By now, the new year’s goals and January energy are starting to wear off.
The calendar is full again, and it feels like you’ve been working for a couple of months. The inbox is overflowing. The “real world” has returned.
If you’re feeling your Genie Goal slipping to the margins, you’re not alone.
This is where a powerful and sobering truth kicks in:
We don’t learn the most when things are easy. We learn the most and grow when we feel the dip and respond with energy and determination.
1. Welcome the Dip: It’s Part of the S-Curve
In my leadership and growth work, I often use the S-Curvemodel:
- Launch: Excitement, energy, fresh start.
- Dip: Reality, resistance, setbacks, self-doubt.
- Lift: Skills improve, habits stick, progress becomes visible, and you push over the edge and begin the next upward S.
If you’re in the dip with your Genie Goal, it doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re in the place where growth through learning usually happens.
Ask yourself:
- “What is this dip trying to teach me?”
- “Is this a sign to quit, or a signal to adjust?”
- “Am I feeling sorry for myself, and is it time to put on my big boy/girl pants and get on with it?”
2. Revisit FEAR: False Expectations Appearing Real
In my short video on FEAR (False Expectations Appearing Real), I talk about how our minds create high-definition worst-case scenarios and then treat them as facts.
With your Genie Goal, fear might sound like:
- “Who am I to pursue this?”
- “If I slow down other work to do this, I’ll disappoint people.”
- “If I try and it doesn’t work, everyone will see I’m not as capable as they think.” (The imposter syndrome attitude.)
Try this simple Growth Through Learning exercise:
i. Write down the fear sentence you’re telling yourself.
ii. Underneath, write:
- “Is this a fact or a forecast?”
- “What else could be true?”
iii. Replace the fear sentence with a grounded, honest statement, for example:
- “This will be challenging, but I can learn as I go.”
- “Some people may not understand right away, and that’s okay.”
- “The only guaranteed failure is not trying.”
“Courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s choosing a more honest story than the one fear is telling you.”
3. Redefine What “Winning” Looks Like This Month
Sometimes our Genie Goal feels heavy because our definition of success is unrealistic.
Instead of “I must create the perfect result,” try something like:
“This month, winning means:
- 4 focused work sessions on my Genie Goal
- 2 conversations that move it forward
- 1 small ‘public’ step that signals commitment, e.g., sharing it with someone, booking a meeting date, submitting an application for a new job.”
This keeps you moving without demanding perfection.
Reflection Questions for This Week
- Where am I on the S-Curve with my Genie Goal — launch, dip, or lift?
- What fear sentence has been the loudest lately? What’s a more honest story?
- What does a winnable February look like for my Genie Goal?
If you’re feeling discouraged, please hear this: You haven’t blown it. You’re growing through learning. And learning is exactly what Genie Goals are designed to do.
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