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Key Takeaways Traditional goal-setting often fails because it assumes we’re operating from a stable internal state and have sufficient energy, emotional regulation and focus.
Instead of setting resolutions, you should focus on strengthening your internal system through goal-achieving practices that are based on neuroscience and breathwork.
When the nervous system is regulated, clarity returns without force. People report renewed energy, sharper focus and insight when their internal load has lightened.
Did you set a 2026 New Year’s resolution? No? That’s more than fine — it might even be the better answer. There’s a reason that most goal-setting fails, and other goal-achieving systems based on neuroscience and breathwork succeed.
Every January, we ask exhausted minds to perform a miracle. We declare ambitious resolutions, promise better habits and commit to major change at the exact moment when our nervous systems are at their most depleted. After years of uncertainty, accelerated work cycles and constant cognitive load, many people aren’t failing because they lack motivation. They’re failing because they’re trying to build clarity on top of burnout.
This is why I’m offering leaders something counterintuitive at the start of the year: Don’t set a New Year’s resolution. Reset your mental system that sets the goals instead.
Related: Why Most New Year’s Resolutions Fail and What You Should Do Instead
The problem with traditional goal-setting
Traditional goal-setting assumes we’re operating from a stable internal state, that we have sufficient energy, emotional regulation and focus. Neuroscience tells a different story. When stress becomes chronic, the body stays locked in survival “fight or flight” mode, governed by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Cortisol remains elevated, attention narrows, and long-term thinking shuts down. Decision-making becomes reactive rather than strategic.
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