“New Year, new me!” We’ve heard it all before. We commit to resolutions and end up forgetting about them as soon as the weather heats up. This is saying something for us Californians. Nevertheless, year after year we hit the reset button on our lives. I’m calling hogwash on this trend!  We lose motivation because we are setting too many goals for ourselves.

That’s right, people. I’m giving you permission to set fewer goals for yourself. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s great to have a lot to look forward to. But how many of the items on your list are actually doable? This year, I challenge you to try two things:

Set A Single Goal. Too many goals make you hectic and less likely to succeed. Sit down and think about something you want to do. If that’s five things, narrow them down until you have one left standing. We all know you want to lose weight, have a better marriage, have better kids, be more organized, save more money, yada yada. We ALL want these things, ALWAYS. And accomplishing just one of these goals usually ends up positively affecting all of the others. For example, if you lose weight it would probably benefit your marriage, and if your marriage is better your kids usually get better, and if your kids are better then it’s easier to be more organized, and if you’re more organized then chances are you’ll save more money. See what I mean? Focus on ONE thing.

Come up with a To-Don’t List. Why not try and cut out all the junk you get down on yourself for? Instead of thinking of all of the things you want to do, what about all of the things you want to stop doing? Make a list. Whether that’s eating less sugar, pruning some toxic friendships, or cooling it on the credit card, there are definitely things you can stop doing for the betterment of your year ahead. In fact, it’s less that you have to do in the end! Win.

Whether you take my advice or not, let’s make this next year a positive one. Strive to adjust the things that you feel need attention, and as always, give yourself grace when it comes to reaching these goals. You are your worst critic, so make a solid, attainable choice to devote yourself into fully. This is your year, after all!