From finances to well-being, Canadians are redefining success in 2026

Rather than abandoning personal milestones outright, many Canadians are narrowing their focus and prioritizing only the ambitions they believe will have the greatest impact.

“Our research shows that Canadians aren’t just adjusting to change, they’re redefining it,” said Carissa Lucreziano, vice-president of Financial Planning and Advice at CIBC, in a statement. “From prioritizing health and relationships to seeking out new skills and experiences, ambition is taking on new meaning across the country.”

Fewer goals, higher stakes

The 2026 Index from CIBC suggests Canadians are becoming more intentional about where they direct their energy. Sixty percent of respondents said the current economic climate has pushed them to adapt their goals to better align with new realities and opportunities.

Health and wellness (56%), financial stability (52%) and personal relationships (49%) remain the most common areas of ambition across all age groups. But instead of spreading effort across many smaller objectives, Canadians are increasingly concentrating on fewer, more challenging goals — a shift that reflects both resilience and realism in a tighter economic environment.

That mindset is also showing up in behaviour. Nearly half of Canadians (46%) say they regularly review their progress toward their goals, while 40% say they set new goals at least quarterly, signalling a more active and self-directed approach to planning.

A generational gap in progress and satisfaction

While overall satisfaction remains relatively high — with 75% of Canadians saying they feel positive about their progress — the Index highlights meaningful differences across generations.

Boomers and older Canadians report the highest levels of satisfaction with the progress they’ve made, while that figure is noticeably lower among Gen X and Millennials. Younger Canadians, meanwhile, are losing ground in making progress toward their ambitions, even as they adapt more aggressively to changing conditions.

Students and younger adults saw some of the largest year-over-year declines, reflecting the outsized impact of rising costs and economic uncertainty on those earlier in their careers. At the same time, younger Canadians are redefining what success looks like, placing greater value on meaningful contributions and experiences rather than traditional ambitions such as higher salaries or early retirement.

Financial stability remains a central intention across generations, but it is no longer the sole measure of progress. The Index suggests Canadians are increasingly weighing money goals alongside health, relationships and personal fulfillment, particularly as economic conditions make conventional financial growth feel harder to achieve.

Additionally, newcomers to Canada faced some of the steepest challenges, according to the survey, with ambition scores declining most sharply in areas like career development and financial stability. Even so, health and wellness remained a priority, pointing to a broader recalibration of ambition in a more constrained environment.

Overall, the findings suggest Canadians have adjusted their drive. In 2026, ambition appears less about chasing everything at once, and more about choosing what feels achievable, meaningful and sustainable.