It is December 1st, and aside from scoring some amazing Cyber Monday deals and adding far too many “Buy Now” items to our carts, we have entered that season.

Resolution Season.

The time of year when Planet Fitness commercials whisper, “Next year is your year,” and all of us nod along, thinking, Maybe I will become a gym person.

But let us be honest, most people quit almost every resolution before January is even over. Not because they are weak. Not because they do not want change.

Resolutions fail because motivation alone, especially the kind sold in 30-second ads, is not enough. Real change requires something more profound: intention, honesty, and clearing away the clutter of old habits that sabotage us before we begin.

And this year, we are doing it differently. We are flipping the script on resolutions altogether.

THE REAL DEFINITION OF RESOLUTION AND WHY IT MATTERS

A resolution is “a firm decision to do or not to do something.”

That last part matters.
Resolutions are not only about what you will do.
They are about what you will not do anymore.

Enter, The Things I Will Not Do List.
Your new secret weapon.

Before you can commit to something new, you have to name what you are done tolerating: habits, people-pleasing tendencies, excuses, procrastination loops, doomscrolling spirals, perfectionism, and that little voice that whispers, “You will fail again.”

WHAT YOU WILL NOT DO IS JUST AS POWERFUL AS WHAT YOU WILL DO

Think of it as clearing the stage before the main act comes out.

You cannot build momentum while carrying dead weight.
You cannot gain clarity if you are still entertaining chaos.
You cannot move forward when you are constantly tripping over the past.

A Things I Will Not Do list is not negative.
It is not pessimistic.
It is boundary setting disguised as empowerment.

Once that list is written, you create your Commitment List.

Not vague, dreamy resolutions.
Not “I will try to,”
Not “I want to,”

Commitments.
Precise, actionable, intended results.

WHAT WOULD JOE GOALBERG SAY ABOUT YOUR GOALS

Now, you know Joe.

He appears in your mind like a chaotic Greek chorus, pacing in a bookstore cardigan, hands clasped, inner monologue activated.

“HELLO, goals. I see you. I want you. But you are not going to get accomplished if you stay in the fantasy section. You need a plan.”

Joe would not just write a list.
He would obsess.
He would rearrange his entire schedule.
He would create color-coded systems, mood boards, and a week-by-week plan that rivals a CIA surveillance operation.

But more importantly, Joe Goalberg would tell you this:

Your goals do not fail because they are too big.

They fail because they are too vague.

Joe’s method, the healthy version, not the toxic Netflix version, is simple.

1. Get hyper specific.
Not “work out more.”
→ “Walk 30 minutes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.”

2. Remove the friction.
Not “be healthier.”
→ “Meal prep three lunches a week.”

3. Obsess in the good way.
→ Think about the result, not the fantasy.

4. Track your moves.
If you do not measure it, you will not manage it.

5. Eliminate identity shame.
You are building a system, not proving anything.

Joe Goalberg does not do hope without structure.

Before You Go…

If this spoke to you, subscribe to The Oubaitori Edit for weekly motivation, intentional living insights, and small business strategy that actually works.

And tune in on Tuesday for a powerful tip on how to create your own Resolution Blueprint for 2026.