It is 10:54 PM, December 31, 2019.

Sixteen-year-old me was at my grandparents’ house, spending the festive season there.

My parents were out of town, and it was my first New Year’s Eve without them.

The regular routine was simple: dinner, church, and attending the crossover service to welcome the new year.

But this time was different. My grandparents didn’t have the strength to take themselves, let alone little kids like my siblings and me, to church at night. So, we stayed back.

I remember being in complete darkness because there was no electricity. I didn’t know what to do with myself.

Sitting in the living room and staring at the blades of the ceiling fan, I recalled a conversation I’d had with a friend just before school closed for the year.

He had asked, “What’s your New Year’s resolution?”
“My New Year’s resolution? I have none.”
He laughed at me.
“You’re not serious with your life,” he said.

Those words echoed in my mind as I sat in complete silence. “I want to be serious with my life,” I muttered to myself.

In a rush, I sprang up, dashed into one of the rooms, and came out with a piece of paper, a pen, and a torch. I wrote down a long list of things I wanted to achieve in the new year.

It was exciting. For a moment, I felt like I had my whole life under control. But that wasn’t true.

The new year came, and I tried to work toward my goals. I was consistent for the first few weeks of January. By February, I had completely forgotten about my list.

March was worse. By July, I couldn’t even remember where I had written my goals. And by December? I barely achieved one.

My conclusion was simple: New Year’s resolutions don’t work. But before jumping to conclusions, let’s take a step back.

The Problem With Resolutions

Does this sound familiar?

As the clock strikes midnight, you get swept up in the “New Year, New Me” energy. You make grand resolutions, set ambitious goals, and feel the rush of a fresh start.

And yet, just like every high, it fades.

By February, gym memberships gather dust, journals go untouched, and big plans dissolve into frustration or apathy.

I call this the Fresh Start Syndrome.

We chase the feeling of a clean slate when, in truth, the slate was never dirty—it was just cluttered.

Resolutions promise a shortcut to clarity, but in reality, they often create more anxiety than action.

Why Resolutions Fail

The brain is a predictive engine. It takes in information, connects it with what you already know, and searches for patterns. It then filters this through your goals to decide what action to take next.

And action requires energy. This is what the brain is constantly predicting.

When you set a goal, your brain scans for information to help you achieve it. But without a clear roadmap, this flood of information becomes overwhelming.

Overwhelm leads to anxiety.

And when anxiety sets in, progress stalls.

Your Mind Craves Order

The ability to organize elements into sequences is a fundamental biological function essential for survival.

Without it, we couldn’t communicate, keep track of time, find our way, or even remember what we’re doing.

Simply put: your mind craves order.

It thrives when you provide structure, direction, and a sense of purpose.

When you replace vague ambitions with specific, actionable goals, you shift from chaos to clarity.

Think about it:

"I’ll get fit this year" is daunting. Where do you even begin?

"I’ll walk 10,000 steps every day for the next month" is specific. You know exactly what to do, and your mind knows how to measure success.

Instead of just writing vague goals, you should focus more on the steps you need to take each day.

Building Your Clarity Compass

By now, you understand that having a resolution isn’t enough. You need clarity on what steps to take to achieve your goal.

This clarity helps your brain filter through relevant information and avoid the overwhelm that leads to anxiety.

But how do you achieve this?

You need to create what I call a Clarity Compass.

Here’s how you do it...

Step 1: Define Your Motivations

The best form of motivation comes from within.

It’s the kind sparked by curiosity, fueled by passion, and directed by purpose—with the autonomy to pursue mastery.

​I discussed this in detail in a previous letter, so feel free to revisit it for deeper insight.

When you align these drivers, you start to see a picture of your Massively Transformative Purpose (MTP):

• A goal so ambitious it might take a decade (at minimum) to achieve.
• A vision so big it scares you.

Think of something you truly want out of life—whether it’s financial freedom, thriving relationships, improved health, or societal impact.

Reflect on it deeply and write it down.

Step 2: Create an Anti-Vision

Knowing what you want is essential, but equally critical is defining what you don’t want.

Ironically, this can be an even stronger motivator, pushing you to surpass your limits.

Craft a vivid picture of a scenario you never want to experience—or one you’ve been through and never want to repeat.

For example:

• Living paycheck to paycheck.
• Being unable to pursue your dreams due to lack of resources.
• Failing to maintain meaningful relationships.

Whatever it is, write it down.

Step 3: Break Your Goals Down

You now have your big goal. The next question is: What do you do next?

Here’s the truth: a goal without a roadmap is just a wish. You need to translate your big vision into actionable steps that guide what you’ll do in the next month, week, and even hour.

Here’s an example:

• 10-Year Vision: Build a SaaS company generating $50M–$100M ARR.
• 1-Year Goal: Generate enough income to fund this dream.
• 3-Month Objective: Land the first paying client for my existing business.
• 1-Month Task: Study books on sales, persuasion, and negotiation.
• Today’s Action: Identify and follow successful mentors in B2B sales.

Use this framework to break your own goals into smaller, actionable steps..

Step 4: Track Daily

If you’ve broken your goals down properly, you now have a clear roadmap of daily actions that align with your long-term vision.

Your job is to stay consistent by tracking these actions daily.

This is where the Clarity Compass comes in—it simplifies tracking so you stay on course.

Step 5: Create a Feedback Loop

The only way to grow is through feedback.

At the end of each week, take time to reflect:

• What worked?
• What didn’t work?

Be honest with yourself. Use the answers to refine your strategy for the coming week.

Growth is simply the process of refining what doesn’t work until it eventually does—on autopilot.t refinement of the things that don't work up until they do on autopilot.

​

I’ve put together a guide to help you implement these steps.

If you’re tired of navigating life without direction or clarity, this is for you. And yes, it’s FREE.

​Click here to access the Clarity Compass.​

That’s all for today. Wishing you clarity, direction, and a purposeful weekend.

~ Tolu