Goal Setting vs Commitment: Why Your Brain Needs More Than a Goal

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This Week’s Brain-Backed Insight: Have you ever set a goal that felt exciting at the time, only to find that weeks (or months) later, not much has changed?

You might even be experiencing it right now. We are halfway through the year. Maybe you started strong in January… and then life happened. You got busy. Distracted. Overwhelmed. You blinked, and somehow, it’s June.

So let me ask you honestly:
Have you hit your goals yet?

If not, it is not too late.
Though it may be time to stop setting goals… and start making commitments.

✦ The Truth About Goals

The brain treats a goal like a target; something you either hit or miss. There’s very little nuance. Hit = success. Miss = failure. And when something feels far off or uncertain, our brain can shut down. We procrastinate. Rationalise. Distract ourselves.

Goals can feel fragile. Conditional. Optional.

✦ The Power of Commitment

Commitment is different. When you make a real, embodied decision that “this is happening,” your brain reorganises around it. It stops entertaining alternatives, it stops negotiating, and it starts filtering everything through the lens of: What will move me closer to this outcome?

That’s when things start to feel clear. Purposeful. Quiet. In the best way.

I’ve felt that shift myself. When I finally committed to that personal goal, really committed, I stopped overthinking it. I stopped resisting the work. The action became natural. And it wasn’t because it suddenly got easier. It was because my identity had caught up.

✦ How Commitment Primes the Brain

Here’s what’s happening under the surface:

🧠 Your brain starts filtering for what matters, discarding what doesn’t
🧠 You reduce decision fatigue by focusing only on the next best step
🧠 You activate curiosity, motivation and learning circuits that drive consistent action

It’s not magic. It’s neuroscience.

✦ Visualise the Process, Not Just the Prize

Most people visualise the end result. And that gives your brain a dopamine hit, which can be motivating and misleading. If your brain thinks you’ve already “arrived,” it’s less likely to take action.

What works better?

Visualise the journey.
If your goal is a healthier body, visualise the gym sessions, the meals, the energy.
If your goal is business growth, visualise the calls, the pitches, the showing up.

Train your brain to expect the process, not just the prize.

✦ Help Your Brain Help You

This is how I support my brain when I’m moving towards something big:

No distractions: My phone’s been on silent for nearly 20 years. I get zero notifications (except banking).
Daily movement: Exercise increases BDNF. Think of it as brain fertiliser.
Smart supplementation: I support my focus and mental clarity with high-quality nootropics and adaptogens. One of my favourites is ashwagandha, which is powerful for nervous system regulation.
Protein + hydration: The brain runs on amino acids and water. Never underestimate the basics.

✦ Don’t Measure How Far You Have to Go

Instead, measure how far you’ve come.

Every time you acknowledge a small win, “I made progress today”, your brain rewards you with the very chemicals that keep motivation high.

Most high achievers skip this step. Don’t! It matters more than you think.

✦ TL;DR: Goal Setting vs Commitment

Goals are optional. Commitment is identity.

When you set a goal, your brain sees a target you might hit (or miss). When you make a commitment, your brain reorganises to help you create it.

The noise drops. The distractions fade. The next best step becomes obvious.

So skip the pressure of perfect planning and instead, decide.
Then move.

Because when you truly commit, momentum is no longer something you chase, it becomes who you are.

🎯 Ready to Commit? Join the Freedom Collective.

If your 2025 goals still feel out of reach, do not write off the year.
The next Freedom Sprint starts on 1 July, and it is designed to help you focus, take consistent action, and move into that clear, committed energy.

Inside The Freedom Collective, you will get:

✅ Weekly group coaching
✅ Business strategy rooted in neuroscience
✅ A like-minded, purpose-driven community
✅ Tools to shift out of overwhelm and into traction

You will not just set goals. You will build momentum. And by the end of the next 90 days, you will have real wins to show for it.

🔗 Learn more & join us here