Is this the week you give up on your goals for 2026?
Quitters Week
The end of the second work week in January is the peak goal-quitting time of the entire year.
For those who started 2026 with the best intentions, this is when the initial burst of excitement fades and commitment, discipline, and accountability must take over.
So far, I’ve helped 49 business leaders make their action plans for Q1 of 2026. By writing down their big goals, breaking them down into steps, and making a plan for when to tackle each step, that group is already equipped to face Quitters Week without missing a beat.
Rather than focusing on goal-setting alone, planning makes each day easier.
By making hard decisions in advance in a low-stress, high-logic environment, you’re reducing the pressure created by daily seat-of-your-pants decision-making.
When the steps are written down in front of you, it’s easy to adjust your plan when life inevitably throws a curveball.
By taking the time to think about why each goal is important enough to deserve a spot in your top 3, it’s easier to remind yourself why it’s worth the hard work.
A workable action plan starts with a clear set of goals – ones that excite you and keep you moving in the right direction, even when progress is slow.
Unconventional Goals
Along with traditional business goals (like financial KPIs), it’s useful to think about exciting, unconventional goals, the ones you may feel a stronger personal connection to.
Here are six examples:
Goals for who to BE, not just what to do.
Is your day-to-day behaviour congruent with the person you’d like to be? Are you ending each day feeling happy, confident, and in control? Are you taking enough time to recharge your energy resources to avoid burning out? Goals for who to become are just as important as action-oriented goals when it comes to following through on your plan.
Goals for failure.
If fear of failure holds you back, setting specific goals for the number of times your ideas will fall flat can help push through the discomfort. It’s a reminder that failure is a natural part of learning and growth, and a sure sign you’re operating outside your comfort zone.
Goals for what NOT to do.
Are there things you need to stop doing to create time or energy for higher priorities? These can be obvious (less time on social media, for example) or more nuanced (is it time to fire that difficult customer or delegate a critical task?) Sometimes a successful year hinges on what we don’t do.
Goals for becoming incompetent.
As an expert in your field and a leader in your business, you naturally value your competence. But growth demands a learner’s mindset, which means becoming a beginner again and again. What will make you feel incompetent this year?
Process-oriented goals.
Rather than achievement-oriented goals, try measuring the behaviour that creates the outcome you want. For example, instead of “sign our biggest-ever contract” – an end result you have no real control over – you could focus on the factors that are most likely to create that result. “Take two clients per month out for dinner” might build the relationships and trust necessary to get to that contract. Focusing on your actions instead of the outcome leaves you in control of the process.
Goals for consistency.
Think about the habits and systems that, if you installed them in your life and business, would easily deliver a successful year. By making consistency the goal, you’re creating an environment where success is a natural and predictable byproduct.
No matter how the year has started for you, taking a moment during Quitters Week to bring your goals back into focus will help you push through the second half of January.
This Week’s Takeaway
Don’t rely on excitement and willpower to get you through the year. Unconventional goals will make you think through what you’re really trying to achieve and how you will navigate the journey.
What unconventional goals have you set for this quarter or this year?
ActionCLUB – Pricing for Profit
On January 16th in Mississauga, gain confidence in your pricing strategy using real data, at ActionCLUB! Join me for a hands-on workshop where I’ll be joined by fractional CFO Robyn Smith and other local leaders.
You’ll learn how to:
Build simple cash projections
Price your services for sustainable profit
Make confident decisions backed by analytics
What’s included:
ActionCLUB opening session (10-11am)
CFO-led pricing workshop (11am-12pm)
Networking lunch with local entrepreneurs (12-1pm)
$50 | @IDEA Mississauga | 10:00am – 1:00pm
The 12 Week Year: By Brian P. Moran & Michael Lennington
The 12 Week Year is a useful reframing if you’ve ever noticed how easy it is for annual goals to lose momentum. By treating twelve weeks as a full “year,” the book encourages sharper focus, clearer priorities, and a healthier sense of urgency around what actually matters.
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