With the best intentions of the “new year, new me” motif slowly fading away in the rearview mirror, there’s no better time than right now to pause, take a quick stock check and reinvigorate yourself with some of that energy you gained from that “fresh start effect” on January 1st. 

What’s the fresh start effect?
While the name may not be familiar, it’s probably a concept we can all easily identify with. An arbitrary but well-defined time in the calendar comes around and we’re naturally imbued with a sense or urge to complete that task we’ve been putting off or become the best version of ourselves. It could be the start of a new month, a birthday, the new financial year, or most commonly, the start of the new year.  

And how’s that going?
Pursuing a fresh start usually involves some sort of goal setting. The oft-maligned New Year’s resolution is seemingly on the decline (according to Google Trends) but with today’s prevalence of “hustle culture,” goal setting is trendier than ever. There is a plethora of techniques out there that promise to radicalize the way you set goals and ultimately your ability to achieve them. Some even come with metaphysical powers that only a punchy acronym can imbue. You’ve likely stumbled across many of these – from ‘SMART’, to ‘WOOP’, ‘HARD’, ‘OKR’ and ‘value-based goals.’  

They all have their merits and pitfalls. They all work for some and not for others. But is there a gold standard – one technique to rule them all? Probably not. 

It’s one thing to have a considered approach to setting goals, it’s an entirely different thing to sustain the motivation needed to turn those goals into a reality. Sometimes we spend so much effort on the act of setting our goals that the path to achieving them becomes an afterthought. 

And while we’ve focused on the individual up until now, the same can be true for organizations. 

What can go wrong?
The reality is, not only do we need the belief and motivation in what we’re doing, we also need the opportunities to make it happen. There is an abundance of literature highlighting some of the reasons for goal setting failures. Some of the most common include: 

1. Setting too many goals – everything is a priority
We’ve all been there. It’s OKR season and eight objectives have cascaded down for the quarter before you even get to your personal ones. If everything is a priority, it’s hard to figure out what really matters. The most likely outcome? Stagnation or a feeling of failure as you fail to achieve everything you set out to achieve. 

2. Goals that are too specific or rigid – leading to unintended negative side effects and inappropriate risk taking
Some of the more popular goal-setting frameworks out there emphasize the importance of specificity. But, the flip side is a narrowing of focus and blinding people to the important issues that at first glance may feel unrelated to their goal. For example, focusing so much on meeting certain financial targets without considering how the people behind “the ask” are going to manage the pressure and workload associated with meeting it.  

It’s also important to allow your goals to be flexible to account for disruption and changes in circumstances. If goals can’t flex or be dropped in response to a changing environment, people’s risk appetite will increase as they become increasingly desperate to achieve them in increasingly difficult circumstances. 

3. Goals that don’t invoke passion
This one is obvious, but too often our incentives don’t match the goal. You’re much more likely to form an exercise habit if you’re motivated by the desire to be healthy enough to watch your children grow into adulthood than if you sign up to the gym because they have a fancy shake bar. 

When it comes to careers, people tend to get more satisfaction chasing goals and experiences that link to their purpose and internal values rather than external factors. 

The fresh start effect may be a useful catalyst for many of us, but it’s rarely sufficient to motivate us through to completion of the goal. 

 4. Goals with an inappropriate timeline
Goals that emphasize immediate performance will always result in short-term behavior that harms both the individual and eventually the organization in the long-run. This intuitively makes sense, yet it is surprising how many organizations stay rooted in this practice. If you have short-term quarterly financial targets for your business, why would you invest in long-term research and development? These are two things directly in opposition of each other. 

Short timelines can also promote a “race and rest” culture where individuals expend so much physical and emotional energy in achieving these goals in a short period of time, they won’t sustain that momentum after achieving the result and must rest. This turns targets into a ceiling rather than a floor for performance. This is of course a prime path to burnout. 

What can we do?
First, take a stock check of the goals you set at the beginning of this year? Do any of them fall into the traps outlined above? Don’t be afraid to cull them. Then, don’t forget to take some time to bathe yourself in the relief that will inevitably wash over you once you complete this cathartic act. You deserve to be rewarded for these brave decisions. 

Second, think about how you can modify the ones that are left – to be more flexible, more motivating and ultimately, more achievable. If you haven’t been to a gym in two years, are you more likely to build the habit of going to the gym once a week or three times a week?  

Sometimes broader value-based goals provide you with sufficient scope to achieve them. Is your goal to become a partner in your firm by 2030 or is it to progress in your career, continue to do work that inspires you and unlocks new opportunities? One is specific, heavily depends upon the decisions of others and may not suit your life in 2030 because of circumstances outside your control (e.g., your priority is now looking after a relative). The other provides you with agency and can manifest itself in a way that’s fit for a future circumstance that’s impossible to predict right now. 

Third, how do you keep yourself or your people motivated throughout the year? It’s one thing to nail the correct motivating factors up front, but these can wax and wane over time. How do you keep that going? Invest in yourself or your people. Personal development creates a sense of progress and continual achievement. Goals that are focused on augmenting personal development or vice versa – can be obviously achieved through personal development opportunities – help tap into that sustained motivation. This can take the form of department-wide training programs or one-to-one support like professional coaching.  

This allows an organization to assess and enhance capabilities and effectively nudge people into action. Leadership coaching is effective because of its personalized nature and ability to hold individuals accountable in a supportive, rather than punitive, manner. It is a proactive approach that encourages a dynamic and evolving mindset, emphasizing that personal and professional growth is a journey that extends beyond momentary bursts of inspiration.  

By being more judicious with the volume and how often we set goals, paying deeper consideration to negative consequences, and reframing them to be tied to personal development, we can positively change our relationship with both setting and achieving goals.