Setting Your Intention for 2026

First let me say one thing…my goal for 2026 is to serve our community of TheaterMakers with more and better programming to help you get your shows to the next stage. 

To help me with this pursuit, please take 2 minutes to complete this short survey about what you’d like to see more of in 2026. 

With that said…let’s talk about my framework for setting goals that actually stick. 

Because a goal is just a note on a piece of paper or a dream in your head, unless you take action toward it. 

On a personal note, I’d been trying to lose weight for almost 4 years. Every year I just kept gaining. It was unbelievably frustrating. So this year, I decided to take action and I’m proud to say that I’ve lost 40 pounds! 

Actions included speaking to my doctor and getting the help I needed. I signed up for a personal training program where I work out 3 times per week. I started eating better. Etc. 

Once I broke my goal down into action steps, and turned some of those into daily habits, my goal became achievable. My life has changed and I feel one million times better than I did a year ago. 

Now the purpose of this post is not weightloss motivation…there are other blogs far better than this to achieve those goals. 

But setting a specific goal and breaking it down into bite sized chunks so that you can accomplish more this year than you have in the past few years COMBINED…is the purpose. 

So how are you, as a TheaterMaker, going to achieve your goals in 2026? 

Use this framework to get started:

1. Lock in the specific, timebound goal. Ex. I will have a staged reading in October of 2026 in New York City. 
2. Answer this question: what has to be true about my project/life/career to make that goal achievable by that date? Ex. I have to raise $X of money. I have to have a theater. I have to have a team. Etc. 

• Answer this question: What actions can I take to make each of these things true? Ex. I can place a hold on a theater. I can reach out to a GM who can help me assemble my team. I can launch a kickstarter. Etc. 

• What obstacles or challenges stand in my way? Ex. I don’t know how to raise money. I don’t have a list of GMs. Etc. 

1. Identify FIVE things you can do in the next 90 days to get yourself closer to your goal. Ex. I will research and compile a list of 10 GMs, email them this week to set up interviews. Then I’ll hire the best one by December 31st. I can join a program to teach me how to raise money. 

• Repeat step 4 every 90 days! 

Goals can feel big, scary and exciting. But feelings are not facts. And dreams are not reality unless you put them into motion. 

Let this be the kick in the you-know-what to put your dreams into motion RIGHT NOW! No more waiting around. Because imagine how awful it would feel to be in the same darn place at the end of 2026. 

If you want help reaching your goals, CLICK HERE to apply for The TheaterMakers Studio Mentorship Mastermind. This program is motivation on steroids mixed with the practical skills and knowledge you need to get your show to the stage. 

Break a leg in 2026 and beyond! And don’t forget to tell us how we can better support YOU in 2026 HERE!

To your success,

Monica Hammond