18 Years of Failing An Annual Goal

From 2006 to 2024, I set the same goal every single year. And every single year, December would roll around, and I’d have to admit—yet again—that I had totally flopped. Imagine 18 years of procrastination so perfect that my goal was now old enough to buy a pack of cigarettes and blow smoke in my face.

Okay, maybe that’s not entirely fair. There was a little progress here and there—but add it up, and it was still mostly a big nothing.

Now, before you assume this is just a tragic story of endless failure, let me stop you. Life kept moving forward in interesting ways—my career took unexpected turns, my priorities evolved, and I made plenty of meaningful commitments and accomplishments along the way. But this particular goal? It always got nudged to the back burner.

This is probably the part where I’m supposed to build suspense, make you wonder what I’ve been struggling with for nearly two decades, and force you to keep reading. But let’s be real—that’s not the interesting part. So, I’ll just tell you.

I’ve had an idea for a fiction book series since college. In 2006, I finally committed to writing it. The only problem? I had no clue how to write a book—let alone a series. But I figured I’d learn as I went. And wow, did I learn. Character development, story structure, outlining vs. pantsing, theme vs. plot, and so much more.

I’ll spare you the gory details of how each year played out (maybe in a future post), but what matters is how I finally escaped the hamster wheel of failure. I wish I could say I had some divine intervention—where a radiant light of universal wisdom beamed down upon me. In reality, the signs were always there, pointing out the obvious direction. I just wasn’t listening.

But there was a catalyst. And it came when I finally sat down for some serious self-reflection.

The Turning Point: October 2023

By October 2023, I knew another year of blank pages was inevitable. The holidays were approaching, work was hectic, and there was no magical timeslot where I’d suddenly crank out a novel.

So instead of setting myself up for another failure, I shifted my mindset. Instead of forcing an unrealistic goal, I invested time in understanding what I could actually achieve in 2024. And that changed everything.

Here’s How I Made It Work

1. Understanding My Motivation - I had to be honest: I wasn’t trying to become a full-time writer. This was—and always would be—a hobby. Hiring a ghostwriter wasn’t an option either, because this was about my own creative outlet. Time was limited, and while writing mattered to me, it wasn’t my top priority. I had to accept that I was what some might call a "vibe writer"—writing when the inspiration hit, not on some rigid schedule.


2. Shrinking the Goal - With that clarity, I realized my best move was to make the goal smaller—but still meaningful. I didn’t want it to be too easy, but I needed something that would be a make-or-break milestone. Ultimately, I committed to completing the first six chapters of my book. That meant writing just half a chapter per month—a pace that felt totally doable.


3. Clearing the Path - Even with a dramatically reduced goal, I knew my track record. There was still room to flounder. So, I created a forcing function: I slashed my 2024 annual goals down to only the most critical. Yes, new things would come up, but I wasn’t going into the year overloaded. If I wanted to make real progress, I had to stop competing with myself.

The Result?

On July 4, 2024, I finished the first draft of all six chapters—with almost half a year to spare!

For the first time, I had actually completed my writing goal.

Are the chapters any good? Honestly, I don’t even care. I put in the time, I wrote, I revised—and that alone was the win. In fact, I’ll let you be the judge—I’ll be posting them here soon.

Go easy on me, internet… 😬

What Should You Take Away From This?

If you’re struggling to move a goal forward, don’t stress. Progress often feels slow. Plans don’t always work out the way you hope. That’s normal.

But here’s the key: Some will tell you to “just keep doing what you’re doing”—and that’s only good advice if you’re actually making progress.

• If you’re moving forward, stay the course.
• If you’re stuck (or worse, going backward), it’s time for a reassessment.

Start by asking yourself why the goal matters to you, then find a way to make your first major milestone easier to achieve.

The Power of One Big Goal

I’ve come to believe there’s something powerful about focusing on one big hairy goal (BHG) per year.

This shift made all the difference for me, and it’s something I know can help others too. More on that soon.

Until then—keep moving forward. And good luck with all your goals!