A New Year, A New Approach to Goals

For a while, I strongly disliked New Year’s resolutions. The hype of setting grand intentions on the eve of January 1st often seemed more like a setup for disappointment, fueling our self-denial rather than fostering meaningful change.

I felt this because I lived it. I’d start the year strong, claiming that this year, I’d be my best self —starting my channel, adopting a healthier lifestyle, working out, waking up at 5 am, and so on. I’d be successful at it for the first 2 weeks or so and then would go back to my normal self, never to revisit those goals until the beginning of the following year.

After discovering self-help books and following personal development thought leaders, I learned that true goal-setting should be assessed throughout the whole year, not just at the beginning of a new year. That’s the approach I’ve been adopting, and honestly, it’s a great mindset. I don’t wait for Monday or a new month to start; if I have a new goal, I’ve learned to initiate it right away.

Shifting Mindset

As I navigated through my own journey of self-improvement, I also discovered the power of flexibility and learned to not be so black and white. When I learn a new lesson I tend to create unnecessary dichotomies. And as time passes by and I test and trial different discoveries, I’ve found out that it doesn’t always have to be one way or the other.

Although the hope of new beginnings associated with a new year —or even a new month, week or day– doesn’t dictate when I start taking action, I occasionally set goals on a Monday or at the beginning of the month or year. Sometimes, a little motivation is needed to get moving.

See, I believe we can be moved by two different forces: discipline and grace.

• Discipline makes us stronger and is the key to consistent action. It shouts, “Keep going, get back up, try harder—mind over matter.”
• Grace helps us start. It whispers, “Start small, take a baby step, try again—you can do it.”

I believe we need both.

As long as new beginnings aren’t excuses to avoid taking action, I now see value in riding the New Year’s hype. So, after indulging in overeating and being a couch potato for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years, here I am at the beginning of the New Year, setting new goals.

Goal’s Anatomy

I’m no stranger to goal setting. This is a concept I have been putting into practice for about 10 years now. Have I mastered it? Not really. Have I achieved my goals? Only some. I thought goal setting and putting your intentions was enough to achieve what you have in your mind, but if you have gone through this journey as well, you might’ve realized by now that it is easier said than done.

Now, throw in a recent ADHD diagnosis. I found out my brain doesn’t make enough dopamine, which makes it hard to stay motivated when I’m not reaching my goals quickly. Funny enough, my current goal is to figure out a way of setting goals that actually works for me. I don’t think I’ve found the perfect method yet, but that’s where I am right now.

I’ve come to realize that a key to achieving your goals is not focusing in the destination but in the journey itself. It’s about the daily steps, the consistent effort, and the small victories that accumulate over time. The perspective I am adopting for this year is this: journey over destination. My hope is that this shift in perspective will let me appreciate the process (which I usually dread), making each day a step forward rather than merely a means to an end.

Also, for this year I want my goals to no longer be about grand, transformative changes but rather about developing small, sustainable habits. I’ve learned that lasting change often comes from the accumulation of consistent action, a marathon more than a sprint. This is definitely a different approach for me because my impulsive, impatient ADHD brain loves transformational leaps. Unfortunetly, more often than not, my leaps are just that: leaps, not transformations.

In line with this, I’ve embraced what I call the “Weekend Warrior” mindset. Instead of trying to cram everything into my busy weekdays, I am planning on leveraging the weekends for focused efforts and deeper dives into my goals. I’m hoping this will also promote a healthier balance between work and my personal pursuits.

New Year, New Growth

This New Year, I’m doing something different with my goals. Before, my goals have mostly been external and about what I want to achieve. Now, I am focusing on internal goals and who I want to become. At the core, this is actually driven by my own ambition. It’s like waving a white flag to God, saying, “You take the lead,” and secretly (not so secretly) hoping that this will help me reach my goals. My external goals are still in the back of my head, I’m just doing a consious effort of not focusing on them because it unfortunately has not worked for me before.

This is not solely wishful thinking; it is wishful thinking with a dash of strategy. I have done this before. When all I wanted was to meet the love of my life, I realized I was idolizing this idea and had to surrender it. I knew that in order to find love, I had to stop expecting for it to happen. I had to put into practice habits with the goal of being content by myself which, as counterintuitive as it sounds, is what helped me find love. Does that make sense?

With that said, the key areas that I want to grow in are the following: Health, Spiritual, and Intellectual.

Health: Every day, I’m committing to focus on moving my body for at least 10 minutes. It’s not about big, exhausting workouts—just something simple like a quick workout, dancing, or stretching. But it has to be 10 full minutes focused on moving my body.

Spiritual: I’m setting aside 20 minutes each night for Bible study. I already do a morning devotional and write in my journal, so this is my next step to grow in my faith.

Intellectual: I want to start reading more, so I’m going to read for 10 minutes every day. It might be during my lunch break or before bed, but I want to become someone who enjoys reading. I’m also committing to writing down my thoughts and what I learn, spending at least 5 minutes each day on that.

So, for me, this New Year is not about big resolutions. It’s more about committing to growing a bit every day. I might share my actual goals later, but for now, I wanted to share the steps towards them. Because remember, it’s about the journey, not just the destination.

What about you? What small steps are you taking for your own growth this New Year? Share your thoughts below, and let’s journey towards growth together!