When Your Goals Start Slipping Away...

Can you believe it's already the end of January?

That's right, the first month of the year has come and gone, which means 2026's "brand-new" sticker has already begun to fall off.

But as the new year becomes commonplace, so do many of the goals and resolutions that we were so excited about just a few weeks ago.

Here's a somewhat depressing depiction of real-life data from New Years resolution drop-offs over the first half of the year. (Notice that we are currently in the biggest drop-off zone between one week and one month.)

But don't let that get you down because I've got a recent story that will help you stay the course on your own goals.

This month I received notes back for Secrets Beneath the Lands of Luxury (Book 3 in my series) from my editor.

With any book, my first read-through of editor notes always has me pumped with adrenaline and feeling like anything is possible! It reminded me of that unbounded energy we get when making New Year's resolutions. You know, the kind that feels something like this:

But even after I confidently decided on a few key changes for the manuscript, all of which I'm incredibly excited about, a new feeling set in: complete overwhelm.

You see, even small alternations have significant domino effects on the story which means one big change comes bundled with hundreds of micro-changes too.

And since Book 3 is the longest and most complex of the entire series (75 chapters!), the amount of work I have left to do added up fast!

Realizing how much writing is still ahead of me, I stopped feeling like the king of the world and started feeling something closer to this:

I felt drained and discouraged instead of excited and pumped up.

That's because I realized the time and effort between now and my end goal was much bigger than I originally hoped.

And I think that's the same reason many people fall away from their new goals.

We begin the journey with plenty of vigor, excited about reaching our destination. But once we start the actual climb, we realize the journey will be much longer and more treacherous than we first anticipated.

But what can we do to turn things around?

Looking at the big picture first is necessary for identifying a direction. But when it comes to actually executing the work, a different mindset is needed.

First, we have to break our lofty goals into smaller, bite-sized chunks.

When I first compiled Book 3's changes, I kept thinking about every alteration at the same time. For example, I have 5 POV characters, 4 of whom have extensive story arcs, all of which intertwine and must feel cohesive. And whenever I let all of that bounce around in my head at once, it felt like the work would never get done!

I knew I had to look at everything in different way. And sure enough, once I did that, my next draft felt much more manageable.

Here's what I did: instead of thinking about ALL chapters simultaneously, I focused on one chapter at a time, being present with what was happening in that specific part of the book rather than worrying about the everything else too.

Don't get me wrong, there are still moments when I have to assess what's going on in the larger picture. But now I see those concerns through the lens of that specific chapter, which keeps them more focused instead of amorphous and un-contained.

This took a huge weight off my shoulders. But it was only the first step.

Next I had to reset where I was found my satisfaction within my goal.

With any difficult task, it's vital to find joy in the process itself. Because if we don't, then our goals feel punishing and distant, causing us to run out of fuel before reaching our destination.

You see, the closer I got to finishing the book, the more I tied all of my positive feelings about it to the end goal. And soon enough I was too focused on the mission to complete the task and forgot to enjoy being on the mission itself.

But everything changed when I slowed down and started noticing the small ways I could appreciate the work I did daily – finding joy in writing each chapter, each paragraph, each sentence – reflecting on what I was proud of each step of the way instead of worrying how long it would take to finish everything else that was left.

And not only did the process become more enjoyable, but my writing improved too.

Notice that both tactics kept things more in the present moment rather than off in the distant future.

I don't think that's a coincidence, and I believe that approach works for more goals beyond writing a book.

No matter where you're at with your personal aspirations, I want to encourage you. Big goals and changes are hard, but I believe you can accomplish what truly matters to you with the right tactics, mindset, and persistence.

If you're feeling stuck (or worried you might feel stuck soon) I'd encourage you to consider the goal that matters most to you. Break it down into steps, discover what you've liked about the process so far, and brainstorm ways you can be present and enjoy each moment on your journey with that goal.

I hope these insights from my writing life are valuable and inspiring for you!