Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
I think I’ve written on here before that I’m not against anyone who wants to use January for SMART goal setting for new year’s resolutions, but personally, it’s not for me. Not everyone wants the public stretchy goals that the new year seems bound to bring.
For me, goals are more about direction, not pressure. I want to set boundaries on my work/life, not targets. I do have a personal fitness goal which I’m definitely not going to share in public, but mostly my aims for the year is to just do everything to the best of my ability.
If you’re also feeling the pressure of goal setting, especially as we’re all facing into annual reviews at this time of year, here are 5 alternative goal styles you can use.
“Stop doing” goals
These are goals for things you are not going to do any more.
Over time, you’ve probably picked up tasks like reporting, meeting handling, processes that made sense but now seem like ticking a box. These are the things you could drop. Could your weekly report be a monthly summary?
Could you decline a regular meeting? Could you stop chasing updates where there is already a process to submit them, and then call out people who don’t comply rather than trying to help them look good?
Effort-based goals (not outcome-based)
If you (or someone in your team) has an effort based goal, think about how it could be reframed to be outcome-based instead. This is about how consistently you show up, not what the end result is.
It could be spending 10 minutes each week reviewing risks or blocking out thinking time and sticking to it. It’s about making new habits and doing the thing you said you would, even if the end result is imperfect.
Capability goals (what you want to get better at)
My personal fitness goal would fit in here. This type of goal is about building skills, judgement and confidence, not just completing things on your To Do list.
You’re looking for an improvement in performance. For quite a few people I know this year, it’s about becoming more confident at facilitating difficult meetings. Perhaps for you it’s estimating, scheduling or something else.
Energy goals (what you want more/less of)
For me, this one is working late in the evenings. Energy goals protect how you feel about work, or how you want work to feel for you. It’s about consciously changing damaging habits to avoid burnout.It could be going to the gym each week, getting a walk in at lunchtime, having a massage booked every month or something more work-y like avoiding back to back meetings and finding the mental space to close down open tasks before you log off at night.
Decision goals (what you’ll decide faster)
Finally, decision goals are about how you make decisions. We looked to buy a new car recently, and I did a lot of research (thank you, ChatGPT). But when it came down to the final two brands, we drove them both in a morning and made the decision that afternoon. I’m sure there are plenty of other cars out there that fit the brief, but I can’t expend effort on driving them all.
In project terms, delays are often caused by not having a decision. What can you do to speed things up?
You don’t need all 5 types of goal to start 2026 strong. Just pick one, and add to it as the year goes on. After all, there’s nothing to say you can’t set goals at other times of the year, right?
Posted on: January 19, 2026 12:00 AM |
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