December 21, 2025
Success is the product of daily habits—not once-in-a-lifetime transformations.
James Clear
As we come up on a new year, I’m reminded of research on goal-setting. What are the best types of goals to set: Process (behaviors you control), performance (standards you set independent of others), or outcome (results relative to others)? It turns out that to improve performance, it’s best to set process goals.
For example, I have a goal of writing every day — rather than a goal about the quality of the writing, or how many people actually read it. Consistency is key. Showing up. Doing the work. When I was growing up, I was far from the smartest kid. My test scores were good, but not really great. I had friends who aced the SAT and ACT. But they didn’t put in the effort elsewhere, and their careers (and to some extent, lives) stalled. It turns out that being smart is not enough. You have to make effort, every day. Even when it’s hard.
Life rewards action. Action begets action. Whenever you’re stuck or down or depressed, just do something. Anything, really. Because that builds momentum, helps you understand things more clearly, and provides you a better sense of what to do next. It’s easy to miss a day here or there in the busyness of life — but you can always find a way to catch up. To keep going. To trust the process.