I’ve always been fascinated by marathon runners. Why would anyone train to run 26 miles feeling out of breath, fatigue in their legs, and maybe even muscle cramps at the finish line?

The closing weeks of 2024 are considered prime time for conceiving annual goals for 2025. However, if that’s what you’re planning to do, I caution you to avoid making a big mistake.

Featuring a transformational message to digest, and questions to personalize the message, boldness and regrets play a vital role in achieving worthwhile goals and the standout, unforgettable moments in your life.

To ignite your absolute best effort, draw upon two underestimated sources of motivation. Ask yourself: What identity will empower me to consistently deliver my absolute best effort? What are the most effective intentions to guide my moment-by-moment actions?

“What is the unique thinking that leads someone to become an Olympic athlete?” I decided to inquire into that question while I was reading 75 quotes from 2024 Olympic athletes, mostly medal winners.

We have to be okay leaving the life we are living to embrace the life we dream of living. It’s so easy to dismiss advice that seems overly optimistic or requires lots of effort. Being receptive to life-changing advice takes extreme accountability to assess risks and benefits.

Intentions are different from goals. Goals describe the desired result of a series of actions. If you’re not being intentional in your pursuit of goals, you’re just reacting to whatever thought, stimulus, or sensation grabs your attention as seconds pass by.

What is the one occasion in life where failure is impossible? Answer: An experiment. What if your life were an ongoing experiment where you knew you were safe and could not fail?

We set achievable goals to preserve our comfort by expending reasonable effort and avoiding failure. But we’re ripping ourselves off from discovering our absolute best effort which comes from pursuing unachievable goals that truly matter.