Let’s stop pretending.
Most people don’t set goals. They write wish lists.
They confuse "planning" with "procrastination." And they definitely don’t need another acronym like SMART to save them.
If you need a mnemonic device to remember to do your job, you’ve already lost. That’s corporate fluff designed to make middle managers feel productive while they drown in mediocrity.
Here is the brutal reality: You are likely addicted to the feeling of setting a goal, not the pain of achieving it.
Announcing you’re going to run a marathon feels good. Training in the rain at 4:00 AM feels like hell. Most of you are buying the dopamine hit on credit, and when the bill comes due in February, you default.
Stop setting "reasonable" goals to protect your ego.
Stop setting "impossible" goals to justify your failure.
If your goal doesn't terrify you, it’s boring. If it doesn't require a fundamental change in your character, it’s trash. The universe doesn’t care about your vision board. It rewards leverage, relentless execution, and pain tolerance.
You want to actually win this year? Stop trying to fix your entire life at once. You can’t handle it. You need a sniper rifle, not a shotgun. You need 3 targets. No more.
Here is the only structure that works:
1. The 30-Day Goal: The Proof (Easy)
Objective: Prove you aren't a liar. Most people can’t keep a promise to themselves for three days, let alone thirty. This goal isn’t about results. It’s about compliance.
If your goal is "lose 10 pounds," you will fail. That’s an outcome, not an action.
Your goal is: "I will sweat for 45 minutes every single day for 30 days. No excuses. No rest days." If you miss day 12, you start over at day 1. If you can’t conquer your own impulses for one month, you have no business trying to build an empire. Build the discipline first. The results are just a lagging indicator.
2. The 90-Day Goal: The Grind (Harder)
Objective: Ship the work. Now that you’ve proven you can show up, you need to produce. This is where the excitement fades and the real work begins. This is the "Valley of Death" where 99% of people quit. A weak goal is: "I want to start a business."
A real goal is: "I will make 100 cold calls a week and secure 3 paying clients by March 31st." This requires strategy. It requires rejection. It requires you to get punched in the face and keep moving forward. If you aren't embarrassed by your first version, you launched too late.
Get it done. Get it out. Get the data.
3. The 1-Year Goal: The Empire (Huge)
Objective: Kill your old identity. This is the North Star. This shouldn't be achievable by the person you are today. If you look at this goal and think, "I know exactly how to do that," aim higher. You’re playing small.
The 1-year goal should require you to become a different person to achieve it. Weak goal: "I want a promotion."
Real goal: "I will double my total income and operate at a level that makes my current job look like a hobby." This forces you to upgrade your skills, your network, and your tolerance for risk. You don’t achieve this by working harder. You achieve this by thinking differently.
Complexity is the enemy of execution. Simplicity creates focus. Focus creates leverage. You want to change your life? Here is the playbook:
3 Actions to Take TODAY
1. Kill the "Maybe" Pile. Identify every project, obligation, or goal that is lukewarm. If it’s not a "Hell Yes," it’s a "No." Delete them. You are bleeding energy on things that don't matter.
2. Define the Sacrifice. For every goal listed above, write down exactly what you will give up to get it. No Netflix? No weekends? No alcohol? If you aren't willing to pay the price, don't write down the goal.
3. Publicly Burn the Boats. Tell someone you respect (and fear slightly) exactly what you are going to do. Give them permission to roast you if you fail. Social pressure is a better motivator than willpower.
Stop planning. Start moving.
The clock is ticking, and nobody is coming to save you.
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And if you want to take this even further,
that’s exactly what I hammer in Catalyst Leadership.
It’s the no-BS playbook for breaking out of your own ceiling and forcing momentum when everything in your world is screaming “not yet” or “you’re not ready.”
The book shows you how to turn hesitation into action, resistance into fuel, and every hard “NO” into your next strategic pivot.
Go get it. Don’t let a wall define your trajectory.
Be the one who runs through it.