When people want more out of life, they set goals. For awhile, they may hit the gym or order salad. They may wake up a half hour earlier, communicate better or stop buying unnecessary stuff. Changing habits is an integral part of achieving success.

When we have goals, it’s exciting to think about all the possibilities that achieving will bring to our lives. We think about all that can happen or how our lives will be better. At least for a brief time, we don’t mind sacrificing for our goals. We don’t mind waking up earlier, working harder or eating that kale salad instead of the midnight snack. We might even convince ourselves that kale is good raw. Mmm… kale. I bet those combination of words rarely came out of people’s mouth.

As time goes on, however, that excitement wears off and that salad becomes a stupid kale salad. That work out that you were so excited about becomes the last thing that you want to do. Everything that excites you about your goals, does not give you any more motivation at all. There is an emotional rollercoaster when it comes to motivation. Amazing people know how to work and how to be productive despite what they are feeling.

Let’s say that you are doing well on your goals. Your pants fit a little bit better. You have more energy. You have momentum. Then you are faced with the opportunity to let up. So, your friend calls you for breakfast when you were scheduled to go to the gym or you are out on a date and your date asks you if you would like to split a dessert. Then, you justify eating that yummy, moist, gooey molten chocolate cake. As you are putting that cake in your mouth the last thing you are thinking of is kale. You wake up the next morning and you regret that decision. However, a couple of days later you make another slip up. You split nachos with your coworker. Then, a couple of days after that something similar happens.

Now, instead of a goal you have a suggestion. You would like to eat healthier. You come up with lame excuses not to work on your goals. In fact, working on your goals becomes a suggestion- something that you should do instead of a goal. It becomes a wish, not a goal. It becomes something that you should do, but it is not a priority.

Every goal needs attention, and when you make achieving your goals a suggestion, you are depriving it of the stuff that it needs.