It’s a conversation we all have with ourselves, whether we admit it or not. When the calendar turns, and January rolls around, the subject of resolutions drifts into the air. Some say they don’t believe in them. Others laugh them off. But if we’re honest, most of us strike a private deal with ourselves – some little promise about what we’ll do differently this year.
And often, those promises fall under what I call the 3 W’s – weight, workouts, and worry. We want to weigh less. We want to work out more. We want to worry less. It sounds simple. It sounds achievable. But if history teaches us anything, it’s this: our good intentions rarely survive past January 10th. By then, the chips are back in the pantry, the treadmill has laundry hanging from it, and worry has returned as a steady companion. How long do we last with resolutions? Ha…not long at all.
But I’ve always loved remembering one of my best players, a young man who taught me a great deal about goals, even if he didn’t realize it at the time. Erik Halgunseth was an All-State player for us in 1995, a tremendous competitor who went on to enjoy a strong career at the Division 2 level and later played more than ten years professionally in Mexico. He was steady, he was consistent, and he made the most of his gifts. I believe he was a sophomore in college when this story took place. He was already playing well enough to get noticed. A reporter in Austin asked him a simple question: “What’s the key to your success?”
I can still hear Erik’s voice as if it were yesterday: “Well…I set my goals low and try to achieve them. It works for me.” Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful. The confidence with which he said it, the honesty behind it, and the humor that made the line unforgettable. We’ve given Erik grief over the answer ever since, but the more I’ve reflected on it, the more I’ve realized how much wisdom he was sharing.
It was Robby Shivers, one of my former players, who first brought the quote to my attention. Robby played on our best team ever, back in 1990, and later he and Erik were teammates at Concordia University. He knew I’d get a kick out of Erik’s line, and he was right. I laughed, teased, and enjoyed it as only a coach can when one of his players gives a memorable soundbite. But after the laughter, I thought about it more seriously. I told Robby, “You know exactly what Erik meant.”
He wasn’t saying he lacked ambition. He wasn’t saying he wanted to coast through life with the bar set just an inch off the ground. What Erik meant was something entirely different: I set realistic goals. Goals that stretch me but don’t overwhelm me. Goals I can reach. And when I reach them, I build on them. And isn’t that exactly what a resolution is supposed to be?
There’s a difference between goals and resolutions. A goal is something we aim at – something out in front of us. A resolution, however, is about solving a problem. It’s about saying, “This needs to change, and I’m going to do something about it.” And most of the time, those problems look a lot like the 3 W’s: too much weight, not enough workouts, too much worry.
The mistake we make is aiming too high too fast. “I’ll lose forty pounds by spring.” “I’ll run five miles every day.” “I’ll never worry again.” That sounds inspiring on January 1st, but by January 10th, they’re gone. Erik’s wisdom was better: start small. Do what you can achieve. Then build on it.
The Bible often points us toward this principle. Jesus talked about faith the size of a mustard seed. Small beginnings can grow into great outcomes. When it comes to worry, Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God. And the peace of God…will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” That’s not about eliminating all worry at once—it’s about resolving, moment by moment, to turn our worry into prayer. When it comes to workouts, Hebrews 12:1 says, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” That doesn’t mean sprint out of the gate and flame out. It means steady, consistent effort, one lap at a time. And when it comes to weight – whether physical, emotional, or spiritual – Jesus himself said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Sometimes the heaviest things we carry aren’t pounds on our bodies, but burdens in our hearts.
So maybe Erik’s quote is the best New Year’s advice I’ve ever heard: “I set my goals low and try to achieve them. It works for me.” Translated, it means taking on something reachable, doing it faithfully, and then building from there. Walk one more block today. Skip dessert once this week. Replace one worry with one prayer. That’s how small resolutions grow into lasting change.
The 3 W’s – weight, workouts, and worry – will always be with us. But instead of tackling them with grand resolutions that collapse under their own weight, maybe the wiser way is Erik’s way. Set realistic steps. Achieve them. Then take the next one. Because sometimes the most beautiful wisdom comes not in a grand speech, but in a college sophomore’s simple answer to a reporter’s question: “Well…I set my goals low and try to achieve them. It works for me.”
And you know what? It just might work for us, too.
Happy New Year for 2026.
More from Stan Leech’s Faith & Leadership column: For the saying that turns most resolutions inside out, read We Do What We Want. For the faith that grounds any real change, read My Church.
