Quitter’s Day Is a Trap: Here’s What Leaders Do Instead

By January 19, 80% of people have already given up on their New Year’s resolutions. But most high performers aren’t watching the dates…. They’re doing this instead.

I think “Quitters Day” is a psyop.

Call me a conspiracy theorist, but I believe they coined January 19th “Quitters Day” to make the majority of Americans feel inadequate when it comes to reaching their goals.

“If I’ve fallen off already, I must be a failure. Why bother trying?”

When in reality, 19 days isn’t even enough time to give yourself a shot.

I love the New Year because it feels like a refresh button.

·       A new opportunity to chase big goals.

·       A perfect time to set new standards.

·       An excellent moment to start again.

But if you miss January 1 and decide to start Monday, does it make all that much difference?

If Monday comes and you forgot your workout bag at the house, are you a complete loser?

If you find yourself on January 14th and still haven’t even written down your 2026 goals…

·       You’re not a failure.

·       You’re not a “Quitter.”

·       And you’re definitely not alone.

The problem is that most people have developed so much momentum going in one direction that changing directions requires a significant amount of time and energy.

·       You’re shifting paradigms

·       Altering behaviors

·       And expecting results

All to happen on the first day of the year.

And deep down, we all know… That ain’t how life works.

For some of the changes we want to make this year…

We should have gotten started last October, not January 1.

My point here is: Don’t define your potential to a day in the calendar.

Not January first.

And definitely not “Quitters Day.” 

Leaders and High Performers don’t win because they start on a certain day.

They win because they NEVER STOP.

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to meet with a group of Texas A&M — Texarkana EagleLEAD students, where we spent the entire afternoon setting goals, gaining clarity, and sharpening our leadership skills.

These students gained the edge that most people never get to experience…

Even 11 days after the New Year, they didn’t allow culture to question the fact that they hadn’t gotten started on their New Year goals and strike fear in their hearts, labeling them a "Quitter."

They understood culture doesn’t define, → Their leadership ability does.

And the same applies to you...

With that being said, we still understand that there’s a lot we want to accomplish in 2026, and if we are going to make it happen, then we had better get started, and we'd better act quickly.

In my latest book, Fit For Success, I share an entertaining story about my early adventures at the gym accompanied by my trainer, or “Gym Bro,” Blake.

Blake was a stereotypical bro who was always at the gym, always high-energy, and always focused on “those gains, baby.”

But I love Blake.

·       He got me acclimated to the gym.

·       He introduced me to the other members.

·       He would even work out with me sometimes.

One day, Blake and I found ourselves at the squat rack, working through sets of barbell squats.

He completed his set, slammed the weight back on the rack, and grabbed his gym bag as he sat on a nearby bench.

He reached into his bag and pulled out a small black book.

He took the pen that was clipped to the front, opened to a specific page, and began writing something down.

“What’s that?” I asked.

“Training logs.” He said plainly. “If you don’t write it down, did progress even happen?” 

He tossed the book my way. And when I opened it, my life was changed forever…

There were pages and pages of notes, workouts, nutrition logs.

Everything was documented. His exercises. His energy level. His entire workout plan for the whole year ahead.

·       Deloads

·       Max-outs

·       Rest days

·       EVERYTHING.

“When you set your goals,” he started as he pulled the weight off the rack for another round of squats, “you have to have a solid plan that reverse engineers it back to where you are today. ‘A goal without a plan is just a dream,’’ right?”

That moment made me realize just how much of my life I had been ‘winging it.’

The truth is: Success isn’t achievable on vibes alone.

You need to have a plan… And that's why goal setting is imperative.

Since that day, I’ve been passionate about goal setting. From the big vision to the daily to-do list. The dream becomes so much more real when you can tangibly see the path on paper.

Over the years, I’ve developed my own unique framework for goal setting.

One that blends various methods and modalities to help me better grasp: not only what I have to DO to achieve the goal but whom I have to BECOME.

And I’m going to share that method with you right now…

Step 1: List Your Goals

Take out a sheet of paper, set a 5 minute timer, and write down everything you want to achieve this year. Make the list as big and comprehensive as you want.

Think BIG 

Dream BIG 

And don’t limit your ideas to your circumstances.

If you start to feel that “ehh, I don’t think I can..”

YOU HAD BETTER WRITE THAT GOAL DOWN.

Step 2: Define Top Goals

Now, looking at your list, decide on 1-3 of your top priority goals.

These are the ones that, if achieved, would make the most significant impact on your life.

Aim to choose one from each of these areas:

·       Health

·       Career

·       Financial

·       Relational

·       Social

Step 3: Shift the Timeline

We are now going to take these goals and shift them from: 2026 goals → Q1 goals

Write the deadline: April 1st. Why?

Because having the entire year to reach certain goals creates no urgency. Having an upcoming deadline generates pressure to begin moving NOW.

Step 4: Develop your Momentum

Most people look for motivation at the beginning of the year. High performers tap into MOMENTUM. And Momentum beats Motivation every time. 

Here’s the definition:

Small actions, done consistently, in the same direction.

You need 3 things to develop momentum:

1.     One daily aligned action to your top goals

2.     One weekly standard you refuse to compromise on

3.     One designated person to hold you accountable

Goal: Lose 15 lbs by April 1

Daily action: 30-minute walk after lunch

Weekly standard: 3 lifts/week, no exceptions

Accountability: text a coach every Friday with a check-in

Step 5: Lock In

Being a high performer is not about doing more than anyone else… It’s focusing on what you can manage best, doubling down on that, and cutting/delegating the rest.

There’s a sweet spot that leaders aim to hit between their goals being challenging and finding the right level of motivation.

If goals, actions, and standards are not challenging enoughn → there’s no motivation to change.

If they become too challenging → motivation wanes, and we fall off.

Your goal is not to take on more this year.

It’s to find what you can manage and double down on it.

To wrap this all up, here’s the statement you need to take with you today:

“I have achieved (GOAL) by (DATE), by doing (ACTION 1), (ACTION 2), and (ACTION 3).”

Here’s the real difference between average and elite:

Average waits for motivation. → Elite schedules the next rep.

Average is locked to a calendar date. → Elite get to work regardless of the day.

 Average write resolutions, wishes, and dreams. → Elite write goals, standards, and plans.

Before you close this, do one thing:

Write your top goal. Pick one daily action. Put it on tomorrow’s calendar.

What are you going to accomplish in 2026?

Let’s Make Moves,

-Chase

PS – if you are looking to bring in someone to discuss beginning of year goal setting, leadership development, or wellness strategies for performance for your students/ team/organization, reach out and let’s talk about how we can make big moves in Q1.

Book a call here!