New Day, New Dawn
4 tips to finish the year strong...
How are your New Year’s resolutions coming?
During the first week of the year, I noticed more walkers, runners, and bikers on the trail where I live.
Later that month, just before the nationwide freeze, there seemed to be fewer and fewer people...and now that it’s March, I’ve noticed a significant decline…
I’m not convinced “New Year, New You” is working out. It seems like a lot of unnecessary pressure…
I prefer a “New Day, New Dawn” mindset better.
Let’s talk about two problems with resolutions, and then I’ll make four tips to help you finish the year strong.
The problem with resolutions starts with the motivation behind the idea. If you don’t really want to do it, you probably won’t. External motivation (from friends, family, or social media) might help some, but internal motivation is better. Maybe looking great on the beach this summer is enough to get you off the couch, but my money is that it’s not. The best goals start at your core. It’s about being something, not just doing something. Maybe you want to exercise more, save more, read more, pray more, or travel more. If you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen.
Let’s say you know your “why” and you are determined to figure out “how” to get it done. Then you find some internal motivation to set a goal and get started. That’s what I’m talking about! But wait…hold on a second. Before you run off to blow this thing out, let’s talk about the next problem with resolutions. More often than not, the goal is TOO BIG. Too big in its expected output, frequency, or starting level. Goals should challenge you, but a lot of goals have an unrealistic element to them. Identify it and adjust it before you start…or it will destroy your momentum.
It’s pretty cliché to talk about beaches and couches, but the contrast helps make the point: one doesn’t typically go from nothing to something big overnight. I can speak from experience here. Long before I started running every day, I just started running. Not far, and not every day. But I drew a line in the sand and said: I’m a runner. And I just started doing something I had been thinking about doing for a long time. It wasn’t every day, and it wasn’t very far. That “lower level” was perfect at the time to get me started. The distance and the frequency I’m at now wouldn’t have been possible when I first started. I had to start small so that over time I could build something sustainable.
The two main problems with resolutions are related to motivation and momentum. You need both. Here are four tips to get started and sustain your effort…
Tip 1: Set a smallish, doable goal. If your goal is too big, and you fall short, you are setting yourself up to quit. Maybe you already quit. Not me, not this year, you’re thinking. Maybe you’re right. I hope you’re right. The trouble is, most studies indicate that more than 80% of New Year’s resolutions end by February. Actually, it’s worse than that. The second Friday of January is now dubbed “Quitters Day.” That was January 9 this year. If this is true, that goal wasn’t even around long enough to wear every new pair of socks it got for Christmas. People are packing it in before they even get going. That’s because it’s the wrong goal or the goal is too big. The ideal size of the goal is just beyond the level you’re at today. It should stretch you, not crush you. Your goal should be fluid, adjusting for growth each week or each month after progress is made. Give your future self the gift of momentum by setting a smaller goal.
Tip 2: Draw a line in the sand and just get started. Seek to do something to improve your life. Figure out what that thing is you’ve always wanted to do, and have put off doing…or have been afraid to do. What is it for you? We’ve all got something…or many things. Choose one, and do it. Today.
I’ve got a sign on the wall in my office that says, “You only have one __________ (today’s date).” A constant reminder to make the most of my day. It’s not always easy, but I love the challenge. And if I get stuck, I remember one of my favorite quotes, “Get going, then get good.” You don’t have to wait for the perfect day when everything lines up just right to get started. The start will be messy. But if you’ve set a manageable goal, you’ll figure it out as you go…and you’ll feel great about finally doing it.
Tip 3: Keep showing up. There will be setbacks. Your effort may feel like two steps forward and one step back. That’s ok. This is actually a key part of showing up. The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is progress. If you planned to do “X” every day this month, and you missed 6 days because “Y” reason (or excuse) happened, that’s life. Big deal! But you say to yourself, Y does this always happen? I say, hold on, do the math. You did that thing 24 days this month. Guess how many days you did that thing last month…probably 4. You just 6x’d your output. But we tend to perseverate on failure. The month was a win, but those 6 misses stand out and feel like a loss. And that was a great month, what happens when those missed days (or excuses) come in bunches.
