As the end of 2025 is coming closer, it's common to see reminders about goal deadlines everywhere. While for some, these countdowns can be motivating, many successful and ambitious individuals find that this added urgency creates unnecessary stress. The reminders to "hustle" and “push hard” to finish all your projects before December 31 can often feel everything else but inspiring.

In this post, I want to share with you why reaching your goals by the end of the year may not be the most effective path to living a fulfilling life.

Why You Shouldn’t Rely on December 31 as Your Deadline for Success

It's helpful to take a moment and reflect on the year around December 31. In reality, as you consciously may know, no fundamental shift occurs at midnight on January 1. While most people think that January 1 marks a new opportunity to start something, the ability to begin working toward a meaningful goal, including your health, is, in fact, available every day of the year.

The purpose of end-of-year reflections isn't making sure you meet a specific deadline. It's about reconnecting with your values, so you can course-correct if needed and maintain consistent momentum for the coming months. Rather than focusing on the pressure of a countdown towards the end of the year, the focus should be on doing things aligned.

Take Baby Steps and Realign Your Priorities

There’s never a better moment to start something that’s important to you than the one you’re in now. Instead of allowing yourself to get caught up in last-minute pressure and outside-driven goal chasing, try these two steps:

Take the first tangible step today: If something truly matters to you, such as regular time for yourself to recharge, a specific hobby, or your overall energy levels, schedule some time in your calendar now and take the first step, no matter how small it may be. This could be as simple as scheduling in a 15-minute break in your morning work shift.
Release goals that are no longer in alignment: If there’s a goal you set at the beginning of this year, but you have successfully ignored it all year, it might be an indicator that it's not a true priority for you, or that the underlying motivation is misaligned. Maybe it was even a goal that came more from an outside expectation rather than from your heart? Consciously deciding to let it go can free up energy for things that are truly in alignment with your glow life desires.

Reframe Why Your Goals Are Important - Away From Year-End Deadlines

If the pressure of year-end deadlines leaves you feeling overwhelmed, stressed out and tired, thinking that ticking things off your list can feel accomplishing, it's a good time to reflect on your core beliefs about achievement:

Review your definition of "hard work": What does “working hard” mean to you? Is this view supportive of your long-term wellbeing? Is it in alignment with your values?
Let go of perfectionism: Remember that things are better done than perfect. Allowing yourself to make progress without requiring things to be perfect all the time can help you feel more motivated, because you’re finally moving forward past procrastination.
Build self-trust: When you set goals, but always procrastinate, it breaks your trust in yourself. You stop believing that you can actually do it. That’s why taking small steps will help you believe in yourself again is a great place to start.

Release the pressure of the clock. Remember that nothing changes on January 1.

The most effective way to reach your goals is to ensure that your goals are aligned, that you enjoy working towards them (even though not every single step may feel joyful!), you make it easy, and you trust that you can do it. It is far more important that you take the steps rather than achieve the final goal by a specific date.

If you’d like some guidance and clarity as you take the next step toward your goals as the year comes to an end, click below to learn more about how I can support you:

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