Do You Want Success This Year? Change Your Mind

Hey—your Future Self just called and wants a sit-down. You know that long, ambitious Goals List that looked so good on January 1? It may be time for some cuts.

In the January series, 4 Power Moves to Reach Your Intentions, we’re discussing how you can overcome common blocks to setting intentions. Block #1 was not knowing your Why, and Block #2 was falling for quick fixes. Block #3 is holding on to the wrong intentions.

Motivation or a sense of obligation may fuel you for a while, but those qualities won’t be enough to carry you through the rest of the year. If anything, sticking to aspirations when your heart isn’t in it makes things worse. Or, as Rip, the Lead Cowboy on Yellowstone, once warned another cowboy, “I’m going to show you how to solve a problem without it becoming a bigger problem.”

So, here’s a secret that gets lost in the rah-rah success mindset: Sometimes, changing your mind is the power move. Let’s meet someone whose ability to juggle problems almost blocked one of her greatest successes.

Are You Making the Right Investments?

Renowned make-up entrepreneur Bobbi Brown thought she was walking into an update meeting. She expected a tough conversation, but “tough” turned out to be an understatement. The news that her brand deal and personal contract were being restructured blindsided her. The products would continue, but at best, she would be a figurehead.

As Bobbi tried to get her bearings, a remarkable thought cut through the noise: I don’t have to worry about all the problems that no one was helping me fix. Suddenly, the stress of random details—from store lighting to the free duty shop in Germany—dropped away.

Bobbi was left in a void but took time out from the industry to consider her next move. As she took inventory, she realized how the friction of managing the deal affected every area of her life—from her mental health to her appearance (not a problem any beauty professional wants). She remembers, “It was really a gift in the long run because I was not happy. The last two years were really tough. But the last year was just miserable, awful.”

One thing was certain: All the lessons learned were coming with her in her next venture. Enter the Jones Road line.

Use Soft Skills to Rethink and Refine

Are you at a crossroads as you look at your Goals List? Do you relate to the case study, where you don’t want to invest in what’s in front of you, but you can’t quite articulate what’s coming next? Those insights are positive—they show you’re leaning on people skills like clarity and discernment.

Cultivating the ability to assess people and situations quickly and accurately, then taking decisive action isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a marketable skill that helps close gaps.

So, rather than feeling nervous, embrace your Spidey Sense. It’s providing priceless information that will help you stress test whether an intention is a green, yellow, or red light.

Here are practical ways to apply your internal wisdom:

1. Make it fast by taking 30 seconds to identify a few items for your cut list. And here’s the good news: Some goals may need to be broken into stages, not cut entirely.
2. Make it deep by taking 30 minutes to make a “Lessons Learned” list. Like the case study, pinpoint what you might do differently in the future. You’ll need those skills to make this year successful.
3. Make it real by unwinding or postponing what won’t work. Personalize this AI prompt: “I’ve changed my mind about participating in a work commitment. Suggest three diplomatic phrases to break the news.”

Changing course is never comfortable, but it’s figureoutable. So, do it sooner rather than later for two reasons. First, you’re preserving your precious mental, emotional, and physical capital. And second, you’re avoiding one problem turning into a bigger problem by collaborating with stakeholders and giving people ample time and ways to figure out a Plan B. Have a meeting with your Future Self and fine-tune your Goals List.