This January trap may already be ruining your EOY Results

Happy New Year!

We’re 17 days in, and according to a recent study by the Fisher College of Business, over 23% of people have already abandoned their New Year’s Resolutions.

By the end of the month, that statistic will jump up to 43%.

And by the end of the year, only 9% will have accomplished the goals they set out for themselves 17 days ago. 

So why do you think these measurements of success remain out of reach for so many people?  

I sat down with my clients and prospective clients and asked them to walk through their 2025 goals. 

They sound pretty typical:

• Hit $25M in revenue

• Hire 2X people

• Open a second office

• Buy a Cybertruck

In fact, most of the goals I heard actually avoid the classic resolution trap of setting vague, unmeasurable goals that are impossible to track or achieve…

The goals mentioned above ARE specific and measurable…

So, what’s the problem, Dan?

Well, after working with hundreds of entrepreneurs, I know that there’s a much bigger issue impacting even the most successful people: they’re working on the wrong things.

I always follow up with the same question:

“But why those specific goals?”

Long pause.

”Well, when I achieve that, I’ll know I’m truly successful this year.”

But is that actually the case…?

Here’s the problem: These types of goals send you running FULL SPEED… on a treadmill. 

Sure, you're doing things - but are you truly getting anywhere?

Let me share a story that I hear all too often that illustrates this perfectly:

Last month, I met with an entrepreneur who was “crushing it” by all the traditional metrics. Revenue was up 300% year-over-year. His team had grown from 5 to 25. And they’d just moved into a sleek downtown office and were poised for major expansion in 2025.

But, when I asked him how he felt about all this growth, he paused for a moment.

”Honestly, I’m exhausted. My kids asked me yesterday if I still lived at home because they haven’t really seen me in weeks. My wife and I haven’t had a non-business related conversation in months. And despite all the success on paper, I’m more stressed about money than ever.”

And this is what happens when we chase “more” without first defining “enough.”

So I start to dig deeper, and discover that they truly want:

• Dinner with their family at least 4 nights a week

• Three uninterrupted weeks of vacation where the business runs seamlessly

• A reliable $1M+ income hitting their accounts

• Work that enables them to scale their impact without burning out

None of these goals require hitting arbitrary revenue targets or mindlessly increasing headcount or square footage. The chasing of “more” is actively preventing them from achieving the goals that really matter.

Here’s the real kicker: When we help clients focus on these true goals instead of the vanity metrics, something interesting happens…

Their businesses often become MORE profitable, not less.

Why?

Because they stop wasting resources on things that don’t matter.

In fact, I’ve experienced many scenarios where successful people decided to SCALE BACK instead of push forward.

It may sound like a failure, right? Except, results commonly include:

• Doubled personal income

• Work weeks slashed in half

• Stress-related health issues disappearing

• Rediscovered joy in running a business

Now, of course, your results may vary - but if the list above is enticing to you at all…

This is what “closer” looks like in practice. It’s not about doing less - it's about doing what matters. 

So as we’re heading into 2025, think about your own goals for a moment.

Are they truly yours? Or are they borrowed from someone else’s playbook?

Are you trying to prove that you’re good enough or that you’ve “made it”?

Do they move you measurably closer to what you want, or are they padding your ego?

What would you change if you focused on “closer” instead of “more”?

That’s exactly why I wrote “The Solvable Problem®” as a follow-up to “Rigging The Game.” It’s a step-by-step guide to defining what “enough” looks like for you and how to build a business that gets you there - without the fruitless treadmill race for more.

And I don’t mean the arbitrary “road to success” everyone harps on. 

There is a way to design your success on a personal level. And turn your biggest goals into achievable outcomes - without falling into the “more is better” trap. 

If you’re still reading, I imagine a goal that is screaming in your head right now. I’d love to hear it. 

Respond to this email and let me know your goal - and I will follow up with some guidance on how to frame your actions to move CLOSER to that.

And I’ll send you a PDF version of “The Solvable Problem®”, for free.

Here’s to your success and financial certainty.

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