Goal-setting season always brings a mix of excitement and pressure, especially for women building businesses in the midst of real-life responsibilities, curveballs, and reinventions.
In this conversation with award-winning author and goal strategist Debra Eckerling, we explore a smarter, more compassionate approach to designing the year ahead—one rooted in clarity, celebration, and intentional action.
If you’ve ever felt like traditional goal-setting frameworks don’t quite fit the reality of your life or your business, this episode offers a refreshing alternative and a practical path forward.
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Goal Setting for 2026
Episode 301 features award-winning author and goal strategist Debra Eckerling, who breaks down five essential goal-setting shifts Gen X women solopreneurs should embrace before 2026.
Deb shares why traditional frameworks like SMART goals fall short, how her DEB Method creates clarity you can act on, and why celebrating small wins and tracking progress are non-negotiables for long-term success.
This topic matters because too many entrepreneurs set goals that look good on paper but don’t reflect real life—Deb offers a practical, compassionate way to design a year that actually works.
What You’ll Learn
- Goal-setting works best when it begins with clarity—your mission and motto become the compass for every decision you make.
- Posting your goals where you can see them creates accountability and keeps your long-term vision top of mind.
- Celebrating small wins builds motivation, reinforces progress, and makes goal achievement feel achievable instead of overwhelming.
- Tracking your progress and using directed journaling gives you the insight you need to adjust, refine, and move forward with intention.
Episode Breakdown
00:00 Why most people set goals backwards
01:01 The DEB Method explained
07:41 Why SMART goals fail
10:48 Post your goals everywhere
12:52 Celebrate small wins to build motivation
20:44 Mission and motto as your compass
25:16 Directed journaling for clarity
27:55 Track your progress like it matters
32:47 How Deb landed Guy Kawasaki and Brian Tracy
42:30 Deb’s moment of gratitude
Meet Deb Eckerling
Debra Eckerling is an award-winning author, podcaster, and nationally recognized goal strategist known for helping individuals and teams clarify what they want and build the systems to achieve it.
She is the creator of the DEB Method, a practical framework for setting meaningful goals, and the author of Your Goal Guide and 52 Secrets for Goal-Setting and Goal-Getting.
With decades of experience leading workshops, coaching professionals, and hosting multiple podcasts, Deb brings a rare blend of structure, creativity, and real-world practicality.
She’s a valuable resource for Gen X women solopreneurs because she understands how life complexity, reinvention, and competing priorities shape the way we plan—and she offers goal-setting tools that actually fit the way we live and work.
“It’s not about the goal. It’s about the win.”
Deb Eckerling
Connect with Deb Eckerling
- Website: https://TheDEBMethod.com
- LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/coastbunny
- GoalChat Podcast
- Taste Buds with Deb (Jewish Journal Podcast Network)
- The Book Proposal Podcast
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/4qfeEDR
Disclaimer: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, meaning I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. This helps support the podcast at no extra cost to you.
Also Mentioned
- Kandas on Goal Chat Live
- Kandas on The Stupid History Minute
- Reach by Arthur Smith
- Allan Dib on Gratitude Geek
- David Jenyns on Gratitude Geek
- Active Grandparenting
Support the Show
If this episode brought you value, here’s how you can help:
- Leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Goodpods
- Share this episode with a friend who’s rebuilding her business after disruption.
- Want to be a guest? Send me a message on Podmatch.
- Support the podcast financially – every bit helps to keep the mics on.
This episode is made possible by SendOutCards.
Stay Groovy!
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