Set Goals & Overcome Obstacles

Setting goals and overcoming obstacles are like climbing a mountain. They require being proactive, patient, and resilient.

Here are some strategies to help navigate your journey.

My husband and I like to go on long hikes together. It’s a chance for us talk and reconnect without the pressures of work and daily life upon us. In July 2026, we are planning to hike the Tour du Mont Blanc, a 110- mile trail through France, Italy, and Switzerland. Having a shared goal like this keeps us oriented toward a mutual purpose. We are devising a realistic plan, breaking the trail into manageable daily sections and including time at the end of each day to review our progress and anticipate any obstacles we may encounter during the next. This gives us confidence to forge ahead, especially when the trail gets steep.

What goals do you have for yourself or your organization in 2026?

How will you reach them?

Here are some tips for goal setting:

• Set SMART goals, ones that are Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

• Be realistic about limits and build on strengths. Unrealistic goals can lead to discouragement; however, avoid underestimating what you can accomplish.

• Choose goals aligned with your vision for yourself or your organization. Aligning your goals with your values and long-term vision for yourself or your organization increases the likelihood of success and empowerment.

• Write down goals. Writing down your goals increases your likelihood of achieving them. Start each goal with "I/We will" and use positive language.

• Create a plan: Outline action steps to achieve your goals. Define what will change when you reach them?

• Set daily, weekly, and monthly targets: Breaking down goals into smaller targets can help you focus on the most important actions and avoid procrastination.

• Be accountable: Schedule your tasks and share your goals with an accountability partner to help you stay on track.

• Adjust your plan: Regularly review progress to ensure that actions align with goals and your vision for yourself or your organization.

• Recognize and reward: Celebrate meeting your targets and goal(s).

When working toward our goals, obstacles often get in our way. While hiking, obstacles are all around us, from steep terrain to bad weather, faulty gear, blisters, or more serious injury.

What obstacles could impede you from reaching your goals in 2026?

How will you overcome them?

Here are some strategies that we have learned to help navigate our journey:

1. Understand Barriers

Understand our barriers, whether physical, emotional, financial, logistical, cultural, or something else? Clearly defining what we are up against makes it easier to devise a plan to overcome them.

2. Devise A Realistic Action Plan

How will we reduce these barriers? What will be different? First, we break our hike (actions) into smaller, manageable sections (steps) to make a long trail less daunting. We have a trail map and track our progress, so we know when obstacles have impeded us and when we have overcome them. It’s just not “a feeling” or a we-know-it-when-we-see-it situation.

3. Reflect and Adjust

At the end of each day, we take time to reflect on how far we have come and what has helped us get there. We learn from successes and try not to repeat mistakes, making necessary improvements along the way and staying on track. We embrace challenges as opportunities for learning and growth rather than threats and celebrate our progress, no matter how small, to maintain motivation and remind ourselves that we are moving forward. Flexibility is key. If one approach doesn’t work, we try another.

Overcoming obstacles and reaching goals requires a combination of self-awareness, strategic planning, and committed effort. It can take time and many iterations, but staying focused, devising a plan, taking time to reflect, and making adjustments based on success helps us navigate challenges and emerge stronger and more motivated to achieve our goal.

This works, no matter how long the trail. Try it as you pursue your goals for 2026.

Need help setting goals and overcoming obstacles?

Contact me. https://www.debrahollowayphd.com/contact.