Goals Without Waiting: Why You Don’t Need a New Year to Start

It’s easy to think you need a new year, a perfect plan, or the right moment before you start working toward your goals. In this episode of Rollin’ With the Dolans, Patrick and Tamekia talk about why waiting to feel ready often keeps people stuck.

They share their thoughts on New Year’s resolutions, why reset moments can happen any day, and how small, achievable micro goals can lead to lasting progress. The discussion also covers accountability, why some people need it and others don’t, and how being honest with yourself can make all the difference.

From a faith-based perspective, they reflect on purpose, obedience, and why God doesn’t wait for us to feel ready before calling us to act. If you’ve struggled with quitting goals, feeling guilty for falling off track, or waiting for the “right time” to start, this conversation is for you.

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Transcript

Welcome to Rollin’ With the Dolans. I’m Patrick Dolan, and I’m Tamekia Dolan. Our podcast focuses on the joys and challenges of blending families, our interracial marriage, parenting children of multiple ages, and the journey of entrepreneurship. We share our daily life experiences with a positive but real perspective.

Today’s topic is one we’ve touched on before, but since it’s January, we wanted to focus again on goals. We’ve talked before about how we don’t really jump into New Year’s resolutions just because it’s the trend. So what are your thoughts on setting goals and how they relate to New Year’s resolutions?

We both agree that setting goals is important, but the idea of New Year’s resolutions comes from people wanting to press a restart button. Realistically, though, you can press a restart button anytime you’re ready. What helps us is breaking things down quarterly. We also press a reset button every Sunday, looking at what didn’t get done the week before and starting fresh. Sometimes you even need to press that reset button daily. You can’t keep saying you’ll wait until something happens before you start. We see that all the time.

From a biblical perspective, a lot of people say they’ll act once they feel ready, but God doesn’t wait until you’re ready. When He calls you, He’s ready. There’s always something people are waiting on. “I’ll start exercising when I lose five pounds” or “I’ll start when this happens.” There’s always another reason to delay.

New Year’s resolutions can be helpful because they remind people it’s time to do something different, but what’s tough is that many people quit early. The second Friday of the year is actually called Quitter’s Day. A lot of people stop because they feel guilty for not following through, and then they give up entirely. Instead of looking for reasons to keep going, people often find excuses to stop.

Another important point is accountability. Some people are self-motivated, and some people really need accountability partners. A lot of people assume certain personalities don’t need accountability, but that’s not always true. Accountability can look like paying for a class, having a trainer, or simply checking in with someone. It doesn’t mean you’re not motivated. It just means you know what helps you stay consistent.

When it comes to working out, sometimes even having equipment at home isn’t enough. There are always distractions. For some people, physically going somewhere makes the difference. The key is being honest with yourself about what you need and accepting that it’s okay.

When choosing an accountability partner, it helps if they’re positive and encouraging, not someone who makes you feel guilty. Ideally, they have similar goals so you can support each other, check in, and adjust together.

This ties back to the idea of micro goals. Micro goals are small, achievable goals that help you build momentum. Weekly goals work well. Bigger goals, like running a marathon, require breaking things down into smaller steps. Checking things off consistently builds confidence and progress. Instead of focusing on losing 25 pounds, start with two pounds. Small wins matter.

For this week, a micro goal might be doing one podcast, with a stretch goal of two. Or running twice and adding Pilates as a reach goal. Having a minimum goal and a reach goal helps you stay motivated without feeling defeated.

New Year’s resolutions can be helpful reminders, but you don’t have to wait for a new year to set goals. You can start anytime. Ultimately, it’s about focusing on your purpose and what God is calling you to do. Purpose matters more than timing.

Thank you for joining us today. Wherever you listen to our podcast, please like, subscribe, and follow along. Until next time, have a prosperous week.