How to Onboard Yourself to Your 2026 Goals
Plus, coming up in February: thriving as an Introverted leader
Coming Up Next Month: Introverted Leadership
In February, we’ll be shifting the conversation to Introverted Leadership – and what it looks like to lead well without trying to become someone you’re not.
We’ll be sharing practical tips for Introverted leaders: how to use your strengths, protect your energy, and lead with clarity and impact in a world that often rewards the loudest voice in the room.
I’d love your help shaping this topic. Let me know in the comments what your biggest questions, challenges, or frustrations are about leading as an Introvert or working with Introverted leaders.
Watch for a NEW Introverted Leadership series coming in February! Be sure you’re subscribed to participate.
How to Onboard Yourself to Your 2026 Goals
This month, we’ve been talking a lot about onboarding new hires – how to welcome them, support them, and set them up to succeed.
And it got me thinking: what if we treated our own goals the same way?
If you’re anything like me, then work goals get structure, deadlines, feedback, and mental space.
Personal or long-term professional goals? They live in the margins – something I’ll “get to” once the real work is done.
(Spoiler: the real work is never done and my to-do list is never empty.)
So I decided to try out a thought reframe that will change how I approach 2026: What if I treated my own goals as if I were joining the team to deliver them – even if the team is just me?
If you’d like to join me in this experiment, then here are three practical ways you can onboard yourself to your goals for the year:
1. Write Yourself a “Role Clarity” Doc
When someone joins a team, we don’t just say “good luck.” We define success. Do the same for your goal. Ask yourself:
What am I responsible for – and what am I not?
How will I know I’m doing a good job?
What does done actually look like?
One page is enough here. You just want to define what success looks like, what you’re responsible for, and what can wait. Clear roles create direction instead of pressure.
2. Build a 30/60/90 Day Plan
New hires aren’t expected to master everything immediately – and neither are you. Break your big goal down into:
30 days: Learn, set foundations, remove obvious blockers
60 days: Build momentum, test habits, make small bets
90 days: Review what’s working and adjust without judgment
This shifts your mindset from “I failed” to “I’m still onboarding.” Progress beats pressure, every time.
3. Schedule the Check-ins You’d Never Skip at Work
Leaders don’t wait until the end of the year to ask how someone’s doing. Yet we often do that to ourselves. Fix that by putting recurring time in your calendar:
A monthly self check-in
A quarterly “what stays / what goes” review
A place to name what’s hard – not just what’s achieved
Treat these like real meetings. Because if it matters enough to lead others well, it matters enough to lead yourself well too.
That’s it. Just three simple yet practical tips to help you feel supported in your personal or professional goals for 2026.
Give it a go and let me know what you think. We’ll be doing it together!
Next up: The Onboarding New Hires series continues with a look at how to help Diplomat personalities adjust to a new job. Stay tuned!