Setting goals for 2026 (and looking back on 2025)

Tips from the Official Guides / Approved Teachers
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Are you taking some time off? perhaps some holidays, away from your beloved guitar?
Now is the ideal time to

  • look back on what you achieved and how you have grown in 2025
  • Start thinking about some (smart) goals for 2026

Well, I started already. you will notice my goals might be a bit less about learning guitar itself than yours but that is ok, this is a very PERSONAL thing.

I think goal setting for a guitarist that is mostly “learning” right now, most of your goals should evolve about learning, practicing and performing. Build in some self-evaluation and create connections, build a network like you do here but also close to you and with non-musicians. Even it’s just people you like talking to to bounce off ideas.

Revisit my latest Live Club that dealt with goal setting for an extended guide on goal setting.
https://www.justinguitar.com/live-events/193

go back a bit further to see how SWOT and SMART goals can get you on track
https://www.justinguitar.com/live-events/68

So, there I went

Looking back at 2025

I wrote down my fondest memories and things I cherish from all that was musical in 2025. It didn’t have to be real “progress”; putting to use what I have is a success on its own!

Next to playing music on my own and performing live, I notice I get a lot of energy from the coaching part, including the Live Clubs. I decided to put more focus on these in 2026 and make the “technical guitar part” serve those parts DIRECTLY. I take my heaviest Weaknesses and the closest Opportunities to heart since they are obvious.

Since I have ADHD tendencies, I made the closest goals the most granular and kept the ones further away a big more open, so they don’t overwhelm. I also built in some “governance” to counter the Threats; making myself accountable by maintaining a regular content with a close peer that challenges me, asks critical questions and make me face things.

The Mind map

I started a brain dump in the form of a mind map. some major topics easily emerged as I figured them out already in my 2025 retrospect

The strategy, tactic and goal document

People who found me for coaching might recognize this approach as I create a similar document with coachees, based on their goals and aspirations

I started to write this out in a document, filed everything under 3 major strategies and hung up several tactics per strategy to get there.
I already approached one of my closest peers in this early stage to start accountability early.
Each tactic features a goal with a timing.

Mind you, this is still a work in progress at this point. biggest to-do is to decide success factors; what decides whether I was successful in what I set up here?

by all means; steal with your eyes or book a session to evaluate, define and refine your path.

Cheers

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I have one simple goal for 2026. Survive BLIM4. haha.

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1000001858

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Taking up a BLIM program is quite the commitment! You’ve got your worked carved out for you :smiley:

@markr31 not the slightest tiny thing you want to achieve in 2026?

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That gif was a joke. It’s from a commercial that airs in the States. I should have realized that Europeans and Aussies wouldn’t get it at all.

But in all honesty, I’m so frustrated with guitar right now that I’ve stepped away from it for the next week or so. If anything, I’m getting worse, and I wasn’t that good to begin with. I would just like to be competent at what I already know. There’s no point in trying to learn anything new when I’m regressing on what I have already learned.

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Really happy for you Tony. I look forward to hearing the fruits of your labours.

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Been there done that many times. My plan is to start a plan with just 1 item to begin with and see where that leads.

I’ve very recently bought some recording gear, still trying to figure out how to get it all working and record something that’s not complete rubbish. The plan is to record something once a week and post it to a learning log.

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TL/DR: I suck at goal setting, always have, and it’s hard to see the point.

My ability to apply time to music making is so highly variable that goal setting doesn’t even seem worth expending the effort. When I get to my music room do I work on:

  • My projects (whatever they might be at the moment)?
  • My contribution to my friend’s projects?
  • Learning a new song?
  • Developing some new technique?
  • Something else?

So many possibilities, so little (predictable) time to apply to them. It’s hard to see any point in “setting goals”.

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Merry merry Xmas Maggie! Always a delight to hear from you

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Great topic Lieven.
This is always the time of year for me, for honest reflection, and forward planning; guitar and otherwise.

Oddly, some avoid it; or see it as boring or a waste of time.
But, if you dont at least create a path, then you’re never going to travel it.

Thanks very much for an insight into your process and structure. It is always helpful to see how others do it.

Cheers, Shane

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On the one hand, I suspect that if you have no plan you end up being part of someone else’s, but on the other hand, do we have to be so darn DRIVEN about everything? I’ve seen how business-speak has permeated ordinary conversation and now it seems project management, KPIs and all the paraphernalia of office behaviour are de rigueur too?

It ain’t what I call rock’n’roll. :love_you_gesture:

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in short; it’s my way to cope with a weakness that can become a threat.
I’m still happy if I still reach half of these goals

Excellent point. I need some goal setting in order to have a path. If something comes on the path that is an interesting opportunity, the path can change direction.
If you can stay in a regular flow every week, enjoy the ride and feel accomplished over a longer timespan, you probably don’t need goals.

