COURTESY OF RUBAN DIAZ
Diaz breaks down his top tips for realistic and achievable goal-setting.
COURTESY OF RUBAN DIAZ
Diaz breaks down his top tips for realistic and achievable goal-setting.
Let’s be honest — goal-setting sounds amazing in theory. Every January, millions of people, including me, sit down with fresh enthusiasm, ready to finally get their life together. This is it, we tell ourselves. This is the year I wake up at 5 a.m., read 52 books, get ripped, find inner peace and maybe even learn French. And for a solid week (if we're lucky), we actually do it. We power through a few early mornings, sweat through a couple of gym sessions and nod along to the Duolingo owl aggressively reminding us not to break our streak.
Then, inevitably, life happens. The motivation fizzles out. The gym membership collects dust. The French lessons fade into oblivion. By mid-February, our ambitious resolutions are tossed into the same dark abyss as our childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut or a pop star.
So, what gives? Why do our goals keep flopping harder than a bad first date? And more importantly, how do we actually make them work?
Welcome to the real guide to goal setting, where we break down the science, psychology and pure chaos behind why we fail — and how to set goals that actually stick.
Step 1: Ditch the motivation myth
Most people think the key to achieving goals is motivation. It’s not. Motivation is a flaky friend who hypes you up at 2 a.m. and then vanishes when you actually need them the next morning.
Here’s the truth: Motivation doesn’t last, but habits do.
Think about brushing your teeth. You don’t wake up every day wildly inspired to maintain optimal oral hygiene. You do it because it’s a habit. You’ve been doing it for so long that not brushing your teeth would feel weird. That’s exactly how goals should work. The trick isn’t to wait for motivation to strike — it’s to set up a system that keeps you going when motivation inevitably bails on you.
Instead of saying, I want to work out more, set a rule like I will put on my gym clothes every morning, even if I don’t feel like going. Nine times out of ten, once you’re in those gym clothes, you’ll end up going. (And if not, at least you look sporty.)
Step 2: Be more specific than a job interview question
Let’s play a quick game: Which goal sounds more achievable?
I want to get good grades this semester.
I will study for my psychology class for one hour every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the library.
If you picked the second one, congratulations! You understand that vague goals are the enemy of success. When goals are too broad, they’re easy to ignore. When they’re concrete, they feel real.
Psychologists call this the SMART goal framework.
If your goal sounds like a half-baked fortune cookie, it’s probably too vague. Get specific.
Step 3: Embrace the inevitable mess
One of the biggest reasons people quit their goals is because they mess up once and think they’ve failed forever. This is what I call the All-or-Nothing Trap.
Picture this: You’re eating super healthily for a week—salads, smoothies, the whole wellness influencer starter pack. Then one night, you stress-eat half a pizza while watching Netflix. Suddenly, you think, Well, I’ve already ruined my diet, might as well eat three more slices and start fresh next week.
Sound familiar? This is the same logic that ruins study habits, gym routines and literally every New Year’s resolution.
Here’s the fix: Accept that setbacks will happen and keep going anyway. Missing one gym day, skipping a study session or eating a cookie doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re human. Progress isn’t about being perfect—it’s about showing up more often than not.
If you fall off track, don’t wait for a “fresh start” on Monday, next month or (God forbid) next New Year’s. Just pick up where you left off. One bad day doesn’t erase all the good ones.
Step 4: Trick your brain into compliance
Your brain is annoying. It wants instant gratification, not long-term rewards. That’s why it’s easier to binge-watch TikToks than to work on an essay due next week.
But you can outsmart your brain with a few psychological hacks.
Temptation bundling: Pair something you want to do with something you need to do. For example, only listen to your favorite podcast while working out. Suddenly, the gym becomes more appealing.
The two-minute rule: If a goal feels overwhelming, start with just two minutes. Instead of “write an entire research paper,” just write one sentence. It tricks your brain into starting, and starting is half the battle.
Make it stupidly easy: Lower the barrier to entry. If you want to eat healthier, put the veggies in the front of the fridge and the junk food in the back. If you want to read more, keep a book next to your bed instead of your phone.
Little changes add up. The easier you make it, the more likely you are to stick with it.
Step 5: Get a hype squad
There’s a reason most people don’t train for marathons alone. Having a support system makes goals way more achievable.
Find a goal buddy — someone who will check in on you and hold you accountable. If you want to hit the gym, bring a friend along. If you want to study more, form a study group. The simple act of telling someone your goal makes you way more likely to follow through.
And if no one in your life is down to be your accountability partner? No worries. Apps like Habitica, Beeminder or even a basic checklist can keep you on track.
Conclusion: Small steps, big wins
At the end of the day, setting goals isn’t about waking up one day and becoming a productivity guru. It’s about small, consistent actions that add up over time.
So if you’ve been struggling with your goals, don’t blame yourself. Blame bad goal-setting strategies. And now that you’ve read this, you have no excuses.
Go forth. Set a goal. Make it specific. Make it realistic. Forgive yourself when you slip up. And most importantly — stick with it.
Because this time, you’re not just setting goals. You’re actually achieving them.
Ruben Diaz is a freshman from Miami, Fla. studying Molecular and Cellular Biology and Psychology.