It’s a new year and a new you –

 if you are sticking to your New Year’s resolutions. Did you know only 46% of people stick to their New Year’s resolutions after six months? Truthfully they have probably been setting New Year’s resolutions for years and if we’re brutally honest they’ve probably set the same ones for multiple years.

 So why aren’t the majority of people reaching their goals and how can you set yours differently so that you attain them? Did you know there’s an actual strategic art to successful goal setting? We talk a lot about SMART goals at The Balanced Life CEO and that’s a great start, but there’s one step that goes beyond that and it’s a game changer.

 Before we get to that let’s touch on SMART goals.

Any goal you set needs to meet the SMART goal standard; Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Timebound.   All very good and necessary but let’s take it to the next step to reach the success you’re working for.

Let’s dive into the difference between

between goals of omission and goals of commission.  Some goals are goals of omission; things that you commit to omit from your life, and rely more on restraint, exercising self control et cetera.  These would be goals like limiting alcohol consumption, quitting smoking, lightening up on the potty mouth.  Goals of omission probably make up 90% of the 46% of the successfully achieved New Year’s resolutions.  

Goals of commission are goals where you commit to take physical action to reach your desired outcome things like repurposing a piece of furniture, losing weight, saving money, reading five new books; these all take physical action to accomplish where goals of omission take mental actions to adhere to.

I want you to back up and quit

focusing on the goal you’ve created. Do this instead; take the position of the CEO of your life. Take a step back out of your life and look at your life from the very distant outside. Cut all emotional ties to your life for a moment and look at all the different aspects or building blocks that go into creating this project which we will title, “Your Life”. What building blocks do you have? You may have building blocks that include things like family (both immediate and extended), career or 9 to 5 job, hobby, sport or interest.   Basically the things you have to spend time on to have a smooth happy life.  Then there are necessity blocks.  We’ll label these sleep, nutrition, mental or spiritual edification.

 As the CEO,

 looking down at the project table with “Your Life” project on it, take the goal you have chosen and piece it into the project.   Remember to leave all emotion out of this decision as you decide where to fit this goal.

 Strategically look;

take your time and move the building blocks of “Your Life” around until you find a way that your new goal building block fits in and complements your ultimate “Your Life” project.

 If the goal does not fit, do not abandon ship. Ask yourself if you can narrow it down or take one aspect and zero in on that. Take a smaller bite to start.

 While you’re looking for strategic ways to integrate your “new goal” building block into your “Life Project” ask yourself these questions; what other block is it most akin to? What other block does it directly affect? Does it have a negative or a positive effect? Can I fit my “new goal” block in as a subsidy of an existing block without diminishing the existing block or in a way that will empower or complement the existing block?

 For example;

if your goal is to incorporate walking five miles a day and your existing building blocks include morning routine, football practice pickup and drop off, weekly library visits, family dinners, and visiting mom. Ask yourself; Can walking 5 miles be fit into weekly library visits? No. Can it be fit into family dinners? Probably not. Can it fit into visiting mom?  Perhaps,  you’ll need to evaluate those circumstances and determine that. Can it be fit into football practice drop off and pick up? For me, this would be a good fit.  Instead of leaving, I could stay and walk the track or the bleachers.  Can it fit into my morning routine? For me, I could arrange my routine to fit in half of it and then fit the other half in an evening walk. This is what I meant by taking a smaller, more chewable bite.

 Exercising this practice ensures that you aren’t blindly committing to a new goal that feels so good and makes so much sense and can deliver the result that you want but you don’t have a plan to implement it. You are strategically acting as the CEO of your life and assessing and committing to the perfect positioning of your new goal while also following the smart goal standard.

 When you implement the CEO standard

and the SMART goal standard your odds for success are greatly improved.  Now as the CEO of your life you have positioned your goal into your life in an attainable way.

Remember, the role of a CEO

is not just to set a vision but to make strategic decisions that lead to sustained success. By placing your goals thoughtfully within your ‘Life Project,’ you’re not just chasing resolutions—you’re building a life that reflects your true values and aspirations. This year, act not just as a dreamer, but as the architect of your own success. You deserve it.

Now, it’s your turn.

Take your most pressing goal and analyze it with your CEO mindset. Sketch out where it fits, adjust your building blocks, and map your path forward. Share how you plan to integrate it with me or in the comments—I’d love to hear how you’re reshaping your life for the better.

Every successful endeavor starts with intention, strategy, and commitment. As the CEO of your life, you have the power to turn aspirations into reality. This year, let your resolutions be more than wishes—let them be the strategic moves that shape your journey