Truth is that many of do need something they can get behind to and it’s important it comes from themselves. Intrinsic motivation can come from something that is closer by, a closer goal that predicts a certain fulfillment.

The thought of routine sounds gruesome to me because of my brain is wired… but I learned that I need something concrete bound with accountability and a slight bit of pressure to get my wheels turning. Eating the elephant in smaller bits this way can help make some things less overwhelming. (especially if traits linked to ADHD can become a threat to your progress in anything in life because of being overwhelmed and paralyzed. I need rewards of fulfilment that are closer by AND I tend to need quite a lot of recognition while at it.)

The “business speak”?
Guilty :smiley:
it’s the language I know to give an efficient label to what I want to express. It’s the vocabulary I know :wink:

That’s actually a good start :wink:
Try writing down with a cup of coffee or tea what that would encompass.
get your rhythm more solid?
make smoother chord changes?
master your songs?
learn a new chord shape(barre)?
making your improv more interesting?
Create a better space to play?
Give more prio to allowing yourself to play more?
Get that setup that’s long overdue?
look for a new amp with built in effects?

Coud be anything, hence it’s very personal!

Just looking back on that and reminding what “playing guitar” means to YOU makes you a bit more mindful about what it does for you.

In other words, just looking back on that past year and perhaps isolating a bit more what makes you happy and what makes you frustrated could help you enjoy the fun thing even more and tackle the frustrating bit with a bit more scoping. Drawing a little fence around what holds you back keeps it from contaminating the rest and makes dealing with it easier

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Thank you for creating this topic. This is the day I was thinking about setting some goals so I keep myself motivated and I wanted to check out if there is any topic for that… boom. :slight_smile:

Drink your water and remember - the rhythm is king! We like you Lieven! :slight_smile:

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haha yes, cheers! :smiley:

Make/keep rhythm king in 2026! :smiley:

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I think at the least you should have some idea of the direction you’re traveling in even if you stop short of chiselling targets into tablets of stone.

I agree with @LievenDV that I’d rather have some goals and potentially fall short of them than have nothing in mind at all. My tendency would be to drift and then feel dissatisfied when I look back.

It’s kind of weird that I do have goals for my yoga practice but struggle to set them for guitar playing. My yoga related goal is something to work towards and whether I get there in 2026 is irrelevant… I know that I’ll be closer than where I am today.

I think I’ll be in a better place to set guitar related goals in a couple of months as I currently have unresolved things at work. I’ll know more in the new year. For now as long as I continue to keep enjoying playing my guitar every day possible (which is most days) and my playing continues to improve then I’ll take that. I realise that isn’t a SMART goal but for now it will have to do

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Thanks Lieven for sharing this, and your insight and inspiration.
Boy do you have a full plate of goals to work towards, best of luck with those. Looking forward hearing your progress and to more of your motivation live classes.
Best wishes,

Alan

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If it’s a goal, it’s a simple goal (that seems to be hard to comply with).
I’d like to find someone to play guitar with. For collaboration purpose.
I want to make some music!

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Knock knock :door: … Her Majesty the Queen :crown: has come back to the castle, Ladies and Gentleman her ladyship The Melody is here to help us through with our research of meaning! (Applause to the Queen) :clap::clap::clap::clap::clap: :princess::castle::prince: happily ever after!

:joy:

On a more serious note… I do struggle with goals, when long terms ones, while I think I can do fairly well with my montly practice routines. Lieven I found the slides you shared in your latest Club really interesting, I remember when I read them I thought I might try to venture and try to see what I can do :crossed_fingers::crossed_fingers: Wish me good luck, it’s not going to be easy!

Thanks Lieven, you’re great inspiration, both with the good advice and your performances…when you play and sing is like WOW!

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Looking back on 2025:
I used to play guitar back in the late 90s. Me and a mate used to play at open mics when we were students. I had a Takamine acoustic, a Gordon Smith electric, and a Marshall Valvestate amp. In the early 2000s, i needed some cash and wasnt playing guitar as much, so i sold the amp and the Gordon Smith. This year, i decided to get the Takamine out its case and i fell in love with playing guitar again. I treated myself to a Epiphone Les Paul, and then a Fender Strat. I’ve been following Justin’s lessons and am now a better guitarist than i ever was in my younger days.

Goals for 2026:
Complete the intermediate grades of Justin’s course
Improve my piano playing (i treated myself to a piano during lock down) - especially using both hands independently.
Continue to write songs and learn songs - my ambitious aim is to write one song and learn one cover per month.
Improve my singing.

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I did it Lieven! A 4 whole pages document! I printed it out so I can check it regularly. It took time to reflect and write it all down.

Thanks a lot for the inspiration! Now that it’s done I can see how such a big deal it is!

I’m also sharing it in my LL

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