2026 Goals

The goals are softer this year.

We’re five days into 2026 and I’m coming up from a panic attack this morning from my new role at work. It’s been a bumpy start to the year and with the burnout from 2025 now spilling into 2026, I’ve struggled to really gather my thoughts into goals that feel attainable but can stretch me, too.

I think I’ve come up with my goals that I want to work toward this year. Of course, if my situation and spirits change, I can always build on that. I break my goals down into different buckets or categories.

I think of my life in two big buckets - my writing life and my normal, personal life. But even then, those can be broken up into other buckets - I have two pen names, and both pen names have writing goals and marketing goals.

My personal life can be broken up into things like fitness, health, recreation, job searches, trying to relax and building a better life.

So, here we go.

2026 Goals

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Personal Goals

Health and Fitness

• Build up a regular workout routine

• Close my green ring on my Apple Watch 4 times a week (204 times)

• Aim for six hours of sleep four times a week (204 times)

• Drink more water

• try to log 10,000 steps a day 4 times a week (204 times)

• lose 25 pounds

• add more fruits and veggies into my daily routine

Part of these goals are influenced by the last week and a half where I’ve been off from work and lived in Lala Land. I wasn’t eating well, I was sleeping in most days, staying up way too late. It’s time to get back on track for that.

Career

• Find a new job

• find a networking group to go to on a regular basis

• build a portfolio website

Recreation

• read 50 books

• read 20 books from my TBR cart

• go to storm spotter training again

Writing Goals

Laura Teagan

• write the first draft of And She Hunts

• write the second draft of And She Hunts

• write the third draft of And She Hunts

• hopefully publish And She Hunts

• get a draft in of Lost in the Canyon

I had wanted to get Lost in the Canyon out this year, but I don’t think that’s going to happen because I’ll be focusing on a book from my secret pen name.

The Other Pen Name

• write a second draft of my football romance

• maybe a third draft?

• publish on Kindle Unlimited

Marketing Goals

Laura Teagan

• focus on growing Instagram and Tiktok

• grow my email newsletter (you can join here)

• hopefully sell 3 copies of And She Runs each month

• be more consistent on social media

• maybe dab in Facebook or Amazon ads?

Secret Pen Name

• Grow Instagram

• Get page reads once I publish on Kindle Unlimited

• Find new ways to promote a pen name without a face (cause it’s a secret pen name)

That secret pen name was started in 2023 after I was laid off and it was my experiment pen name. I originally wrote the book and was publishing the book via Kindle Vella and just having fun with it.

I want to have fun in my work, and I don’t think that’s too much to ask for. I want to have in life, too.

I want to stay focused on the things that will bring me toward a better life. And that’s what 2026 is about - replenishing myself to be the best Laura I can be.