Let’s pretend a different “Y” showed up in your stocking, a new membership to your local YMCA. You set a goal to exercise 4 days a week. Pretty lofty, but the Y was on your way to work, and you were more determined than ever this time. But that first week was harder than you expected, and as you left on day 2, you walked by the bulletin board with community announcements. The flyer for the creative excuse writing class caught your eye, and you decided to pull a tab…just in case. The next day, instead of exercising, you officially enrolled in the excuse-writing class and, over the next month, came up with some real bangers. In fact, you missed your workout 2 days each week. Looking back you’re pretty bummed with yourself. The goal was 16 sessions, and you only made it to 8. This is starting to feel like a wasted membership. But guess what, your effort doubled last month’s output. That’s progress. And remember, that’s the whole point of the goal. Next month, you’ll likely need to adjust your goal or create a secondary goal to hold your main goal accountable.
I’m not making excuses for your excuses; I’m suggesting you are focused on the wrong thing. Don’t focus on what you haven’t done. Focus on what you have done. The more days you do your thing, the more progress you make. And the more progress you make, the more motivation you’ll have to keep going. Don’t wait for motivation to do the hard thing. Just do it, and let that action give you the motivation you need to do it again. And…for Pete’s sake, avoid creative excuse-writing classes. We need to surround ourselves with a community of lifters, not leaners. No one needs help making excuses. We all make them on our own. However, you can fight them every time you show up to do something hard. Keep showing up!
Tip 4: Celebrate your wins. You will reach milestone wins at any given point in your journey. It could be on a random Tuesday, or every Friday, or the last day of the month. Celebrate them! What do you want, a cookie? Well then…have one! If that’s what helps highlight the win…unless your goal is to avoid cookies. These celebrations don’t need to be huge. Privately patting yourself on the back is a good way to do it. I still prefer a post-run fist pump and a “Let’s Go!” under my breath. It’s a small gesture to recognize the effort that was just made. A brief moment of self-reflection that only I get to see or hear. Remember, we are looking for internal motivation. Instagram or Strava likes might give you a temporary dopamine hit, but liking yourself is more important to produce sustained success. Take a moment to look back at the line in the sand you made. Notice the distance between your starting place and where you are today. Is there space? That’s progress! Could it be wider? Of course! You’ve got time. Mark your milestones and keep the celebration simple. Pick something that feels like: Nice work, I’m proud of you. Because if you’ve put in the work, you should be.
Here is my “New Day, New Dawn” mindset advice in a nutshell:
Set a small goal, get started, keep showing up, and celebrate.
Rinse and repeat.
No need to make it any harder than that.
With that framework in mind, here are my three goals for the year…
Goal #1. To do things “now” that I might put off for so long, I never do them. Like responding to email, or cleaning the garage, or finishing one of these posts. Or my new favorite “someday maybe” to attack, is the fluffy phrase, “We should catch up sometime!” Assuming I agree, since it takes two to catch up…then yes, we should. Are you free now? Or tomorrow? This goal reminds me to be intentional about finding ways to make things happen. “Sometime,” so often feels like, and then becomes “never.” I want to change that. So, with this post I’m starting a grassroots campaign based on a simple philosophy:
“If you want to catch up, then catch up. If you don’t, then don’t say it.”
The goal is to say and do what we mean to say and do. “We should catch up” implies you actually plan to talk later. It does not mean, “It was good to see you, goodbye.” If that’s what you mean, say that. Or how about saying this, “Hey _______, (insert name) it was really cool to bump into you, I always enjoy it. Be well!” Done. No need to catch up. Trust me, I’m not mad or hurt by any fake catch-ups unfulfilled…I’m just nitpicking what I’ve recognized as excessively overused lingo. It’s an easy example of how we can choose to be more intentional with our words…and our time. Note that, if I say let’s catch up (and you agree), the goal is to be on your calendar within the week.
Goal #2. To continue my run streak. Often, while I’m out on a run, I forget why I’m doing it. I get going and find myself lost in thought. Even though I mix in four different routes from my doorstep, the days have become a blur. It’s happened so many days in a row now (512 days as of this writing) that it’s just part of my daily routine. However, every time I finish my run, I remember why I’m doing it. It’s another “hard thing” checked off my to-do list, a win for the day. It feels great!
