By Teresa Peters, Senior Executive Coach and Founder of Accelerator Coaching Ltd.
As we head into 2026, many leaders are mapping out new goals fresh ambitions for business, wellbeing, and life. Yet for all our planning, research shows that around 80% of New Year goals fail by mid-February. Why? Because most of us set goals that rely on willpower rather than wiring.
At Accelerator Coaching, we take a different approach. Our Leadership Accelerated programme – a six-gear journey for leaders and teams – helps clients move beyond surface-level targets and instead work with the brain’s natural systems of motivation, habit, and growth. It’s about activating the right neural pathways – and that begins with understanding the science behind how change happens.
The Brain Behind the Goal
The neuroscience of goal setting reveals that when we visualise a clear, meaningful objective, the brain’s prefrontal cortex – the centre of planning and decision-making – connects with the limbic system, which governs emotion and motivation. When those systems align, dopamine (our motivation molecule) kicks in, giving us focus and energy.
But here’s the key: that motivation only lasts when the goal is intrinsically meaningful – connected to our values, curiosity, and purpose – not just to external rewards or pressure. As psychologist Edward Deci put it:
“Intrinsic motivation is doing something because it is inherently interesting or enjoyable.”
When we link goals to passion and purpose, we activate deeper, more sustainable engagement. At Accelerator Coaching, we see this play out every day in our leadership workshops, one-to-one coaching, and accountability pods. Leaders who identify why their goals matter – not just what they are – build the emotional momentum to follow through long after the initial buzz fades.
From Fixed to Growth: Reframing Success
A growth mindset, as defined by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, is “the belief that abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work.” It’s a mindset that sees failure as feedback and setbacks as data. Neuroscience backs this up: each time we learn or adapt, our brain rewires itself through neuroplasticity – the brain’s lifelong ability to form new connections.
In our Leadership Accelerated workshops, we explore this through simple practices: reframing the inner critic, using the word yet (“I’m not there yet”), and pausing before reaction. These small shifts move leaders from a threat response (amygdala-driven) to a creative, resourceful state (prefrontal cortex-led). The result? Better selfmanagement, better decision-making, and far greater resilience.
Three Goals That Matter Most
As 2026 begins, I invite you to set three goals – not just for the next quarter, but across one year, five years, and ten years. Frame them as a way to grow rather than to prove.
Personal Goal – Focus on something that builds energy and balance. Perhaps it’s emotional regulation, a fitness milestone, or simply spending more time outdoors. Neuroscience shows that calm and curiosity fuel creative thinking; rest isn’t time off – it’s time on for the brain.
Professional Goal – Choose one that stretches your leadership capacity rather than your calendar. Maybe it’s developing your team’s autonomy, embedding a coaching culture, or leading with greater empathy. As leaders in our Accelerator programmes discover:
“We cannot lead others until we can lead ourselves.”
Financial Goal – Go beyond numbers and look for meaningful money. What financial stability, investment, or career choice would truly give you freedom of choice and peace of mind? The goal is not accumulation but alignment matching your finances to your life purpose.
For each goal, ask yourself:
Why does this matter to me?
Who benefits when I grow in this area?
What small habits can I practise daily to move closer to it?
This blend of reflection and repetition is where neuroplasticity does its work. The brain strengthens whatever circuits we use most often. So, consistency – not intensity – is what rewires lasting success.
Blending Coaching, Science, and Accountability
In our six-gear Leadership Accelerated programme, these principles come to life through a blended approach of one-to-one executive coaching, experiential workshops, and accountability pods. The workshops activate insight through frameworks such as Emotional Intelligence, DiSC, and Gallup Strengths, while the pods create peer accountability and shared learning.
Between sessions, one-to-one coaching deepens personal awareness and converts insight into action. As one participant said, “The workshops open the mind; the coaching rewires the habit.” It’s this balance – learning, reflection, and doing – that cements change at both neural and organisational levels.
Our clients often begin with external goals improving communication, building teams, managing conflict but they end up achieving something deeper: calm under pressure, clearer thinking, and renewed purpose. Neuroscience calls this integration; we call it whole-person leadership.
Rewire Your Future
Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.” That simple truth captures the essence of both growth mindset and neuroplasticity: belief changes behaviour, and behaviour changes the brain.
So as you look toward 2026 – and indeed the next decade – set your sights not just on what you want to achieve, but on who you want to become. Choose goals that stretch your thinking, engage your curiosity, and strengthen your leadership impact.
At Accelerator Coaching, we believe sustainable success isn’t about intensity – it’s about alignment, self-awareness, and accountability.
Rewiring your leadership isn’t about becoming someone else. It’s about becoming more fully, consciously, and courageously you.
Teresa Peters, director, Accelerator Coaching Ltd
ignite@acceleratorcoaching.co.uk
www.acceleratorcoaching.co.uk