Last year you said next year
Success doesn’t come from big, dramatic moves. It comes from small, smart choices you repeat every day.
The New Year is here. It’s that time when we all get hyped up, set big goals, and promise ourselves, this year will be different. But let’s be real. By mid-March, most of those goals will be gathering dust.
Why? Because we want results. Fast. When things don’t click right away, it’s easy to think, “Maybe I’m not cut out for this” or “Maybe this goal was just a dumb idea”. And then we quit.
But here’s the thing: change doesn’t work that way. It’s not about flashy starts or quick wins. It’s about showing up, day after day, even when it feels like nothing is happening.
That feeling
You know the one. The rush of motivation when you sit down, grab a pen, and list out all your goals. It feels amazing, doesn’t it? You’re inspired. Fired up. Ready to tackle the world.
But let’s be honest. That’s the best part of goal-setting. Writing them down. Dreaming about them.
The rest? It’s tough. It’s about patience, discipline, and sticking to it even when you’d rather not.
I’ve been there. Every year, I’d make a long list of goals: big ones, small ones, all the things I wanted to do. Then I’d dive in. Try this method, that app, this planner. And guess what? Most of those goals didn’t happen.
Sound familiar?
Stop setting goals
A few years ago, I gave up on goals completely. I was tired of feeling like I’d failed every time I didn’t cross something off the list. So I just stopped.
At first, it felt freeing. No pressure. No lists. But eventually, I realized I wasn’t getting anywhere. I was just drifting.
Then I picked up a book called The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy, and something clicked. The book’s whole idea is this: success doesn’t come from big, dramatic moves. It comes from small, smart choices you repeat every day.
One little action might not look like much, but over time? It adds up.
You can’t do it all at once
Here’s the part no one tells you: success isn’t about juggling a million things. It’s about focusing on one thing at a time.
I learned this the hard way. I was on a mission to find my dream clients — the ones that would pay well, give me great projects, and let me work how and where I wanted. But I was so busy hustling on small jobs and sending out proposals to anyone and everyone that I didn’t have time to actually think about what I wanted.
When I finally stopped, I felt stuck. Guilty, even. I wasn’t working, wasn’t earning, wasn’t “doing enough.” But that pause gave me the clarity I needed. I figured out exactly who my dream clients were. Then I went after them. And it worked.
Gary Keller, in his book The One Thing, says it perfectly:
“Success is sequential, not simultaneous.”
One thing at a time. Finish it. Then move on to the next.
Resolutions that work
Most of us set goals like this:
Grow to 10,000 followers
Make $100,000
Write a book
Lose weight
Sound familiar? The problem is, these goals focus on the outcome, not the process. And here’s the truth: you can’t control the outcome.
What you can control is what you do every day to get there.
So flip the script:
Grow to 10,000 followers → Post something valuable every day
Make $100,000 → Reach out to 3 potential clients daily
Publish a book → Write 1 page every day
Lose weight → Cut 200 calories and exercise every day
Small actions, repeated daily, create momentum. Over time, they compound into something bigger.
One step at a time
In my last post, I talked about embracing change. This? This is the next step. Once you decide to change, you have to commit to it. Not with a grand gesture, but with small, steady steps.
Think of it like planting seeds. You don’t plant a tree today and expect shade tomorrow. You water it. Care for it. And trust that it’ll grow.
So, here’s your challenge: take one of your goals. Break it down into tiny, daily actions. Then do the work. Every day. Even when it feels like nothing is happening.
That’s how real change happens. It’s not flashy. It’s not fast. But it works.