Why Putting Your Goal on a Pedestal Is Sabotaging Your New Year’s Resolution
Most New Year’s resolutions sound the same every year:
“I want to lose 20 pounds.”
“I want to look better.”
“I want to get back in shape.”
And to be clear—there’s nothing wrong with those goals.
The problem isn’t the goal itself.
The problem is what we do with the goal mentally.
We put it on a pedestal.
That number on the scale, that pant size, or that imagined finish line becomes the definition of success. And if it isn’t reached fast enough—or at all—our brain labels the entire effort as a failure.
Even when:
Nutrition habits improve
Strength goes up
Energy and sleep are better
Clothes fit differently
None of that “counts” anymore because the goal wasn’t achieved exactly as planned.
This is where momentum dies—not because nothing is working, but because the wrong thing is being used to judge success.
The Problem With Outcome-Based Thinking
Outcomes are motivating, but they’re not directly controllable on a day-to-day basis.
You don’t wake up and choose weight loss.
You choose behaviors that, over time, create weight loss.
When success is tied only to the outcome, progress feels fragile. One slow week or unexpected weigh-in can override weeks of good decisions. That all-or-nothing mindset is one of the fastest ways to quit.
The Process Is the Reward—Not the Goal
Here’s the part most people miss.
The process is the reward.
Learning how to eat enough protein.
Understanding how much food your body actually needs.
Building strength.
Creating routines you can repeat even when life is chaotic.
The goal—losing 20 pounds, fitting into a certain size—is simply a point along that process, not the destination.
And here’s the question that exposes the flaw in pedestal thinking:
What happens when you reach the goal?
Does everything stop? Of course not.
You don’t stop eating.
You don’t stop training.
You don’t stop making food decisions.
So if the behaviors must continue after the goal is reached, then the behaviors—not the goal—are what actually matter.
When the goal is the only reward, people either quit early…or reach it and immediately regress because there was no process to sustain it.
What Actually Works Instead
Take the goal off the pedestal and elevate the behaviors.
Success becomes:
Hitting a protein target most days
Training consistently, not perfectly
Making better nutrition tradeoffs
Showing up even when motivation is low
When the process becomes the win, progress doesn’t depend on the scale. Weight loss, confidence, and long-term health become byproducts of a system that actually fits real life.
The Bottom Line
Goals give direction—but processes create results.
Stop worshiping the finish line.
Start rewarding the behaviors.
Because the habits that get you to the goal are the same ones that keep you there.
GIVE YOUR BODY WHAT IT NEEDS, WHEN IT NEEDS IT!
Jaime Rothermich, CSSD, LD, PPSC*KB, PPSC
Functional Elements Training & Nutrition
TRAIN FOR LIFE
(c) 314.518.4875
functionalelements@gmail.com
http://www.functionalelements.net
If you’re searching for evidence-based nutrition coaching and personal training in or around St. Louis, Missouri, these same principles form the foundation of the work we do every day at Functional Elements—helping adults build strength, lose weight sustainably, and improve long-term health. Check out our 14-day 360° to get you motivated, educated and aligned with the very best Functional Elements Training & Nutrition has to offer over a period of just 14 days.
