Is It Too Late Setting Goals for 2026?

You Don’t Need January. You Need a Wednesday.

If you’re living abroad as an expat or an accompanying partner, you’ve probably noticed this: your life doesn’t move in neat chapters. It doesn’t wait for January. It doesn’t pause until things feel “settled.” It unfolds in the middle of relocation fatigue, cultural adjustment, identity shifts, and quiet questions about who you are now.

And yet, we keep telling ourselves that "next year" will be different. That "in January" or "after the Summer" we’ll finally set goals, get clarity, and find direction. But what if that’s not how change actually works? Personally, it never has for me. One year we were preparing a move to a new country, and out of the blue we had to move to a different country. That didn’t happen in January or after the summer.

Now, what if real change starts on a random Wednesday? The kind where nothing special happens, except you decide that something matters, and now is the time to act and take the first little step.

Goals don’t need a dramatic beginning to be meaningful

One of the biggest myths about goal-setting is that it has to feel big. Ambitious. Life-changing. Especially when you’ve moved countries and feel the pressure to “make it all worth it. Big goals are like high staircases. When all you see is the top, the climb can feel so heavy that many people simply stop trying. Not because they lack motivation, but because the distance feels impossible.

Small habits, on the other hand, are quiet. Almost unimpressive to the world around you any maybe even to you. And that’s exactly why they work. Small steps don’t ask you to reinvent yourself. They ask you to show up gently, consistently, imperfectly. Over time, these small steps take you further than any dramatic resolution ever could. Especially in expat life, where energy is already being used to just to adapt or have an everyday life where the whole family gets by.

There is no “right” way to hold your goals

Some people love visuals. Post-its on the fridge. Words written on the bathroom mirror. Vision boards filled with images of what they’re working towards. Seeing a goal can make it feel real, present, alive. Others feel stressed by that. For them, goals live quietly in their mind. No system. No tracker. Just an inner knowing of what they’re moving towards.

Both are valid. For me, I love Post-Its, little notes laying around that support me in my goals -  concrete ones as well as kind and cheering notes, where I say something just like how I would say it to others. Also, I always have a quiet alarm going off every morning reminding me of something important.

The mistake isn’t choosing the “wrong” method. The mistake is copying someone else’s system instead of noticing what actually supports you. Goal-setting is personal. It should feel like an anchor, not another expectation. Meaning, sometimes we will start out climbing the wrong set of staircase, only to learn that we need to climb up differently or maybe we need another set of stairs to climb or maybe someone to hold us accountable, like a friend or a professional coach.

Motivation isn’t one-size-fits-all — and that matters more than you think

We often talk about motivation as if it’s something you either have or don’t have. In reality, motivation comes from different places.

Some people are driven by what they want to build: confidence, purpose, belonging, a new professional identity. Others are driven by what they want to move away from: loneliness, stagnation, the feeling of disappearing into someone else’s life.

Neither is better. Neither is wrong.

Understanding your motivation changes everything. When you’re honest about what’s really driving you, whether it’s a dream or an escape, your goals become clearer, kinder, and more realistic.

Why support matters more when you live abroad

Living abroad removes many of the structures that used to hold you. The colleagues who mirrored your strengths. The friends or family who noticed when you were struggling. The routines that gave your days shape.

Suddenly, you’re expected to navigate cultural differences, identity shifts, and emotional ups and downs, all while staying motivated and “moving forward.” And maybe you do it for the entire family.

That is a lot to carry alone.

Having a professional to support you along the way isn’t about being told what to do. It’s about being seen, challenged gently, and reminded of your own direction when things get blurry. Accountability doesn’t have to be harsh to be effective. It can be warm, human, and deeply supportive - that's how I coach and it's also what I see works best in the long run.

A final thought and perhaps an invitation

You don’t always need a new year.

You don’t need perfect clarity.

You don’t need to have it all figured out.

You get to start exactly when you want to - even on a Sunday evening.

You get to take one small step - even a teeny tiny one.

You get to choose yourself again and again, quietly, intentionally.

Because goals aren’t about becoming someone else. They are about coming back to yourself. And sometimes, that’s the most meaningful goal of all.

PS. We also get to change our mind, our focus and goals – always!