You Don't Need More Goals. You Need Better Systems.

Hey there,

Let me guess what happened last January.

You set goals. Big ones. You were motivated, excited, ready to crush the year.

Then February came. Motivation faded. By March, half your goals were collecting dust. By December, you were wondering what went wrong.

Sound familiar?

Here's the truth: You don't have a goal problem. You have a systems problem.

After 15+ years of coaching people on productivity and goal achievement, I've discovered something critical:

The difference between people who hit their goals and people who don't isn't discipline. It isn't willpower. It isn't even the goals themselves.

It's the systems they put in place to make achievement inevitable.

Today, I'm sharing the three dead-simple protocols that help me (and my clients) hit goals year after year—without fighting ourselves, without forcing it, with surprising ease.

Let's dive in.

Here's a mistake I see constantly:

Someone achieves a major goal, then immediately moves to "What's next?"

They don't pause. They don't celebrate. They rob their brain of the positive reinforcement it needs.

This is backwards.

If you want your brain to help you achieve goals, you need to reward it when you do.

For every significant goal, decide in advance: What will I give myself when I achieve this?

Real example from my life:

When I finished and launched my latest book, I didn't just check it off a list. I had already decided: Complete and launch the book = incredible vacation to Madeira.

That reward:

The reward doesn't have to be expensive. It just needs to feel meaningful to YOU.

Examples:

The key: Decide the reward BEFORE you start. Make it specific. Make it something you actually want.

When I work with teams, we do this together. New contract? Team celebration. Big milestone? We properly acknowledge it.

This isn't frivolous. It's functional. You're training your brain to associate effort with positive outcomes.

Now for the part people resist: consequences.

If rewards are the carrot, consequences are the stick. And while nobody loves this, it's equally important.

Why? Without consequences, your goals are wishes. With consequences, they're commitments.

But let me be clear about what I mean:

❌ NOT harsh self-punishment

❌ NOT shame spirals

❌ NOT beating yourself up

✅ Meaningful accountability that motivates follow-through

✅ Consequences that push you back toward your goal

✅ Standards you actually care about maintaining

You only set consequences for things within your control.

Examples:

❌ "If I don't sell 1,000 books, I'll [punishment]" Why? You don't control sales.

✅ "If I don't write and publish my book, I'll [consequence]" Why? You completely control whether you write/publish.

❌ "If I don't gain 10K followers, I'll [punishment]" Why? You don't control follower growth.

✅ "If I don't publish 3x/week consistently, I'll [consequence]" Why? You control your publishing schedule.

For fitness:

For business:

For creative work:

Best practices:

I do this with accountability partners and masterminds. We set consequences together and hold each other to them.

It's not punishment. It's taking yourself seriously enough to follow through.

This is the system that changes everything.

Define 1-3 daily actions that, if completed, make the day a success—no matter what else happens.

These aren't your entire to-do list. They're the non-negotiables that move your most important goals forward.

The magic is in the simplicity. You're not doing everything. You're consistently doing the few things that matter most.

They should be:

For health:

For business:

For creative work:

For relationships:

If I do these three things, I win the day—regardless of what else happens.

Some days I do way more. Some days, these three are all I manage. Either way, I win.

Win 5 days/week = 260 wins per year Win 6 days/week = 312 wins per year

Each win builds momentum. Each win reinforces your identity. Each win makes the next win easier.

Win the day → Win the year.

Ready to do this? Here's your action plan:

Step 1: Define 3-5 major goals (10 min) Make sure these are things you control (actions/habits), not just hoped-for outcomes.

Step 2: Set rewards (15 min) For each goal: What will I give myself when I achieve this? Write it down. Make it specific. Make it exciting.

Step 3: Set consequences (15 min) For each goal: What happens if I don't follow through? Remember: Only for things you control. Make them meaningful but productive.

Step 4: Define daily wins (10 min) Choose 1-3 actions that will make major goal achievement inevitable. Within your control. Sustainable long-term. Specific and measurable.

Step 5: Track simply (5 min) Set up basic tracking (notebook works fine):

Step 6: Monthly review (ongoing) Once a month, adjust:

Total setup time: ~55 minutes

That's one hour to create a framework supporting your entire year.

Watch for these traps:

❌ Too many daily wins (start with 1-3 max)

❌ Rewards that don't actually excite you

❌ Consequences that are pure punishment

❌ Daily wins depending on external factors

❌ Not enforcing your own consequences

❌ Skipping celebration when you win

When you implement these three systems, you're doing something profound:

You're training your brain to achieve goals.

Each time you:

Over time, this creates an identity shift. You stop seeing yourself as someone who tries and fails.

You start seeing yourself as someone who sets goals and achieves them.

This isn't about perfection. You'll have days you don't win. Goals where you don't succeed on the first try.

That's okay. The system accounts for that.

The point is creating a framework that makes success more likely and failure less catastrophic.

Here's what to do right now:

Set up your three systems this week Spend one hour implementing rewards, consequences, and daily wins.

Hit reply and tell me:

Making this public increases your follow-through rate dramatically.

Review in 30 days Set a reminder right now to review and adjust your systems in one month.

I've tried countless goal-setting methods over 15+ years.

Complex planning systems. Detailed trackers. Elaborate frameworks.

These three simple protocols outperform everything else.

Because they work WITH human psychology, not against it.

Rewards train your brain to pursue goals. Consequences keep you accountable. Daily wins build unstoppable momentum.

Together, they create a system where achieving your goals becomes almost inevitable—not because you're more disciplined, but because you've built a structure that makes success the path of least resistance.

So don't just set goals for 2026.

Build the systems that will help you actually achieve them.

Hit reply and share: What's one reward you're setting for yourself this year?

I read every response, and I'm genuinely curious what you're working toward.

Talk soon,

Jo

💌 Loved this ? Share & Subscribe to the newsletter…

Follow-me on Instagram & Threads

Check out my latest videos