Create Systems to Meet Your New Year's Goals

We all start January with a blank calendar, high hopes, and big goals.

But, sometime before the end of February, we tend to get frustrated,. We fall behind schedule. Old habits we'd sworn to leave behind creep back in. And we quit.

So, how can you make 2026 the year when you're part of the 8% of Americans who actually follow through on their resolutions and achieve their goals?

The answer isn't to aim higher or work harder. It's to build more effective systems that will support you through the inevitable ups and downs of the year.

Let’s start recalibrating your goals for the New Year by focusing on how to create sustainable, compoundable success.

1. Establish How

Get fit!

Save more money!

Write a novel!

Learn Spanish!

Travel more!

Spend less time on my phone!

These are the kinds of goals you'll commonly see on social media this time of year. They're the "What" that folks are excited to start tackling on January 1st.

What's missing is the "How," the daily, actionable steps that lead to progress and enforce accountability.

For example, if you want to “get fit,” you might start by getting more specific. A better goal might be, "I'm going to walk for 30 minutes every day." Block off 30 minutes for walking on your daily calendar, check off every walk, and you've created a Get Fit System that will lead you towards your goal one step at a time.

You can apply this “systems thinking” to just about any kind of goal:

• Set a daily word goal for writing your novel.

• Make automatic contributions into saving and retirement accounts every month.

• Block off an hour every day to run through Spanish flash cards.

• Set your alarm 30 minutes earlier so you have time for mindfulness or wellness before you start your day.

2. Fall Back to Move Forward

What happens when it's rainy and you don't feel like getting off the couch?

Or when you splurged on a gadget you don't really need and threw off your budget for the month?

Or when you're sitting before your blank canvas and inspiration is hard to come by?

Knowing what your goals are don't really help much when you're struggling to break through these kinds of barriers. But if you have a system to fall back on you, can:

• Solve "The Happiness Delay": The distance between where you are and where you want to be can often seem enormous. Systems create achievement in the moment, not just when you reach your goal.

• Avoid "The Yo-Yo Effect": Folks who achieve short-term goals often celebrate with a wild swing back to their original habits. Systems keep you focused on the next step, the next goal.

• Overcome Lapses in Willpower: No, you're not going to feel like exercising every day you're supposed to exercise. And yes, that new phone upgrade you don’t need will be tempting. Systems remove the option to fail. When you wake up and see your workout clothes already laid out for you, you'll hit the ground running. If you make auto deposits into your savings account as soon as your paycheck hits, you won’t have the option to splurge.

3. Personalize Your Goals and Your Plan

One common reason that New Year’s resolutions fail is that they’re not personal enough. We see what other folks are doing and think, “That sounds like fun, I’ll try that too.”

But following the crowd never leads to happiness. The more personal your goals are, the more motivated you’ll feel to achieve them.

Our Life-Centered Planning process can help you create a personalized system that helps you use your money to achieve more. Start 2026 with a visit to our office and let’s start planning your best year yet.

If reflecting on these principles has you thinking differently about what retirement and financial independence look like for you and your family, you’re not alone; the key to success in 2026 is moving beyond the "What" of social media resolutions and building a personalized "How" through effective systems that support you through inevitable ups and downs. At LI Wealth Management, our Life-Centered Financial Planning process is designed to help you define and pursue your own version of financial freedom, creating a sustainable system that overcomes lapses in willpower and solves the "happiness delay" by creating achievement in the moment. By moving away from the crowd and focusing on a plan that is deeply personal to your values, you can ensure your money is working to support the exact life you want to live in retirement. Visit our website to learn more about our personalized approach, and when you’re ready, schedule a call with our team to take the first step toward a more intentional and fulfilling retirement.