FROM THE BLEACHERS-743

BY DR. JACK WELCH

Why most goals fade and the ones that don’t

This time of year, goal setting is as common as cold weather and gym memberships. New calendars, new planners, new promises. We tell ourselves this will be the year things change. We’ll get in shape. We’ll eat better. We’ll save more. We’ll be better.

Then, somewhere around mid-February, most of those goals quietly fade away. Why? Goals don’t fail due to lack of intention. They fail because they were never backed by habit, discipline, or passion. Wanting something is easy. Sustaining something is hard. Hard things require a change in lifestyle, not just a change in language.

Let’s be honest, most of us are out of shape not because we don’t know what to do, but because we’ve grown comfortable with how we live. Change only happens when discomfort outweighs comfort. There has to be a desperate shift in attitude before there’s a lasting shift in behavior. Until then, goals remain good ideas written on paper.

Scripture speaks directly to this struggle. “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). Proverbs 16:1–9 reminds us that wise planning begins with surrender. Planning isn’t the problem. Pride is. When goals are built solely around our will, they tend to collapse under pressure. When they’re rooted in God’s purpose, they gain staying power.

Athletics gives us countless examples of this truth. One of the most well-known is Michael Jordan. As a sophomore, he was cut from his high school varsity basketball team. That moment could have defined him, or defeated him. Instead, it fueled him. Jordan didn’t just want to be better. He committed to daily discipline. Early mornings. Extra reps. Relentless effort. That determination, repeated day after day, turned disappointment into greatness. His goal wasn’t a wish, it became a way of life.

Great achievements, on the field or in life, don’t happen by accident. They happen because someone decided the goal mattered enough to suffer for it. They were willing to sacrifice time.

So, as you set goals this year, ask yourself: Is this just something I want, or something I’m willing to commit to? Have I invited God into it, or am I asking Him to bless something I’ve already decided?

Thought for the Week, “A goal without discipline is a wish. A goal surrendered to God becomes a calling.” R.B. Shoemaker, former iconic Baptist Minister

Dr. Jack Welch serves as President of Fort Scott Community College. With a career spanning professional sports, public education, and rural community development, he brings a servant-leader mindset and a passion for building trust-driven cultures that empower people to thrive in the classroom, on the field, and in life. He is also the author of Foundations of Coaching: The Total Coaching Manual.