Why My New Year’s Goals Always Start in December

If you're already feeling the dread of setting New Year's resolutions, you're not alone. Most people approach January 1st with uncertainty, a mix of wishful thinking and guilt-fueled expectations that are destined to fail by March, at best. As a Project Manager, I learned to quit the "resolution game" years ago. Instead, I start my next year in December by performing a Pre-Mortem on the future.

The PM’s Secret to Success

In Project Management, a Pre-Mortem is when you imagine the project has already failed, and you work backward to identify all the reasons why. It’s a powerful tool for proactively identifying risks and building systems to prevent them.

When it comes to your goals, the Pre-Mortem is the cure for depletion. It allows you to skip the January scramble and start the year with proven deliberation. If you want 2026 to be the year your goals stick, here’s how to apply the Pre-Mortem to your personal life right now.

Step 1: Write Your Future Failure Narrative (The Pre-Mortem)

Before you plan anything, write this sentence at the top of a page:

"It's April 1st, 2026, and I have failed all my major Q1 goals. Here’s why..."

Now, write out the honest, unvarnished reasons your goals fell apart. Don't stop at "I got busy." Dig for the real truth:

• Did you fail to define your values first, leading to misaligned goals?

• Did you fail to track your small wins, leading to a loss of motivation and velocity?

• Did you fail to manage your time properly, resulting in sustained stress?

  
  

By purposefully documenting this future failure now, you identify the exact risks you need to mitigate in December.

Step 2: Build the Systems to Mitigate Those Risks

Once you have your failure narrative, the solution is simple: every reason you failed in Q1 becomes a structured action item for December.

If the Failure Reason Was...	The December Mitigation Action Is...
Undefined: My goals were too vague, and I didn't know what to prioritize.	Define your Scope. Use The Life Planner to clarify your core values and energy requirements before setting any major goals.
Exhaustion: I started strong, but I lost steam because I forgot what I'd accomplished.	Build your Brag Bank. Before the year ends, document the wins and proof of progress from 2025 so you have momentum (and confidence) going into 2026.
Unbalanced: My personal goals were always hijacked by work demands.	Set your Boundaries. Perform a "Lessons Learned" review of your 2025 schedule to identify where friction was highest and proactively block out "Flex Time" for 2026.

Step 3: Start Tracking Before the Clock Starts

The final step is to create proof of progress before the New Year. Start tracking one or two small, easy wins in December.

• If your goal is to be more present, track one hour of intentional "no phone" time a week.

• If your goal is to launch a side hustle, track the 30 minutes you spend on market research.

  
  

This eliminates the possibility of a cold start. When January 1st arrives, you're not beginning from zero, you're actually just continuing a habit you've already proven you can maintain. This tiny bit of December momentum provides all the focus you need.

Your 2026 Project Starts Now

Don’t wait for January 1st, only to feel overwhelmed. Start defining your success now! By applying PM principles to your goals, you remove the guilt and introduce the structure needed for genuine, lasting change.

Goals & Planning: Use The Life Planner to define your core values and scope your 2026 with resolve. This is the project framework for your personal goals.

Motivation & Confidence: Don’t wait for January. Start writing your 2026 wins down now with the Brag Bank. This ensures you never lose propulsion or forget your worth.