The Biggest Secret to Achieving Success This Year
Jan 05, 2026
The Biggest Secret to Achieving Success This Year
You're a few days into January. Your resolutions are probably already fading.
This isn't your fault. Most resolutions fail because they focus on what you want to do, not on who you want to be.
The Real Question
Instead of asking "What do I want to achieve?" ask "Who do I want to become?"
These sound similar, but they work completely differently.
A goal like "I will exercise more" relies on motivation. Some days you won't feel like it. You'll skip the gym. Then you'll feel guilty and give up.
But an identity like "I am someone who moves their body" is automatic. You won't skip the gym because it contradicts who you see yourself as.
When you build goals around identity, you don't need willpower. You just need to be true to who you're becoming.
Before You Set Any Goals, Ask Yourself Three Questions
- Who do I actually want to be?
Not what do you want to accomplish. What kind of person do you want to become? Do you value health? Relationships? Learning? Growth?
- What season am I in?
If you're burned out, you need rest, not more goals. Match your goals to your real life, not an imaginary perfect version of yourself.
- What am I willing to trade?
Everything costs something. More time at the gym means less time elsewhere. When you know what you're trading, your goals become real.
Then Make Success Easy
Once you know who you want to be, design your life around that identity.
Want to be a reader? Keep a book where you'll see it. Set aside fifteen minutes before bed.
Want to exercise? Put your workout clothes out the night before. Schedule it like a meeting.
Want to save money? Automate your savings transfers.
You're removing the need for willpower by making the right choice the easy choice.
Start Small
Don't overhaul everything at once. Small wins build identity.
Read one page a day. Move your body for ten minutes. Journal for five minutes.
Do this consistently, and you'll start seeing yourself as a reader, someone who exercises, someone who reflects. The identity shift comes from repeated action, not from motivation.
The Bottom Line
Success isn't about having perfect goals or fancy tracking systems. It's about deciding who you want to be, then taking one small step toward that person.
Not in some perfect future. Today.
That's where everything else follows.
