October is Your Secret Weapon for Goal Success in 2026

While everyone else scrambles in December, you’ll be three months ahead

For many people, attention to what they want to accomplish in the new year begins around the 30th of December. The end-of-year festivities are drawing to a close, and the realisation that a new year is about to start hits them. It’s then a panic to think about what New Year’s resolutions, if any, they should have.

Part of the reason so many New Year’s resolutions fail is that they are often decided in a rush without much thought and without real commitment. The “what” might be there, but the “why” and the “how” are missing.

This is why October is a great time to begin thinking about what you want to accomplish in the new year. The three months give you time to think, flesh out ideas, and plan what you will need to do to make those changes happen and achieve your goals.

The way I do it is to start October with four questions. These are:

What would I like to change about myself?

This question is centred around you and your daily habits. Do you smoke or drink a little too much? Are you a little overweight? Do you lose your temper too quickly or view life negatively?

Go as deep as you can with these because you want to be completely honest with yourself. There will be something you want to change about yourself, and you may have to dig very deep to find it. Maybe you need to talk with the people who are closest to you to see what their perspective is.

That’s why giving yourself three months to go through these questions helps you discover what you want to change.

What would I like to change about my lifestyle?

There will likely be things you would like to change about how you live your life. You may have been thinking about moving house, but you’ve never done anything about it. You may not like that you spend every weekend sitting at home watching TV dramas all day, and want to start doing a hobby or exploring the countryside.

Think about how you live your life today and what you would like to change, improve or add so the quality of your life improves and you start to feel more fulfilled.