What I learned from 40 years of writing everything down
By Dan Tyre | Last updated: June 2026
TL;DR: Goal setting is the single highest-leverage habit I've maintained for four decades. This post walks through the exact six-step framework we use inside the Tyre Mentorship Program — including the specific reflection questions that have made the biggest difference — so you can build a plan that actually holds up through the year.
What qualifies me to talk about this?
I started keeping a day planner in the 1980s, after a conversation with productivity legend David Allen in New York City changed the way I thought about intentionality. I went home, bought a black planner, and never stopped. Over the decades I've logged every city I visited, every book I read, every meaningful professional milestone and personal moment. I still have the archives. And through the Tyre Mentorship Program, I've helped hundreds of founders and early-career professionals build the same habit.
This process is what I know. Here's how to put it to work for yourself.
Is this process actually worth it?
Yes — and the research backs it up. A well-known study from Dominican University of California found that people who write down their goals are 42% more likely to achieve them than people who don't. In my four decades of doing this, that tracks. The people I've seen move fastest in their careers and lives are almost always the ones who have clarity about where they're going — in writing.
The 6-Step Goal-Setting Process (Updated for 2026)
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. Then:
- Rate your year on a scale of 1 to 10
- Identify your top three accomplishments from the last twelve months
100% attainment is rare, and that's not the point. What matters is the audit. Celebrating what went right is fuel for what comes next.
Step 2: Add color categories (Optional)
My friend Justin Graci introduced a set of end-of-year reflection questions that have become a favorite inside our community. Try 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 reflection more human — and surprisingly revealing. One member told me the "Lesson of the Year" question alone changed how they approached Q1 the following year.
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 challenges that would actually move the needle in your life if you tackled them head-on.
A word of caution here: most people skip this step and jump straight to writing goals. That's backwards. The reflection is where the clarity comes from.
Step 4: Define what you're prepared to commit to
There's a meaningful difference between what you want and what you're ready to work for. Be honest with yourself. 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. Download the free template here.
Step 6: Consider a vision board
A vision board is a visual collage — images, words, and symbols that represent your goals and what you're working toward. Something you can look at every day to stay anchored to the direction you've chosen.
A good vision board:
- Clarifies what you actually want
- Keeps you motivated when things get hard
- Boosts focus when distractions pile up
- Promotes the kind of forward thinking that opens doors
It's not magic. It's a blueprint — a daily reminder you built for yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to follow all six steps?
No. Start with Step 1 and 3. The review and the "what do I want to improve" question do most of the heavy lifting for most people. Add the rest as the habit solidifies.
What if I didn't set goals last year?
That's fine — skip Step 1 and go straight to Step 3. You still have a year of experience to draw from. Use the color categories in Step 2 as a way to jog your memory.
How often should I revisit my goals throughout the year?
Quarterly check-ins are the sweet spot. Monthly if you're in a high-stakes season (new job, major project, personal transition). Annual-only review is too infrequent to course-correct in time.
Do I need a vision board if I have the Supersheet?
They serve different purposes. The Supersheet is your left-brain document — specific, measurable, trackable. The vision board is right-brain — emotional, aspirational, visual. Both are more powerful when used together.
What this looks like in practice
Inside the Tyre Mentorship Program, one of our members — a first-time founder in the B2B SaaS space — used this framework going into 2024. Her "one thing to improve" was pipeline discipline. She had great conversations but wasn't following through consistently. By writing it down as a committed goal (not just an intention), building a weekly review habit, and keeping her vision board visible in her home office, she increased her close rate by over 30% in six months. The process didn't do that. She did. But the process made her accountable to herself.
The bottom line
Goal setting is at the heart of everything we do at the Tyre Mentorship Program. 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.
Download the free 2026 Supersheet template →
Dan Tyre is a HubSpot Hall of Famer, Operating Partner at Stage 2 Capital, and the founder of the Tyre Mentorship Program — a community dedicated to helping founders and professionals build better habits, close more deals, and grow with intention. He has been setting goals in a physical planner since 1984 and shows no signs of stopping.
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