5 Ways to Set Realistic Goals for 2026

Want a promotion next year? How about learning new skills? You’re certainly not alone. More than half of Americans set at least one work-related goal at the start of 2025, according to Pew Research data. The only problem: Their goals weren't realistic. 

Experts say the objectives workers establish for themselves tend to be too vague, too unwieldy, or too difficult to accomplish alone. Indeed, 72% of people said they fall behind on their New Year goals… by February. “Too often you discuss what you’d like to accomplish, it gets written down, and then it goes on a shelf,” says Ryan Frechette, a Korn Ferry Advance associate principal.

As 2026 looms, experts suggest setting better goals. The emphasize that the idea isn’t to lower the bar for yourself, but rather to identify goals that you have the means and wherewithal to accomplish. 

Be optimistic. 

Give yourself a mental fighting chance to accomplish your goals. Decades of research shows that optimism can motivate people to pursue their goals persistently and enthusiastically. A lack of optimism can have the opposite effect. 

Use history as a guide. 

You might want to double the number of projects you complete this upcoming year, but has anyone else in your department accomplished such a lofty feat? For that matter, has anyone even come close? “Context is super important,” says JP Sniffen, Korn Ferry’s practice leader of its Military Center of Expertise. Ask colleagues or your boss what excellent productivity looks like for people in roles similar to yours in a good year, and make that your goal. Sniffen says that you should do a self-progress report every quarter. Six months from now, if you find you’re doing really well, you can always adjust the goal higher.   

Be SMART about goal setting. 

One of the biggest obstacles to accomplishing a goal is choosing one that’s too nebulous. Being happier on the job, for instance, is a fine objective, but it’s also tough to measure. Jennifer Zamora, a Korn Ferry senior principal, recommends setting SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound. This will help you to clarify ideas, focus efforts, use time and resources productively, and increase the chances of achieving what you want out of your career. 

Set multiple goals. 

Sometimes, setting just one goal can become inadvertently overwhelming. If you don’t make headway quickly, you can easily get discouraged. So consider setting 6 to 8 goals and aim to accomplish all of them, says Craig Rowley, a Korn Ferry senior client partner who specializes in retail. Multiple goals, he says, can take some of the pressure off.  

Develop metrics. 

Don’t forget to establish how you’re going to measure your success. “That which is measured is treasured,” says Tamara Rodman, a Korn Ferry senior client partner in the firm’s Culture, Change and Communications practice. Your personal indices can be tied to revenue and growth, or to more qualitative measures, such as customer feedback, satisfaction surveys, or efficiency in resolving client issues. Find out from your manager if particular bonuses are associated with the goal you want to achieve. For their part, managers can help direct reports reach their own goals by asking about them periodically—which could have the added benefit of motivating employees to help managers hit their own personal goals.   

Learn more about Korn Ferry’s Leadership and Professional Development capabilities. 

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