Starting Where You Are: Music Goals for 2026

What would you like to experience with your music in the coming year?

Perhaps you’d like to spend more time songwriting, reconnect with an instrument you love, or find ways to make music that feels more sustainable and nourishing. Maybe you’re hoping to play more shows, collaborate with others, or simply create without burning yourself out.

Whatever your goals are, now is a powerful time to reflect, reset, and create a plan that works with your life, not against it.

The Importance of Reflection

The new year always feels like a fresh start and a wonderful time for quiet reflection.

American philosopher and psychologist John Dewey famously said: “We do not learn from experience; we learn from reflecting on experience.”

Before setting up your new goals, take some time to look back at all that has transpired over the last 12 months. Celebrate the wins and learn from the mistakes, there are lessons to be learned from both. Ask yourself: What do I want more of? And, more importantly: What do I want less of?

Don’t limit yourself. It’s ok to be honest. This is a safe space, and you deserve this year to be whatever you want it to be (and then some).

When reviewing the highs and lows from the previous 12 months, remember to be kind and gentle with yourself. Know that it is both normal and human not to be perfect 100% of the time. We all make mistakes, it’s the only way to learn and grow.

“If everything was perfect, you would never learn and you would never grow.” – Beyoncé Knowles

First Things First

Before deciding upon your goals, it’s important to make sure you are taking good care of yourself and prioritizing self-care. Burnout is very real, and with modern-day life encouraging us to do more of pretty much everything faster than everyone else, it’s important that we choose goals that support our creativity as well as our nervous system.

I share this with you as someone who used to prioritize my goals above all other things…including myself. I pursued my goals with relentless tenacity for decades, without any consideration for my own personal well-being. Both my body and mind gave me very clear warning signals that I needed to stop, but I chose to ignore them.

After years of not taking self-care seriously, unsurprisingly (and rightfully so), burnout struck and it has taken me the best part of two years to recover.

My priority these days is to take radically good care of myself first. Then, once my batteries are charged, I can go after my goals without destroying myself in the process. This includes getting enough sleep, limiting my time on social media and the news, taking a walk every day (even if it’s just around the block), and meditation.

For you, this may look entirely different, and that’s ok. Whatever fills you up and makes you feel fully charged, do that. A lot.

My advice (for what it’s worth):
S-l-o-w down.
Breathe.
Pause.
Reflect.
Listen.
Be kind to yourself.

Then go out there and conquer the world.

Choosing a Goal

Everyone’s goals will be very different depending on their situation and what they’d like to achieve. Remember that this is all about you, and there aren’t any right or wrong answers.

Here are some examples of music-related goals:

• Improve your songwriting skills
• Write and record new material
• Learn a new instrument
• Read more books on a specific subject
• Get better at posting to social media
• Find someone to collaborate with
• Get booked to play more shows
• Start a band
• Attend a local jam night
• Research events where you can network with industry people

Be Specific

Once you’ve decided on your goal (or goals), go into as much detail as possible.

For example, your goal might be to learn a new instrument. A more specific version of this would be:
“I want to learn how to play the piano, and I am going to practice every morning at 8am for 10 minutes.”

Another example might be wanting to get more gigs. A more specific version could be:
“I am going to spend one hour each night researching and contacting venues for my band to perform.”

Including details like this will make your goals much clearer in your mind, and, in turn, more achievable.

Write It Down

I find it helpful to have my goals written down somewhere to remind myself of what I’m wanting to achieve. It’s very easy to get lost as the months go by, and being able to see my goals in written form helps me stay focused.

Short- and Long-Term Goals

Typically, I like to create weekly, monthly, and yearly goals. My weekly and monthly goals tend to be smaller action steps that help me move toward my end-of-year goal.

If you have a bigger picture in mind, start there and work backwards. How can you create smaller goals that, step by step, will lead you in the right direction?

Reviewing Your Progress

I like to have a weekly tracker in my journal or schedule that helps me stay on track. Each time you take a step toward your goal (daily writing, meditation, sending an email, etc.), mark it off on a tracker. This can be as simple as creating boxes and ticking them off as you go.

Being able to see the time and care you’ve put into something can be very satisfying.

You Got This

Goals are a way for us to make our dreams become a reality. They help keep us focused and moving forward. Don’t let perfection prevent you from starting. A journey of a thousand miles really does start with a single step.

The most important part of this process is taking that first step and staying consistent.

Some Journaling Prompts for Goal Setting

When I’m trying to gain clarity on a situation, I find thought-provoking prompts are an excellent way to hone in on what matters most. No rush on these, take your time. Feel free to write down your answers, or simply allow the questions to turn gently over in your mind:

What can I improve upon this year?
How can I do things differently?
What will I change or keep?
What do I need more of to feel supported this year?