What I learned from 40 years of writing everything down
The goal-setting process I've used for decades — and how to apply it to make 2026 count.
I have a confession: I am a goal-setting nerd. Have been since the 1980s, when I met David Allen in New York City and he explained the power of intentionality in getting things done. I went home and bought a black day planner, and I haven't stopped since.
For decades I carried that thing everywhere — recording what city I was in, movies I watched, books I read, beers I drank, workouts logged, and every meaningful moment from my personal and professional life. I still have the archives. It sounds obsessive, and honestly, it kind of was. But here's what all those years of writing things down taught me: clarity is a competitive advantage. The people who know where they're going — and have it written down — move faster, worry less, and feel better about the journey even when it gets hard.
That's the foundation of everything we do at the Tyre Mentorship Program. And this year, I want to share the exact process we use — updated for 2026 — so you can put it to work too.
Here's the process.
Step 1: Review last year
Pull up your 2025 goals and take an honest look at where things landed. Mark each goal as Done, In Process, Missed, or Other. It's okay not to hit everything — 100% attainment is rare, and that's not the point.
Then rate your year on a scale of 1 to 10. And identify your top three accomplishments from the last twelve months. This part matters more than people think. Celebrating what went right is fuel.
Step 2: Add some color categories
My buddy Justin Graci introduced some categories that have been a huge hit in our community. Beyond the standard goal review, consider naming your:
Purchase of the year. Trip of the year. Concert of the year. Moment of the year. Work achievement of the year. Challenge of the year. Lesson of the year. Friendship highlight of the year. Person of the year. Meal of the year. Show of the year.
These make the reflection process a lot more fun — and surprisingly revealing.
Step 3: Identify what you want to improve
Pick one, two, or three things you genuinely want to work on. Not a laundry list. Not aspirational fluff. The real stuff — the heavy lifting challenges that would actually move the needle in your life.
Step 4: Define what you're prepared to commit to
There's a difference between what you want and what you're ready to work for. Be honest with yourself here. What are you truly prepared to invest time, energy, and focus into in 2026?
Step 5: Build your 2026 Supersheet
This is your master document for the year. You can use the same format as last year if it's working — the goal is continuity and clarity, not reinvention. If you'd like a template, you can find it here [link to free stuff page].
Step 6: Consider a vision board
If you want to go all in on visualization, a vision board is worth the effort. It's a visual collage of images, words, and symbols that represent your goals and aspirations — something you can look at every day to keep your intentions front and center.
A good vision board helps clarify what you actually want, keeps you motivated when things get hard, boosts focus when distractions pile up, and promotes the kind of positive thinking that opens doors. It's not magic. It's a blueprint — a daily reminder of the direction you've chosen to move in.
Goal setting is at the heart of everything we do at the Tyre Angel. Building great leaders and great companies starts with building great clarity about where you're headed. Take the time. Do the work. The results will follow.
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