Ready, Set, Achieve: Research-Backed Secrets to Crushing Your Goals
by Bill Gentry
“The trick isn’t trying harder, it’s planning smarter”
-E.J. Masicampo, professor of psychology at Wake Forest University
Happy 2026, WFU! It’s that time for many of us — time to pair a new year with new goals, both personally and professionally. If you’re like me and often feel frustrated in accomplishing your goals, here are four ideas to help you get started — and cruising — down the right track.
- Read all about it: Check out this WFU news article from Psychology Professor E.J. Masicampo about setting, and sticking with, your New Year’s resolutions.
- Make your goals SMART: SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound. To learn more about what that means and how to effectively set SMART goals, go to Workday Learning and take this on-demand online course.
- Set powerful and purposeful goals: Decades of research from Dr. Edwin Locke and Dr. Gary Latham shows that specific, difficult, yet attainable goals are more effective than “just do your best” goals.
- Attend training workshops: WFU’s Learning and Development team offers facilitated training on setting and reaching goals, and there are two workshops coming soon:
- How to Set Goals for Direct-Reports (For Managers Only): Enhance your role as a leader to strategically support your direct reports in achieving their goals at the beginning of the performance management review cycle.
- How to Set Goals for Yourself (And Achieve Them!): Open to all faculty and staff, learn research-based, practical, and actionable ways to set and achieve your own professional or personal goals.
If these in-person courses don’t work with your schedule, consider one of these on-demand courses: a micro-lesson on Measuring and Tracking Goal Progress and another short course giving 10 great actionable nano tips, each under 60 seconds.
Setting and achieving goals can be done! HR’s L&D team is here to help you. Together, we can make 2026 your most successful and productive year yet.
Learning and Development Opportunities to Explore
- For managers: Register for How to Set Goals for Direct-Reports, 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 13.
- For all faculty and staff: How to Set Goals for Yourself (And Achieve Them!), 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 15.
- Visit L&D online.
- Contact the L&D team.