(Not Another New Year’s Resolution You’ll Quit)

I don’t start my year with a long list of goals anymore. I start the year with an intention, and I allow that intention to guide everything in my personal life and my business

Why I’m Not Setting New Year’s Resolutions

I want to start the year with a conversation that feels different than the typical New Year, New Me talk.

I don’t love that idea, because what I know to be true is this: maybe it’s a new year, but you don’t magically wake up in January as a completely different version of yourself.

That’s not realistic.

And I don’t want you starting the year already feeling pressured or behind.

Instead of setting a bunch of goals and resolutions, I want us to start the year by setting one intention.

The Problem With Long Goal Lists

I’ve been there. I’ve made the two-page goal list—front and back.

I’ve broken goals into categories like:

• family
  
• friends
  
• business
  
• health
  

And what happens?

By the middle of the year, I’ve forgotten what I was even trying to do. I’m doing okay in one area, struggling in another, and feeling overwhelmed by all of it.

It becomes a web instead of clarity.

So I don’t start my year with a long list of goals anymore. I start with one intention, and I allow that intention to guide everything in my personal life and my business.

This podcast is a direct result of that.

Goals vs. Intentions

Here’s how I think about it.

Goals feel like a to-do list.

They’re things to check off.

And I love goals—but not when they feel draining or heavy or like pressure.

Intentions are about who you’re becoming.

Intentions shape:

• who you surround yourself with
  
• what opportunities you pursue
  
• how you show up in your life
  

This show isn’t really about the goal.

It’s about you.

I believe you are the foundation of all the roles you play. And while those roles look different for all of us, many of us are managing everything—and often feeling disconnected, drained, or overwhelmed.

This podcast is about having real conversations. Not “just think positive” conversations. Real growth for real life.

Why Goals Don’t Stick

Here are three reasons goals fall apart:

1. We set too many goals.
   
2. We set goals that aren’t aligned with who we want to become.
   
3. We set goals because everyone else is.
   

When goals aren’t aligned, they feel harder. Motivation fades. Burnout shows up.

And it’s not because you’re incapable—it’s because the focus is off.

Why February Is Where Goals Go to Die

We lie to ourselves when we think the version of us in December is going to magically wake up as a new person in January.

If you don’t have systems in place, your brain gets overwhelmed.

Your brain is wired to keep you safe and comfortable. When you try to change too many things at once, it pushes back.

It tells you:

• you’re not that person
  
• you always quit
  
• this is too hard
  

And if you’re not careful, you believe it.

That’s why people don’t quit because they lack motivation. They quit because their brain is overloaded.

What Setting an Intention Really Does

An intention isn’t about changing everything.

It’s about choosing a direction.

Ask yourself:

• How do I want to feel?
  
• What tone do I want my life to have?
  
• What matters most right now?
  

For me, peace became an intention before anything else. And choosing peace showed me what wasn’t peaceful—and what needed to change.

That’s the power of an intention.

My Intention for the Year: Visibility

My intention this year is visibility.

Not chasing numbers.

Not becoming someone I’m not.

Visibility for me means:

• showing up thoughtfully
  
• building an intentional community
  
• creating content for the right people
  
• collaborating with women I align with
  

Once the intention is clear, everything else follows.

The goal is secondary.

The intention is the foundation.

A Real-Life Example: Gardening With Intention

“Grow a garden” used to be a goal on my list.

And honestly? I’d give up by July.

But when the intention became spending time with my daughter, being outside, and creating joy, everything changed.

Now we grow zinnias together. We cut flowers and bring them to my grandma. Bees and butterflies show up. It’s magical.

That’s the difference.

A goal feels like a task.

An intention feels like meaning.

How to Choose Your Intention

Start with what you don’t want.

Ask yourself:

• What feels heavy?
  
• Where am I drained?
  
• What am I tired of carrying?
  
• What have I outgrown?
  

Then choose an intention that moves you away from that feeling.

The goals will naturally follow.

Because it’s never about the goal.

It’s about who you’re becoming.

Join the Conversation

If this resonated with you, I’d love for you to join my free Facebook group, Passion to Purpose.

It’s a space for ambitious women who want clarity, alignment, and intentional growth—without burnout, comparison, or endless to-do lists.

The link is in the show notes.

And if this episode gave you an aha moment, please share it. Text a friend. Post it on social media. Tag me @HeyGoalSister so I can say hello.

We’re not doing this alone.

We’re building lives on purpose—starting exactly where we are.