Most people don’t fail because they lack goals.
They fail because they negotiate with themselves.

We set a goal with good intentions. We feel motivated. We imagine a better version of ourselves. And then—when things get uncomfortable—we start bending the rules. Just today. Just this once. I’ll make it up tomorrow.

That’s where progress quietly disappears.

Step One: Have a Clear Goal

Vague goals invite excuses. Clear goals demand action.

“Get better” is negotiable.
“Train four days a week” is not.

Your goal should be specific enough that you know exactly when you’re honoring it—and when you’re not.

Step Two: Make a Contract With Yourself

Once the goal is clear, treat it seriously. Write it down. Be direct. Be honest.

This is your agreement:

• What you will do
• How often you will do it
• For how long you’re committing

Then sign it.

Not symbolically. Actually sign it.

This turns your goal from an idea into a promise.

Step Three: Don’t Self-Negotiate

The moment you start negotiating with yourself, you lose.

Self-negotiation sounds reasonable:

• “I’m tired today.”
• “I deserve a break.”
• “I’ll start again next week.”

But discipline isn’t about how you feel in the moment. It’s about honoring the agreement you made when you were clear-headed and committed.

If you allow yourself to renegotiate every time it gets uncomfortable, the contract means nothing.

Step Four: Stick to the Agreement, Not the Mood

Motivation comes and goes. Moods change daily. Your contract doesn’t.

On hard days, you don’t ask, Do I feel like it?
You ask, What did I agree to?

That shift removes emotion from the decision and replaces it with integrity.

The Bottom Line

Goals don’t change lives. Commitment does.

Make the goal.
Write the contract.
Sign it.
And stop negotiating with yourself.

The person you want to become is built by the promises you keep—especially the ones no one else sees.