During the pandemic I used my building, the American Copper Building (New York) to train and stay fit. I had an idea to climb the 40 story building 40 times in under 12 hours (I happened to be 40 too) as a way to raise money for people without food in South Africa. I had the idea and then worked backwards to design a training program to achieve my goal.
The clock strikes midnight, fireworks light up the sky, and just like that — another year slips into the past, leaving a blank slate brimming with possibilities for what’s to come. For many, it’s a time to scramble for resolutions, hoping to become better versions of themselves: more confident, healthier, or successful individuals. But the real question is: Did your resolutions work for you last year?
If they did, give yourself a high five and keep it up in 2025!
If they didn’t, it’s time to accept some hard truths about what’s holding you back and what can truly propel you forward.
We will never be better than who we are today without putting in place the necessary actions consistently. Our future self will either be exactly the same – or more likely move backwards.
Progress never moves forward on a straight trajectory.
Without planning you have no strategy for the difficult days. Intentions and planning are crucial to overcoming those days where most people stumble.
Success is built with behaviors, stop asking for the results like more money, better health, or being fit and focus on the qualities needed to achieve that.
Stop seeking motivation externally. You build motivation with momentum.
Let’s dive into these five truths and how to make them work for you.
1. Consistency Shapes Tomorrow: Progress Requires Action
Who you are today sets the foundation for who you’ll become tomorrow. Without regular, deliberate effort, growth stagnates, and you risk falling behind. Our future self cannot be improved without making it so.
We dream that our future selves will choose the salad over the burger, wake up at 6 am to exercise, or magically become more confident. None of this is possible without action. Just like no movie scene is ever created without the director yelling “ACTION!” — your life will not progress without you doing the same internally.
Why do we stop ourselves from getting started? Because our goals are lofty and haven’t been broken down into the smallest actionable steps. Here’s how you can start:
Want to write a book? Start with one sentence.
Want to get healthy? Have one healthy meal.
Want to get fit? Take a 10-minute walk.
The most overwhelming goals can always be broken down. Imagine climbing 71 Mt. Everests in a year. Sounds impossible, right? But breaking it down per day equates to climbing Table Mountain once daily. The key is focusing on the next step, not the daunting journey ahead. The next step is always the most important — and the most manageable.
2. Progress Isn’t Always Forward: Embrace Setbacks and Sideways Steps
Sometimes, progress on a mountain requires going sideways or even backward to ensure smoother climbing ahead. Expecting exponential improvement year after year is unrealistic —and unrealistic expectations kill more dreams than any failures.
Building a healthy sustainable daily action plan starts with ruthless honesty about your goals and your current state. For instance:
If your ultimate goal is to compete in an Ironman triathlon in the next six months but you’ve never run a mile, start smaller. Commit to walking 10,000 steps a day and let your ultimate goal inspire you to persist even when motivation wanes. Once you build momentum, reevaluate your progress with your ultimate goal and set yourself up not just for success, but enjoyment of the challenge too.
Overcoming challenges like bad weather, motivation dips, or fatigue builds resilience. The simplest way to practice this skill is meditation. Just two minutes a day teaches your brain to override its natural resistance to discomfort.
Pro Tip: Every time your meditation timer ends, say out loud, “I desperately want to stop right now — but I’m going to push on a little bit more.” Whether it’s 10 seconds or 10 minutes longer, it’s about strengthening your “mental override button.”
3. Intention and Planning: Your Twin Pillars of Success
Intention and planning are your best allies for the tough days when everything feels too hard. Plans aren’t for the good days; they’re for the days when demons whisper, “I can’t do this” or “I’m not good enough.”
Linking your goals to your values creates a deeper purpose to keep moving forward. For example:
Is it fulfillment you seek?
A desire to discover your capabilities?
A yearning to test your limits?
When the pandemic struck, I was editing my book in New York City. My excitement at being in a city of literary giants quickly turned to despair when all attempts to connect with publishers were ghosted or rejected. The setback was crushing, but my intention — sharing the transformational power of stepping into the unknown — kept me going. Exactly 2 years & 2 weeks later, my persistence paid off: a publisher in South Africa, Imprint Publishing, embraced my vision and sponsored the publishing of my book.
Whatever spark of inspiration comes your way, trust it. Allow the journey to be your teacher, and inject purpose into your actions through intention and planning.
4. Build Behaviors, Not Just Goals: The Key to Sustained Success
The saying “It’s about the journey, not the destination” might sound like a cliche but it’s true. Goals are important, but the behaviors you develop on the way are what create lasting change.
Imagine a teenager who dreams of being a carpenter but despises school. While he may feel school isn’t directly related to his passion, he doesn’t realize it’s teaching him valuable life skills: discipline, patience, consistency, and perseverance. These traits will serve him as he masters his craft — and in any future endeavor.
Reframe challenges as opportunities to grow. For example:
Traffic on the freeway? Thank it for the opportunity to practice patience.
Struggling with a tough workout? Celebrate the chance to build discipline.
Even if your goals shift, the mental disciplines you’ve cultivated will empower you to tackle any challenge with confidence.
5. Celebrate Small Wins: Motivation Comes from Momentum
Big goals can feel overwhelming, especially when progress is slow. Celebrating small victories reinforces consistency and builds momentum. For example:
If you’ve started writing a book, completing a single paragraph is a win.
If you’re exercising, showing up is worth celebrating, especially on tough days.
Athletes understand this well, celebrating incremental improvements like shaving a second off a race time or lifting slightly heavier weights. These small wins remind you that progress is
happening, no matter how gradual. Over time, it’s the tiny steps that accumulate into significant achievements.
How to Put Knowledge into Action
Still reading? That means you’re serious about change. Here’s how to get started:
Break your goal into the smallest step you can take today.
Set an alarm for the same time every day to start and establish consistency.
Incorporate a daily meditation practice, even if just for two minutes, to build a challenge-ready mindset.
Practice patience and accept that progress isn’t linear. Slip-ups are part of the journey.
Create milestones to celebrate along the way — weekly, monthly, or whatever intervals motivate you.
Seasons of Growth
Every year isn’t necessarily a year of tackling something new, mastering it, and being successful. Yes we all want to reap rewards, but perhaps your year is one of these seasons:
Spring: Planting the seeds for future success - and this could be multiple years.
Summer: Adjusting, reevaluating, but most importantly maintaining momentum.
Fall: Harvesting the fruits of all your labor.
Winter: Reflecting, healing, learning, and preparing for your next challenge.
Whatever season you’re in, embrace it fully. Enjoy the process, and remember: every small step you take is shaping the person you’re becoming.
As Mary Gates said, “It’s not about what you give or get, ultimately it’s about what you become.”
My latest book, My Journey Beyond the Summit, details what having an idea, creating a plan, being intentional about my training and building my mindset, and dealing with mini challenges along the way looks like. You can order a copy HERE or email me on ap@andrew365.com for an eBook if you’re outside of the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia.
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