Match Your Calendar and Identity to Reach Your Goals

When your environment reflects your future identity, your habits are going to more naturally flow.

No Fear

Is one of your goals this year to overcome a fear? Fear is amplified the further we stand from it. But when we come closer, it dissipates. Action reduces fear. This year, consider creating a fear list as part of your goals.

Absorption Weekends

Is there a topic you’ve always wanted to know more about? Consider an absorption weekend to jump start your scholarship.

Four Seasons of Possibility

A year is a considerable amount of time. A year consists of four seasons of possibility and can be enough time to learn a completely new skill. If there’s a talent that you’ve always wanted for yourself, this year could be the year when you add that skill to your quiver.

Do You Need a Relationship Goal This Year?

A year of authentic intentionality can meaningfully transform the relationships in your life.

Devour a Book Flight

If you are determined to read more in the new year, I’d suggest a flight of books.

Calendar Colors to Reach Your Goals

Do you have an ambitious goal for the coming year but don’t know where to find time to make progress on it in your already full calendar? The following calendar color coding exercise may be a good place to start.

Ideas for Enjoying Social Media Without Mindlessly Wasting Time

Many of us, including me, spend more time than we like on social media. If one of your goals for the new year is to waste less time on social media, here are some ideas for how to get started.

What Are Your Low Energy Goals?

When we’re tired, many of us reach for low-energy ways to pass our time. And often, those low-energy pastimes are doomscrolling on our phones or mindlessly watching TV. If you feel there may be better ways to spend that time with a little more intentionality, then having a list of low energy activities that maybe be more in line with your goals for the year would be handy.

Planting Goals in Reality

We’ve decided to make progress on a goal this year. Great! A decision has been made. But now what? How do we take ideas of our goals from theory to reality?

Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, GoalsJason HenkelFebruary 23, 2026Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, Goals

Add Some Joy to Your Goals

Goals don’t have to be bummers. Goals often feel like they need to be difficult and activities we would prefer not to do. Objectives like exercise more, eat better, clean out the garage can feel like chores. If your goal list feels like a bunch of chores, consider infusing it with some joy.

Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, GoalsJason HenkelFebruary 16, 2026Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, Goals

Process vs. Outcome Goals

Sometimes setting ourselves up for success with our goals means changing some of our outcome goals to process goals.

Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, GoalsJason HenkelFebruary 9, 2026Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, Goals

How to Keep Our Eyes on Our Goals

Once you’ve established your goals, what is your process for keeping your eyes on them? How do you make sure you don’t set and forget them?

Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, GoalsJason HenkelFebruary 2, 2026Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, Goals

Goals of Subtraction

Many of us see goals as things we need to add to our lives – more exercise, more reading, more learning, more hobbies, more travel, more, more, more. However, sometimes the most needed goals are goals of subtraction.

Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, GoalsJason HenkelJanuary 26, 2026Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, Goals

Three Times a Week is a Habit

Readers of this blog may have noticed that I reference the Before Breakfast podcast with Laura Vanderkam quite often. Laura Vanderkam is a successful author, speaker, and podcaster who looks at time logs for successful professionals and analyzes how people actually spend their time. In a recent episode of her podcast, Laura said that, generally speaking, performing a habit three times a week is a habit in her opinion.

Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, GoalsJason HenkelJanuary 18, 2026Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, Goals

Swiss Cheese the Goal

Do you ever set goals that seem too big to start? If so, you may need to Swiss cheese the goal.

Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, GoalsJason HenkelJanuary 11, 2026Balance, Efficiency, Productivity, Time Management, Goals

Goal Setting: Would I Do This on Vacation?

On a recent episode of the Before Breakfast podcast, Laura Vanderkam was giving some tips on how to actually make your goals happen. Her first tip was to figure out if your goal is something you actually want to do.