"As this year comes to a close and a new year commences, many of us repeat a ritual that seems so very important to the effectiveness of our lives. We step back, during this magical downtime as one year ends and the next begins, and ask ourselves what we want next year to look like. We set goals and make resolutions for ourselves. We make lists. We promise ourselves we'll finally get it right this time."
"It's that we often start from the wrong place, or should I say a place that is incomplete and out of order in the process. Before goals, metrics, or action plans, there are deeper, a priori decisions that quietly determine whether our goals will serve us or slowly hollow us out. The most important decisions of 2026 aren't what you're trying to achieve. They're about who you're becoming, how you're living, and what kind of life you're designing into your future."
Many people set ambitious goals at year-end but abandon them by February because they begin with outcomes rather than underlying identity and life design. Deep, a priori choices about who one is becoming, how one lives, and what life one intentionally designs determine whether goals sustain or erode well-being. A high-performing executive arrived with spreadsheets and targets yet lacked clarity about identity. Clarifying identity and designing supportive daily rituals, trade-offs, environments, and systems should precede metrics and action plans. Aligning goals with chosen identity and lifestyle increases persistence, coherence, and long-term satisfaction.
Read at Psychology Today
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