The start of a new year has a habit of turning songwriting into some sort of to-do list.
- Write more
- Release more
- Get better
- Get noticed
And as we all know about setting songwriting targets, goals or resolutions in the past, by February, most of that energy has burned off, leaving behind unfinished songs and a quiet sense of falling short.
Maybe 2026 doesn’t need bigger goals. Maybe it needs better ones.
Songwriting is a long game. The most useful goals are the ones that support the work over time, not the ones that look impressive in January. With that in mind, here are ten songwriting goals that I think are actually worth keeping in 2026.
1. Write Regularly, Not Heroically
The myth of the songwriter struck by inspiration at exactly the right moment is hard to shake. It’s also wildly unhelpful.
Songs tend to show up when you show up. A small, repeatable writing rhythm, ten minutes a day, a short session most days of the week, does more for your songwriting than occasional bursts of intensity.
Consistency doesn’t feel dramatic, but it works quietly in the background, building momentum you can trust.
2. Finish More Songs Than You Start
Unfinished songs can feel productive. They’re not.
Finished songs, even the flawed ones, teach you how to make decisions, how to shape an ending, and how to let go. Every completed song strengthens your instincts in a way that endless drafts never will.
In 2026, aim to finish songs without over-polishing them. Completion is a skill, and it only improves with use.
Remember the old adage… “Done is better than perfect.”
3. Develop a Personal Songwriting Practice
A songwriting practice is a very personal thing. There are just as many variants of a songwriting practice as there are songwriters in the world which proves that there is no single “right” way to write a song. There is only the way that fits your life, your energy, and your temperament.
A songwriting practice might include a regular time of day, a simple ritual, a constraint you return to, or a method that helps you start without resistance. The goal isn’t to follow a formula, but to remove friction.
A practice keeps you writing on ordinary days, not just inspired ones.
4. Record Simple Demos as Part of Writing
A song changes the moment you hear it played back.
Simple demos act as honest mirrors. They reveal what’s working, what’s cluttered, and what emotion is actually coming through. This doesn’t require a perfect setup. A phone recording or a basic home rig is enough.
And at the end of the day, you’re learning a new skill as well.
5. Listen Wider, But Listen Deeper
It’s easy to listen to a lot of music without really hearing any of it.
Instead of chasing everything new, spend time with fewer artists, albums, or eras. Notice how melodies move, where lyrics leave space, how arrangements breathe. Pay attention to silence as much as sound.
This is called “Active Listening.”
Listening this way quietly reshapes your songwriting instincts without you having to force anything.
6. Separate Writing From Judging
Writing and judging at the same time is like driving with the handbrake on.
The first job is to generate material. The second job is to decide what to keep. When those roles overlap, momentum stalls.
In 2026, give yourself permission to write without commentary. Editing can wait. Songs need room to exist before they can improve.
7. Share Songs in Low-Pressure Ways
Songs aren’t meant to live forever in isolation.
Sharing doesn’t have to mean chasing approval or algorithms. It can be a trusted friend, a small writers’ group, an open mic, or a quiet upload with no expectations attached.
Once a song leaves the room, it teaches you something new. That exchange is part of finishing the work.
Make sure you’re prepared to receive feedback.
8. Keep a Living Song Idea Bank
Most songs don’t arrive fully formed. They arrive as fragments.
A line scribbled in a notebook. A title. A feeling. A chord movement. Capture everything without judging it. Over time, fragments begin to connect, phrases begin to join up and stories begin to be told
An idea bank turns the blank page from a wall into a doorway.
9. Learn One Useful Thing and Apply It Immediately
You don’t need to learn everything at once.
One chord trick. One rhyme technique. One melodic shift. One recording shortcut. Learn it, then use it in the next song you write. Skills stick when they’re applied, not when they’re collected.
Progress feels much calmer when learning stays practical.
10. Protect Your Relationship With Songwriting
This is the most important goal of all.
Pay attention to what drains the joy out of writing and quietly step away from it. Notice what brings you back to the page and guard it. Songwriting is something you live with, not something you conquer.
Longevity comes from care, not pressure.
2026 = A Better Kind of Songwriting Year
2026 doesn’t need dramatic reinvention. It needs steadier ground.
When songwriting is built on small habits, finished work, honest listening, and self-trust, the results take care of themselves. Songs grow where attention goes.
The goal isn’t to do more. It’s to keep going, with care, patience, and just enough courage to keep showing up.
What do you think? What are your songwriting targets, goals or resolutions for 2026? Let me know and we can compare notes.
