Before you write goals for 2026 — read this first

If you are about to end this year with a notes app full of unfinished goals — this is for you.

And I don’t mean “one or two goals you didn’t get to.”
I mean the whole cycle:

You write your goals in December or January…
They quietly fall apart by February.
You get back on track in April — hopeful, refreshed.
June hits, everything collapses again.
In September you “start fresh.”
And by December, you’re heartbroken that nothing truly worked out.

If this feels familiar, I want to tell you something important:

You didn’t fail your goals.
Your goals failed you.

And here’s why.

They were chosen by your protector parts —
each with its own survival strategy, not a success strategy.

“Polish yourself so no one can criticize you.”
“Lose a little more weight.”
“Fix, improve, optimise.”
These aren’t goals.
These are fear-driven commands disguised as self-development.

“Make it look impressive.”
“Choose something Instagrammable.”
“Pick a goal that sounds big.”
These goals look shiny but feel empty —
and your motivation senses it immediately.

“Prove you’re better.”
“Do more than they do.”
“Become undeniable.”
These goals don’t create drive.
They create anxiety.

“Play small.”
“Stay safe.”
“Don’t hope — it hurts less.”
These goals kill the spark before you begin.

January — motivation
February — avoidance
April — hope
June — collapse
September — restart
December — disappointment

Not because you lack discipline.

But because you were chasing goals that belonged to your protector parts, not your authentic self.

Look what I achieved in a year, when I finally did my protector work.

👉 When a protector part sets the goal, the rest of your system resists.
Your body doesn’t want to move.
Your mind avoids.
Your energy disappears.

👉 When you, the authentic you, set the goal — everything changes.
You feel: “Yes. This is mine.”
And movement becomes natural, not forced.

Because even when the goal is real, aligned, meaningful —
your system might still not feel fully safe.

That’s why goals stall halfway.
That’s why fear shows up.
That’s why you sabotage.

You can try to fight this with a simple framework:
Minimal — Realistic — Optimistic outcome.
(And yes, it helps.)

Or you can go deeper —
working with a coach or therapist who helps you resolve the internal conflict blocking your progress.

In 10 days, I’m releasing 10 spots only for my Goal Setting Workshop.

If you want the link before everyone else —
join the waitlist
and you’ll be the first to get notified.

This will be a personal 2-hour goal setting workshop,
and spaces will go quickly. I did this last year and got amazing feedback from my clients.

Let’s make 2026 the year your goals finally feel like yours —
and the year you actually achieve them.

With love and compassion,
Alena Guzharina (@alena.speaks)
Psychotherapist & coach, speaker and content creator
Book an intro coaching session with me

www.alena-speaks.com