What Would You Do If You Knew You Wouldn’t Fail?

A different take on New Year’s resolutions.

Every January, the same pattern repeats itself. Fresh calendar. Fresh optimism. Fresh list of resolutions. And dashed hopes and dealing with guilt by around February 13th, the day before Valentine’s Day, when you realize you haven’t done what you told your sweetheart you would be doing for her/him in the New Year.

Additionally, gym memberships spike, planners get filled, we eat healthier, and we tell ourselves, “This year will be different!” And yet, most resolutions quietly disappear by late January or February. They’re often built around what we “need” to stop doing, fix, or avoid, and they are rooted more in guilt and frustration than in a compelling picture of our preferred future.

So instead of me asking, “What are your New Year’s resolutions?” I’d like to offer a different question that you may have seen across social media or read about: What would you do if you knew you wouldn’t or couldn’t fail?

The real battle is between your head and your heart. Most traditional resolutions are head-driven:

• “I should lose 15 pounds.”
• “I really ought to network more.”
• “I need to be more organized.”

These usually come from comparison, pressure, guilt, or fear. Your head is loud and very good at pointing out what’s wrong with you. But when you ask, “What would I do if I knew I wouldn’t fail?” you invite your heart into the conversation:

• “I’d apply for that role I keep talking myself out of.”
• “I’d launch that new service line in our firm.”
• “I’d finally write, speak, or teach about what I care most about.”

The battle is rarely about knowing what to do. It’s between your heart (what you deeply desire) and your head (all the reasons it could go wrong).

Your heart says, “Go.” Your head replies, “What if you fail?” That’s where fear shows up.

FEAR: False Expectations Appearing Real

Watch this short video where I talk about an acronym for FEAR: False Expectations Appearing Real.

Most of what holds us back isn’t certain failure; it’s imagined failure, or worse, our mind dreaming and having nightmares in 3-D about how we will crash, burn, and die. Our mind runs a highlight reel of the worst-case scenarios, and we treat those projections as facts, and even worse, we keep replaying them! We say things like:

• “If I put myself out there and it doesn’t work, I’ll look foolish.”
• “If I ask for that opportunity and hear ‘no,’ it will be embarrassing.”
• “If I grow, people might expect more from me, and I’ll disappoint them.”

The “Genie Goal” Question

Take five minutes and watch this video covering a simple but powerful exercise built around that big question: “What would you do if you knew you wouldn’t fail?”

Here’s a way to turn that into a practical New Year’s tool.

Step 1: Meet Your (Imaginary) Genie

Grab a notebook. Imagine a genie shows up and says:

“For the next 12 months, I’ll guarantee success on anything you commit to—no failure possible. What will you choose?”

Write down at least 10 answers that relate to personal, spiritual, professional, relational, financial, health, or contribution to others. Let your pen outrun your inner critic.

Don’t analyze yet. Just write.

Step 2: Notice What Lights You Up

Read through your list and ask:

• Which 2-3 goals energize me the most?
• Which ones feel deeply meaningful, not just impressive?
• Which ones I’d still want even if they were hard?
• What am I prepared to give up or sacrifice to achieve this goal I claim is so important to me (this is the toughest one to answer honestly)?

You’re looking for the Genie Goals: goals that connect to who you are and whom you want to become, not just what you think you “should” be doing or “wish” you would do but are doing!

These often align with the last two letters in the SMARTER framework I teach in my goal-setting course:

• E: Enthusiastic (you’re genuinely excited)
• R: Rewarding (it will matter to you beyond just money or recognition)

If you want a little bit more help on the topic of goal setting, you can read this blog.

Step 3: Choose One Bold Topic to Focus on

Here’s where we avoid the usual resolution trap.

Instead of trying to overhaul your entire life by January 15, choose one Genie Goal as your primary focus for the next 90 days (if you watch the video, you’ll hear about how to apply this simple monthly plan to gain more value from it).

Ask yourself:

• If I could only move one area forward in the next three months, which one would have the biggest positive impact?

Circle it. That’s your focus. Once you commit to a meaningful, heart-level goal, several things change:

• You show up differently
• You remove distractions
• You’re more likely to persist
• You will feel better about yourself
• You will view yourself as a participant, not a spectator

Make It SMARTER

Once you’ve named your Genie Goal, run it through this quick coaching checklist:

• Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve?
• Measurable: How will you know you’re making progress (objectively and subjectively)?
• Attainable & Realistic: Given your current season, is this ambitious and doable with focused effort?
• Tied to a Timeframe: What’s your 90-day target supported by specific milestones?
• Enthusiastic & Rewarding: Does it genuinely excite you and feel meaningful?

A Few Questions to Take Into the New Year

As you look ahead, I’d encourage you to carve out some quiet time and reflect on these:

1. If I knew I wouldn’t fail, what would I pursue this year?
2. What false expectations are appearing real and holding me back?
3. What is one Genie Goal I’m willing to commit to for the next 90 days?
4. What are my first three moves—and who will walk with me?

New Year’s resolutions come and go. But when you align your goals with your heart, confront your fears, and take consistent, realistic action, you give yourself something far more powerful than a resolution: You give yourself a direction and purpose! And when you move in that direction, with purpose, one intentional step at a time, you may just discover that “not failing” was never the real point.

Be courageous this year. Don’t wait for certainty. Start with one meaningful goal and one next step.

If this all seems a bit daunting, find an accountability partner or hire a coach to help you take action.

Here’s to your success!