Why Winter Is the Worst Time to Set Big Goals (and What to Do Instead)
This week's drop in class is going to be a goal setting game changer... here's why:
Every year, January 1st arrives with the same pressure: new goals, new habits, a completely new version of yourself. It sounds motivating, but from a neuroscience perspective, it’s poorly timed.
Winter is not a season of expansion. Biologically, it never has been. Shorter days reduce exposure to natural light, which directly affects serotonin and melatonin—two neurochemicals that regulate mood, motivation, and sleep.
As light decreases, the brain shifts toward conservation. Energy lowers, focus narrows, and long-range planning becomes more cognitively expensive. Your nervous system is wired for maintenance, not reinvention.
That’s not a mindset issue. It’s physiology.
When people struggle to feel motivated in January, it’s often interpreted as laziness or lack of discipline. In reality, they’re trying to force future-focused thinking during a season designed for reflection, refinement, and rest. This mismatch is why so many goals collapse before February.
Another reason traditional goal setting fails is the way goals are framed. Most goals are outcome-based. Lose the weight. Hit the number. Launch the project. While clear outcomes seem helpful, they often activate pressure and performance anxiety. The nervous system hears urgency, not direction.
This is where adjective-based goal setting changes everything.
Instead of focusing solely on what you want to achieve, adjective-based goals focus on how you want to operate. Words like consistent, focused, sustainable, or calm orient the brain toward identity and process rather than results.
Neurologically, this matters. Adjectives reduce threat response, increase flexibility, and allow progress without the all-or-nothing thinking that derails motivation. You can have a focused day even if nothing dramatic happens, and that sense of continuity builds momentum instead of burnout.
Adjectives don’t replace goals. They shape how goals are pursued.
Execution is where most people still get stuck. Goals remain abstract, living in notebooks or notes apps without a clear path forward. Abstract goals require constant decision-making, which drains cognitive resources quickly. The brain performs better when goals are broken into small, tangible actions with defined boundaries. When tasks are clear and time is limited, focus increases and follow-through improves.
Structure isn’t restrictive. It’s freeing.
This also includes respecting how the brain functions throughout the day. Heavy cognitive work becomes harder as mental energy depletes, particularly in the afternoon. This doesn’t mean productivity stops; it means the type of work should shift. Creative tasks, editing, organizing, or administrative work align far better with the brain’s natural rhythm later in the day than complex problem-solving or strategic planning.
Goal setting isn’t about pushing harder. It’s about designing systems that work with your biology instead of against it.
This New Year’s Eve, I’m teaching a live drop-in class where I go deeper into the science behind seasonal goal setting, explain how to use adjective-based goals strategically, and walk through my full execution framework step by step.
It’s designed to help you set goals that actually hold through the year—without burnout, pressure, or unrealistic expectations.
If January has ever felt like the wrong time to start over, this class will explain why—and show you what to do instead.