voice. Everyone feels heard. And suddenly, you're not just surviving the year... you're actually building the life you want.

The Foundation: Start With Your Values, Not Your To-Do List

Here's where most people go wrong right out of the gate. They start with what they want to DO instead of what they want to BE.

"We should exercise more!" "We need to save money!" "The kids need to get better grades!"

But these aren't really goals. They're just shoulds dressed up in goal clothing.

Before you set a single goal, ask yourselves: What kind of family do we want to be?

Maybe you value:

• Connection and quality time together

• Health and taking care of your body

• Learning and growing as individuals

• Adventure and trying new things

• Giving back to your community

• Financial security and smart planning

When you start with values, your goals naturally flow from what actually matters to you. A goal to "exercise more" becomes "We want to feel strong and energized so we can fully enjoy our lives together." See the difference?

The Couple's Corner: Getting on the Same Page

For couples, this values conversation is CRUCIAL. You might think you're on the same page until you actually sit down and talk about it.

One partner might prioritize adventure and spontaneity while the other values security and routine. Neither is wrong! But if you don't know where your partner is coming from, you'll end up frustrated when they're not excited about your goals.

Try this exercise together:

• Each person writes down their top 5 values independently

• Share your lists and notice where they overlap

• Talk about the differences without judgment (this is huge!)

• Find the sweet spot where both your values can coexist

Remember: you're not trying to become the same person. You're trying to build a life together that honors both of you.

Making It Real: The Goal-Setting Framework That Works

Okay, now that you've identified your values, let's turn them into actual goals. But we're going to do this differently than you might expect.

Step 1: Dream Big Together

Get everyone in the family involved, even young kids. Ask questions like:

• If 2026 was the best year ever, what would that look like?

• What's something you've always wanted to try?

• What would make you feel proud at the end of the year?

• What would help our family feel closer?

Write everything down. No judging, no "that's not realistic" comments yet. Just dream.

Step 2: Choose Your Focus Areas

Look at your list and group things into categories. Most families do well with 3-5 focus areas, such as:

• Family Connection

• Health & Wellness

• Personal Growth

• Financial Goals

• Home & Environment

• Community & Relationships

Pick the areas that feel most important based on your values conversation.

Step 3: Set Goals That Make Sense for YOUR Family

Here's where we get specific, but in a way that actually works. For each focus area, create one meaningful goal.

A good family goal has three parts:

What you want (the outcome), Why it matters (connected to your values) How you'll know you're succeeding (but not in a rigid way)

Let's look at examples:

❌ Bad goal: "Spend more time together." ✅ Better goal: "Have a weekly family game night because we value connection and laughter, and we'll measure success by how often we actually do it and how much we enjoy it."

❌ Bad goal: "Get healthier" ✅ Better goal: "Develop a family movement habit by finding activities we all enjoy, because we want to feel energized and strong together, and we'll know it's working when moving our bodies feels like fun instead of a chore."

❌ Bad goal: "Save more money" ✅ Better goal: "Build our family security fund because financial stress affects our relationship, and we want to feel confident about our future, and we'll track progress by our account balance and how much less anxious we feel about mone.y"

Notice how these goals feel different? They're specific enough to act on but flexible enough to adjust as life happens.

The Secret Sauce: Systems Over Willpower

Here's what nobody tells you about goals: willpower is garbage.

Seriously. It runs out. It fails when you're tired, stressed, or hungry. If your goal depends on willpower alone, you're setting yourself up to fail.

What works instead? Systems and environment design.

Let's say your goal is more family connection. Don't rely on everyone suddenly remembering to put down their phones and chat. Instead, build systems:

• Sunday mornings are pancake breakfast and check-in time (it's just what we do)

• Phones go in a basket during dinner (environmental design)

• Every Friday is either game night or movie night (routine built in)

• Each kid gets one-on-one time with each parent once a month (scheduled, not hoped for)

See how that's different from just "trying harder" to connect?

The same applies to couple goals. Want more quality time? Don't wait for it to magically appear. Schedule a weekly date night. Set up a recurring babysitter. Prep an easy dinner in advance. Build the system that makes it happen.

Getting the Kids Involved (Yes, Even the Little Ones)

One of the most powerful things you can do is help your kids set their own goals. This teaches them agency, planning, and the satisfaction of working toward something they care about.

For young kids (ages 5-10):

• Keep it simple and concrete

• Use visual trackers (sticker charts aren't just for chores!)

• Connect goals to things they already love

• Celebrate small wins frequently

Example: "I want to learn to ride my bike without training wheels by spring" with a chart to track practice sessions

For tweens and teens (ages 11+):

• Let them lead the conversation

• Ask questions instead of giving advice

• Help them break big goals into smaller steps

• Connect their goals to their values (What matters to YOU?)

• Support without taking over

Example: "I want to make varsity next year" becomes a plan for off-season training, skill development, and building team relationships

The Monthly Family Check-In

Goals aren't set-it-and-forget-it. They need tending, like a garden.

Set up a monthly family meeting (30 minutes max, make it fun with snacks!) to check in:

• What's going well?

• What's harder than we thought?

• Do we need to adjust anything?

• What do we want to celebrate?

• What support do we need from each other?

This isn't about pressure or judgment. It's about staying connected to what matters and adjusting course when needed.

For couples, do your own monthly check-in too. How are you supporting each other's individual goals? Where do you need to communicate better? What's working in your relationship goals?

When Goals Need to Change (And That's Okay)

Life happens. Jobs change. Kids' interests shift. Someone gets sick. The thing you thought mattered in January feels irrelevant by June.

This is normal.

The point of goals isn't to create a rigid plan you must follow no matter what. It's to give your family direction and intention.

If a goal isn't serving you anymore, change it. If something unexpected happens and you need to pivot, pivot. The values underneath stay the same, but how you express them can absolutely evolve.

Give yourself permission to be flexible. That's not failure... that's wisdom.

Making It Happen: Your Action Plan

Okay, you're inspired. Now what? Here's your step-by-step plan to actually do this:

This week:

• Schedule a family goal-setting meeting (make it special, maybe order pizza)

• Have the values conversation as a couple first

• Gather supplies: big paper, markers, sticky notes

At your family meeting:

• Share why you're doing this (keep it positive and exciting!)

• Do the dreaming exercise together

• Pick your 3-5 focus areas

• Set one goal per area

• Talk about systems to support each goal

After the meeting:

• Write everything down somewhere visible

• Set up your first monthly check-in

• Start building the systems and routines

• Celebrate that you actually did this!

Throughout the year:

• Keep the conversation going

• Adjust as needed

• Celebrate progress, not just outcomes

• Remember: done is better than perfect

The Bottom Line

Goal-setting as a family isn't about creating a perfect plan. It's about deciding what matters, communicating about it, and working together to build the life you actually want.

Will everything go according to plan? Probably not.

Will you have days where you completely forget about your goals? Definitely.

Will there be setbacks, conflicts, and moments where you wonder why you even bothered? Yep.

But here's what else will happen: You'll have intentional conversations. You'll support each other. You'll create memories. You'll grow together. And when you look back on 2026, you'll know you didn't just let life happen TO you... you made active choices ABOUT your life.

That's worth the effort.

Need support making this happen? Sometimes families need help navigating these conversations, especially when there's conflict, different parenting styles, or past disappointments around goal-setting. That's where therapy can help. We work with families and couples to improve communication, align on values, and create the relationship dynamics that make reaching goals together actually possible.

Ready to make 2026 your family's best year yet? LIBH is here to help, so let's talk about how we can support your family's goals.