Working hard for something we do not care about is called stress, working hard for something we love is called passion.

Simon Sinek

If your goal is not relevant, you won’t be motivated to complete it. Working toward a goal that doesn’t matter to you causes stress and all animals naturally try to avoid stressors, humans are no different.

A goal must be relevant to you in order for you to succeed. Out of all of the five steps I outlined yesterday, making the goal relevant is perhaps the most important and sometimes the most difficult. We get our goals from many different sources. Sometimes, we have a goal because we think we “should” do something but it really isn’t relevant to us. How do you make sure your goal is relevant? Make sure you have a strong why behind what you’re doing. And be honest with yourself about your why, if you pretend like it’s some other reason, your own lie will catch you eventually.

Want to start a new fitness routine? Great! Why? Maybe you want to look sexy and attract a partner. Maybe you want to be able run around and catch your kids. Maybe you hate being winded after going up a flight of stairs. Whatever it is, connect with your why. It doesn’t need to be logical or laudable, it just has to matter to one person: you. Period.

I don’t like it when my clothes start feeling tight. If I let my nutrition slide, I naturally start gaining weight and eventually my pants and shirts don’t feel good on my body. That inspires me to clean up my diet. The feeling of my sleeves getting tight suddenly makes my nutrition goal *very* relevant for me.

As you pursue your goals for 2020, make sure you have clear “why” in your heart and mind. You don’t have to justify it or share it with anybody if you don’t want to; but if you want even the possibility of success, you need to have a strong “why” – something that will keep pushing you past the difficulties.