Speaking of hard things, feeling good, I had to come up with a new plan once I hit my 365-day running goal. This can be a tough part (and a fun part) of setting goals. In my first year, I ran 100 1-mile runs, then 100 2-mile runs, then 100 5K runs, and then a pattern of 1, 2, 3, and 5-mile days to finish the streak. As I neared the end, I couldn’t decide what I should do next. Goals tend to grow from year to year, so I felt the urge to level up, but I also knew I had to keep the goal manageable to maintain motivation and momentum.
With that thought in mind, I made my decision. A 5K a day, for 365 days. This goal is actually three goals in one. The first mile I finish every day becomes the “mile-a-day to keep the doctor away” first part of the goal (the minimum required to maintain the streak). When I hit 3.1 miles for the day, it becomes the “5K-a-day to slay the dragon away” second part of the goal (the self-prescribed hard thing for the day). And when I add it all up for the year, the third part of the goal is to have run 1200 total miles. A 5K (3.1 miles) times 365 days equals 1,131.5 miles…which means I’ll have to mix in some longer runs throughout the year to get there. Every day I run farther than a 5K, whether that’s two steps or two miles, I get closer to that annual mileage goal.
That’s the year-two running streak goal…one that I’m already 147 days into. Which…is actually a bonus tip. This goal is not tied to the “new year”; it’s a running resolution that will take a year. The streak started in August 2024, then restarted in October 2024. I reached my goal in October 2025, and kept going, determined to continue through 2026. My point: it doesn’t matter when you start. New Year’s is an arbitrary date that adds unnecessary pressure on the start and the stumble of a goal. Start today. Stumble tomorrow. Then start again. It’s a “new day, new dawn” mindset, one we can repeat and refresh day after day...
Goal #3: To write more. More specifically, the goal is to double my Substack output. Posting content is a byproduct of the time I spend writing. Even though quality over quantity has been the goal, I’ve fallen into one of fear’s traps…overthinking. I posted 13 articles in 2025. Which, for last year, was a huge win! Especially for someone who, for years, was stuck on the sideline hoping to get in the game. I’m proud of that progress, but my writing still takes a back seat to my running…and my reading…and all this catching up…and you get the idea. There is a non-negotiable element to my running because it’s tied to a daily run streak. That “no excuses” mentality is what I aim to institute with my writing this year. It’s not for a lack of ideas that I post so infrequently. It’s fear…and a lack of dedicated time spent at the keyboard. I’ve said before that I hope to end the year with 500 subscribers, but that’s the wrong goal; I can’t control that. What I can control is waking up earlier and sitting down longer to get my thoughts out of my head and onto a page. The more I do it, the easier it gets, and the more confident I am to remain in this space. It’s all about reps. Doubling my output (26 posts in 2026) will require that I complete those daily reps.
To stay focused on the task at hand I think about two writers nearly every time I sit down to write. The first writer is Steven Pressfield, and his advice to, “put your butt where your heart wants to be.” Sit down and commit. Put in the work. I love writing; the time flies when I force myself to do it. Steven reminds me to stop making excuses and just do it. The second writer is Anne Lamott. In her book Bird by Bird, she dedicates a whole chapter to crappy first drafts, where she states that “all good writers write them.” You have to start somewhere, and knowing that the start will be messy frees one from the grip of perfectionism. Thanks to Anne, I’ve added a routine to my morning writing sessions. I grab the pot of yesterday’s cold leftover coffee, and I warm up a cup. Then I sit down with my laptop and take a sip and say to myself, now that’s a crappy cup of coffee. Which pairs well with my pending crappy first draft. It’s the trigger to get locked in and get to work.
Those are my 3 goals for 2026. I have to practice what I preach, too. I use each of the 4 tips above to help maintain motivation and momentum…
What about you? How will you resolve to finish the year strong?
It’s a new day, new dawn…
Start today.
Remember the 4 tips: set a small goal, get started, keep showing up, and celebrate.
You got this!
AP