New year, new goals. It's a familiar refrain, and for good reason. There's something motivating about a fresh start. But if you've ever set ambitious learning goals in January only for them to fall by the wayside come March, you know that enthusiasm alone isn't enough. Life is complicated, and things happen.

The difference between goals that stick and goals that fizzle comes down to one word: sustainability. That’s particularly true when you’re considering continued education or other steps you want to take for career advancement in the coming year.

If your plan requires you to become a completely different person with unlimited time and energy, it's not going to work. But if you build your goals around your actual life, your real resources, and the support available to you, you have an outstanding chance to crush your goals and build incredible momentum.

Ready to get started? Here's how to set learning goals for 2026 that you'll actually keep.

Start with an honest self-assessment

Before you declare that 2026 is the year you'll finish your degree, get three certifications, and learn a new language, pause. Take a realistic look at what you're working with.

This is something the academic coaches here at EdAssist® by Bright Horizons® stress often. Everyone’s continued education journey is unique— and that’s particularly true for adult learners with complicated schedules and responsibilities.

So, how much time do you actually have?

And note: We aren’t asking how much time you wish you had or how much time you think you should have. But how much time can you genuinely dedicate to learning each week without burning out or neglecting other important parts of your life?

If you have a demanding job, family responsibilities, and a long commute, five hours a week might be realistic. If you're in a quieter season of life, maybe you can do more. There's no right answer here, but there is an honest one. Find yours.

Also consider your energy patterns. Are you someone who does better with intensive bursts of effort or steady, consistent progress? Maybe you’ll need to take summer months off to recoup to successfully complete a longer degree program, or perhaps you’re better suited for a short certificate program that you can complete without any breaks so you can leverage momentum.

Know what resources you have access to

You're not starting from zero. If your employer offers tuition assistance through EdAssist and you’re eligible to receive benefits, you already have significant support available—not just financially, but practically too.

Log into your EdAssist account and understand exactly what you're working with. How much funding is available annually? What types of programs are covered? Are there restrictions on fields of study or accredited institutions? This information shapes what's actually possible for you in 2026.

Beyond tuition assistance, look at what else EdAssist offers. While this is dependent on your employer’s policy and plans, potential resources may include:

• EdAssist’s coaching services, which may include academic, financial, student loan, and policy coaching to give you free, one-on-one support in your continued education journey.
• EdAssist’s blog, which offers practical advice on choosing programs, managing your time, and succeeding as a working student
• EdAssist’s Level Up Studio, which features on-demand learning resources and skill development opportunities

Even beyond EdAssist, you’ll likely have additional resources like the following:

• Professor office hours to help if you hit a snag in a course
• Reading, writing, or career resources from your school
• Financial, education, and career advisors from your school

Finally, don’t forget about resources outside of school, too.

Do you have a culture that supports continuing education? If so, they may be flexible if you need to take an occasional early day to cram for an exam. Or perhaps you have coworkers who have successfully balanced school and work who can share some advice.

Determine your pacing

One of the biggest mistakes people make is trying to do too much too fast.

Yes, you're motivated now. Yes, you want to make progress. But cramming your schedule full of courses is a recipe for overwhelm, not success. And it may result in you needing to pause your education down the line.

If you're just starting or returning to school after a long break, go slower than you think you need to. Take one course your first semester. See how it fits with your work schedule, your family life, your energy levels. It’s important to give yourself time to adjust to being a student again before adding more to your plate.

If you're already enrolled and doing well, you might be tempted to accelerate. That can work, but be honest about whether you're speeding up because you've found your groove or because you're just impatient to be done. Finishing faster doesn't help if you compromise your learning, your health, or your relationships in the process.

Consider the natural rhythms of your work and life too. If your job has busy seasons, plan lighter course loads during those times. If summer is chaotic with family activities, maybe that's not the best time for your most challenging classes. Work with your reality, not against it.

Build in buffer room

Sustainable goals account for the fact that life doesn't go according to plan. You might get sick. Your workload might increase unexpectedly. A family member might need your help. Your car might break down the week before finals.

When you're setting your 2026 learning goals, build in margin. Don't pack your schedule so tightly that a single disruption throws everything off track. If you think you can handle three courses, plan for two. If you're hoping to finish your degree this year, give yourself an extra semester of cushion just in case.

This isn't pessimism—it's wisdom. The people who succeed long-term aren't the ones who push themselves to the absolute limit. They're the ones who pace themselves sustainably and adapt when necessary.

Talk to an advisor when you need guidance

You don't have to figure out your pacing and planning alone. This is exactly what EdAssist coaches are there for: helping you create a realistic, sustainable plan based on your specific situation.

If you're unsure whether a particular program is manageable alongside your job, ask. If you're debating between an accelerated format and a traditional pace, talk it through with someone who's helped dozens of people make that decision. And if you're trying to map out your entire path from where you are now to degree completion, get expert input.

These conversations can save you from costly mistakes. An advisor might point out that the program you're considering has a reputation for being especially demanding during certain semesters, or that there's a better-paced alternative you hadn't considered. They can help you understand how prerequisite sequences work so you don't accidentally extend your timeline. They can suggest pacing adjustments based on what they've seen work for other students in similar situations.

Reach out early in your planning process, not after you've already committed to something unsustainable.

Define what success looks like

A sustainable learning goal needs a clear definition of success—and it might not be what you think.

Success doesn't have to mean finishing your degree in 2026. It might mean:

• Choosing a program or two and submitting an application.
• Taking your first course.
• Completing two courses during the year while maintaining your sanity and your job performance.
• Earning a professional certificate that opens new opportunities at work.
• Building a consistent study habit that you can maintain long-term, even if the pace feels slow.

Get specific about what you're trying to achieve and why it matters. "I want to go back to school" is vague. "I want to complete the first year of my degree program while maintaining my current job and still having time for my family" is something you can actually plan for and measure.

When you define success in concrete, sustainable terms, you can build a plan that actually gets you there. And just as importantly, you'll know when you've succeeded instead of perpetually feeling like you should be doing more.

Check in regularly

Setting a goal in January is a great start, but it takes effort to stick to it and make progress throughout the year. Build regular check-ins into your 2026 plan, with quarterly points where you assess how things are going.

Ask yourself:

• Are you keeping up with your coursework without constant stress?
• Is your pacing sustainable or are you struggling?
• Have your circumstances changed in ways that require adjusting your plan?

These check-ins aren't about beating yourself up if you're not meeting arbitrary standards. They're about making sure your plan still works for your life.

If something isn't working, adjust, because the most sustainable goals are flexible when they need to be.

Maybe you need to drop from two courses to one next semester, you need to take a semester off once a year to avoid burnout, or you're doing better than expected and can thoughtfully add more. All of that is fine. The point is to stay engaged with your plan and adapt as needed.

Start where you are

You don't need to have everything figured out before you take the first step. You don't need perfect conditions or unlimited time or complete certainty about your path.

You just need to start where you are, with the resources you have, at a pace you can sustain. The rest will come.

2026 can be the year you make real progress on your learning goals—not because you pushed yourself to the breaking point, but because you built a plan that actually fits your life. Use the support available to you through EdAssist, talk to an advisor when you need guidance, and give yourself permission to pace your progress realistically.

Ready to start building your skills for 2026? Explore our Level Up Studio for on-demand learning resources that fit your schedule and help you develop the capabilities you need to reach your goals.