Sustainable Goals for ABA Professionals: A Behavior-Analytic Guide for 2026

Let's be honest: New Year's resolutions are kind of a setup.

We set these big, ambitious goals in January when we're feeling motivated and rested. Then life happens. Work gets busy. Motivation fades. And by February, we're back to our old patterns, feeling like we failed at something we never had a realistic shot at succeeding with in the first place.

Sound familiar?

Here's the thing: as ABA professionals, we know better. We know how behavior change actually works. We know about shaping and reinforcement and setting up the environment for success. We use these principles with our learners every single day.

But when it comes to our own goals? We throw all that knowledge out the window and rely on willpower and motivation like everyone else.

So let's talk about how to actually set sustainable goals—goals that stick because they're built on intentionality and the same behavioral principles we use in our practice.

Why Most Resolutions Fail (And What We Know Better)

Most New Year's resolutions fail because they're outcome-focused instead of process-focused. We say things like "I want to get better at documentation" or "I want to improve my clinical skills" without defining what behaviors would actually lead to those outcomes.

We also tend to set goals that are too big, too vague, or too disconnected from our actual values. And we forget to build in the environmental supports and reinforcement that would make the behavior more likely to occur.

Sound like an intervention that's destined to fail? Because it is.

At Precision ABA, we use Precision Teaching principles to measure and monitor progress. We pinpoint specific behaviors. We take continuous data. We make timely decisions based on what the data tells us. We try, try again when something isn't working.

Why wouldn't we apply those same principles to setting sustainable goals?

Building Sustainable Goals for ABA Professionals Through Intentionality

When I think about what 2025 taught me as a professional, one lesson rises above the rest: intentionality is everything.

This year reinforced, over and over again, that when we move with purpose—even quietly, even slowly—it creates an ease on the outside that looks almost effortless. But that ease isn't accidental. It's the product of thoughtful choices, careful alignment, and a refusal to rush decisions just to check a box.

I've learned that when something is right, it shows up that way from the beginning. The fit feels clean. The path feels steady. There's a sense of "of course this is it" that you can't manufacture.

And the opposite is true too—when something isn't aligned, you feel that just as clearly. 2025 taught me to trust that feeling more quickly, to honor the signals instead of trying to "work harder" to make something fit that was never meant to.

Intentionality isn't just about what you choose; it's also about what you let go of.

So as we think about setting sustainable goals, let's start here: What are your actual values? Not what you think you should value. Not what looks impressive on paper. What actually matters to you in how you show up as a professional?

Start With Values, Not Outcomes

Before you set a single goal for 2026, ask yourself: What kind of person do I want to be next year?

Maybe it's someone who's more present in sessions. Maybe it's someone who maintains better boundaries. Maybe it's someone who invests in their own learning. Maybe it's someone who supports their team more intentionally. Maybe it's someone who shows up with more compassion—for learners, for families, and for themselves.

There's no right answer. Your values are yours.

But here's what I've noticed: when you set goals that align with your actual values instead of what you think you should accomplish, the work feels different. It feels sustainable. Because you're not chasing some external measure of success—you're becoming the person you actually want to be.

At Precision ABA, our values are clear: Community. Authentic Connection. Growth. Everything we do is filtered through those values. And when something doesn't align, we feel it immediately.

That's the power of values-driven goal-setting. Your values become the filter for every decision you make.

Pinpoint the Behavior (Yes, Really)

Okay, so you've identified your values. Now what?

Now you pinpoint the actual behavior you want to change. And I mean really pinpoint it—the way you would for a learner.

Don't say "be a better clinician." That's not pinpointed. That's vague and unmeasurable and you'll never know if you actually achieved it.

Instead, identify the specific, observable behavior you want to change. Maybe it's "spend the first 5 minutes of each session in child-led connection time before starting programming." Maybe it's "ask families one open-ended question about their experience at the end of each week." Maybe it's "complete session notes within 2 hours of the session ending."

See the difference? One is vague. The other is specific, observable, and you'll know whether or not you did it.

This is how you set sustainable goals for ABA professionals. You use the same pinpointing process you'd use for any behavior you're trying to change.

Shape It, Don't Force It

We would never expect a learner to go from zero to mastery in one session. We know that's not how behavior change works. We shape gradually, reinforce approximations, and build momentum over time.

So why do we expect ourselves to completely overhaul our practice in January?

If you want to improve your documentation, don't commit to a complete system overhaul on January 1st. Start with one small change. Maybe you'll document immediately after each session instead of waiting until the end of the day. Once that's fluent, add another small change.

If you want to be more present in sessions, don't try to transform every aspect of your clinical approach overnight. Pick one thing. Maybe you'll put your phone away during sessions. Once that's automatic, add something else.

Shape the behavior. Build momentum. Let success reinforce more effort.

That's how sustainable goals actually work. Not through massive overhauls, but through intentional shaping over time.

