Today is the beginning of a new month, and the final one before we start the new year. Hard to believe that 2026 is only four weeks away. What you may not realize is that this is a great time to finish your goals – you don’t have to put them away to start ‘fresh’ once the new year starts. Many think of resolutions when setting goals.
Unfortunately, research suggest that only 8-10% achieve those resolutions, with many abandoning their goals on what is known as ‘Quitters Day” or the second Friday of January, while 80% stop working on their goals by the second week of February. Those odds aren’t good.
So what stops people from not fulfilling the very aspects they want to improve upon?
First, using the word resolution, which means to resolve or not do something’ gives off a negative vibe which is not very motivating. Change the word to call it ‘intention,’ as this means you are committed to what you decide and with determination. That mindset alone will get you into action-mode and accomplishment.
Second, most people don’t know how to set goals or are not intentional with them. Starting with a strong determination will make the goal clearer and see what actions are needed to accomplish them.
You may have heard of SMART goals, which is one way to set goals: Specific, Measurable, Action-Oriented, Realistic, and Time-Limited. All are essential but specific and time-limited are the two most important of them; if you cannot state a goal in specifics, your brain can’t come up with the steps needed and they won’t be as motivating. Putting a time-limit on when you want to achieve the goal is what will give you the momentum and accountability as you are working the steps.
But what about motivation, or the drive behind one’s actions. Let’s say you’ve set clear and compelling goals and start working them, but you seem to have hit a wall and the goal doesn’t seem so important, leaving you wanting to do nothing, even the things you love to do. Then idleness starts to take its toll and you find yourself working the goal less and less.
As a result, a new pattern emerges of not acting which brings up guilt and shame, hence letting negativity cloud your mind and effort. This is called lack of motivation and, if this situation sounds familiar, then pay attention to the following points:
- Assess your present situation
Why exactly are you feeling this way? What is lacking, both in what you want to achieve and your desire for it/them? Is this because of an isolated event or due to an accumulation of factors? Are there current circumstances that you have to focus on, while trying to make changes? Regardless of the situation, you should be sure that your situation is a manifestation of incongruence between reality and your own ideas. Your job is to identify the schism first, then develop small, attainable changes which will close the gap.
- Never make goals
It probably caught you by surprise because everyone else seems to scream the words ”make goals”. Instead of making goals, make choices that will cumulatively reflect your values and also desires. Try making unrealistic goals which are not compatible with your lifestyle, nor reflective to your current resources or capabilities and failure will be raring its ugly head on you. Then it becomes a predictable outcome powered by an impractical wish.
If you want the incongruence that exists between reality and dreams to slowly fade, make daily choices that will bring about the wide paradigm shift. A more uplifting way to set goals is through the method of Everest Goals, where you start with the goal being achieved and then work backwards in how to achieve them; this method, based on those who actually climbed Mt. Everest, opens the brain up to finding solutions that will make your goals a reality.
- Create room for the bad
We all have strengths and weaknesses and, sometimes, what we try to avoid ends up getting the best of us. Rather than being deceived on the idea of eliminating the bad instantly, focus on doing the good first before the bad can come last. What this means is to allow yourself space that your drive may ebb and wane at times which can take the pressure off of having to constantly achieve to prevent any guilty feelings that may arise. If one day you wind up eating that piece of cake, just determine to get back to the goal the next day.
Change is not easy and you may find resistance but, with a positive mindset and seeing the outcome of the goal, along with the benefits you will get by having that outcome, you can diminish and then overcome any resistance you may find and your motivation will return stronger than before.
“Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you have power over instead of craving control over what you don’t.”
(Steve Maraboli)
