“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll be among the stars.” “If I didn’t try to do twice as much as I could, I wouldn’t accomplish half as much as I do.”

I’ve always been inspired by these quotes, and I think they’re especially valuable as we make our New Year’s Resolutions. That is, those of us who still do. I heard on the radio the other day that only 30% of Americans still make New Year’s Resolutions, although I don’t know where that statistic came from or how it was determined. Regardless, I’m part of that 30%.

Actually, the “Shoot for the moon” advice is the opposite of what most experts tell people to do when making their New Year’s Resolutions. They suggest that rather than listing big, overwhelming goals that are hard to achieve and even harder to maintain, we should incorporate small, sustainable actions that can lead to success in achieving our goals, and in developing beneficial habits and behaviors.

I don’t disagree, but I still value the “Shoot for the moon” strategy, as long as it comes with the understanding that we’re not going for an all-or-nothing outcome. For example, if I set a New Year’s Resolution to lose five pounds, and I achieve it—great! I reached my goal. But if I shoot for the moon and aim for twenty pounds, and end up losing ten or fifteen, I haven’t, technically, fulfilled my resolution. But I’ve still accomplished more than when my goal was to lose five pounds. The same philosophy goes for anything I want to accomplish, whether it’s resolving to declutter the whole house instead of just a closet, or to read fifty books instead of just five in the coming year.

So my New Year’s Resolution for 2026 is to shoot for the moon. In whatever projects and activities I take part in during the year, I will set a goal of doing more than I think I can, and then being happy with whatever result I actually achieve.

Whatever your goals, plans, or resolutions are for the New Year, I wish you success and satisfaction. And wherever you go, I hope you’ll find yourself among the stars.

Happy New Year!

January 1, 2026
©Betty Liedtke, 2026

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