Environmental Supports Matter

We know behavior is influenced by the environment. So set up your environment to support the behavior you want.

Want to respond to parent messages more promptly? Set specific times in your calendar for communication and protect that time.

Want to stay current on research? Subscribe to one journal and commit to reading one article per week during your designated professional development time. Put it on your calendar like you would a session.

Want to maintain better boundaries? Turn off work notifications after a certain time. Physically put your work materials away at the end of the day. Create a transition ritual that signals "work is done."

Make the behavior easy to do and hard to avoid. That's environmental design. That's what we do for our learners. Do it for yourself too.

Take Data (Yes, On Yourself)

You can't make data-based decisions without data. So actually track whether or not you're engaging in the behavior you pinpointed.

This doesn't have to be complicated. A simple yes/no on your calendar works. Or keep a running tally in a notes app. Or use a habit tracker. The point is to have objective information about whether the behavior is actually occurring at the frequency you intended.

At Precision ABA, we believe the data guides us. We make timely decisions based on what we see. We don't wait things out when something isn't working—we adjust quickly.

Let your data guide you too. If you're not engaging in the behavior as often as you intended, that's information. Don't beat yourself up about it. Get curious about it. What's getting in the way? What environmental support is missing? What adjustment needs to happen?

Try, try again. That's the Precision Teaching way.

Reinforce Yourself

We're really good at identifying reinforcers for our learners. But when's the last time you thought about what's reinforcing for you?

Build in reinforcement for engaging in your target behavior. Maybe it's something tangible—after a week of completing documentation on time, you treat yourself to something you enjoy. Maybe it's just taking a moment to acknowledge your progress—actually pausing to notice that you did the thing you said you'd do.

Don't skip this step. Behavior that's reinforced is more likely to continue. You know this. Apply it to yourself.

What Intentionality Looks Like in Practice

Professionally, 2025 was a year where I saw how long-term seeds finally take shape. Projects that were built slowly, systems that were designed deliberately, people who were selected with care—all of it came together in ways that felt deeply aligned with the future I've been envisioning for years.

What surprised me most is how natural it all felt once it clicked. Not easy—but right. And there's a big difference. Ease isn't the absence of work; it's the presence of alignment.

So if 2025 taught me anything, it's this: when you lead with intentionality, trust your instincts, and allow things to unfold at the pace they require, the outcomes have a way of meeting—and often exceeding—the hopes you held for them.

Intentional choices compound. They create momentum. And eventually, they form the foundation of work you're truly proud of.

That's what setting sustainable goals looks like. Not perfection. Not massive transformation overnight. Just intentional, incremental movement toward becoming the professional you actually want to be.

Some Specific Examples

Let's get practical. Here are some examples of sustainable goals for ABA professionals, pinpointed and ready to track:

Instead of: "Build better rapport" 

→ Try: "Spend the first 5 minutes of each session in learner-led play or conversation before starting programming."

Instead of: "Achieve better work-life balance" 

→ Try: "Turn off work notifications at 6 PM every weekday and don't check them until 8 AM the next morning."

Instead of: "Stay current on research" 

→ Try: "Read one peer-reviewed article related to my area of practice every other Friday during my scheduled professional development time."

Instead of: "Be more collaborative with families" 

→ Try: "Ask one open-ended question about the family's experience at the end of each week and document their response."

Instead of: "Stop being so hard on myself" 

→ Try: "When I notice negative self-talk, pause and reframe using the same compassion I'd show a colleague. Track how many times per week I successfully do this."

See how these are all specific, observable, and measurable? That's how you set sustainable goals for ABA professionals that actually stick.

Give Yourself Grace

I want to be clear: I'm not writing this from a place of having it all figured out.

I still have weeks where I don't hit my goals. I still have moments where I slip back into old patterns. I still have times when I realize I need to adjust my approach because what I thought would work isn't actually working.

That's not failure. That's data. That's information. That's part of the process.

Setting sustainable goals for ABA professionals isn't about perfection. It's about intentionality. It's about using what we know about behavior change to create practices that align with who we want to be.

And it's about giving ourselves the same grace, the same patience, the same compassion we extend to our learners when they're working on something hard.

We're humans first, Precision Teachers second. We deserve that grace too.

Your Reset Questions

Before you set a single goal for 2026, sit with these questions:

• What are my actual values as a professional? Not what I think they should be—what they actually are.

• What kind of professional do I want to be in 2026? What would that person do differently than I'm doing now?

• What's one specific, observable behavior I could change that would align with those values?

• What environmental supports do I need to make that behavior more likely?

• How will I track whether I'm actually doing it?

• What will reinforce me for engaging in this behavior?

You don't need ten goals. You need one or two that actually matter. That actually align with your values. That you're actually willing to track and adjust based on data.

Start there. Shape from there. Build momentum from there.

That's how sustainable goals actually work.

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