It’s no surprise that most people quit their New Year’s resolutions within 8 days. Eight days. That’s shockingly quick to drop what they claimed they wanted just a short while before.

If you want a real change, you’ve got to look at the one place where change begins—your mind.

Zig Ziglar put it well: “You don’t have to be great to start, but you have to start to be great.”

The catch is, you have to believe you can, and that means clearing the mental clutter and doubts that keep you stuck.

The K.I.S.S. ~ Scrub your mind!

If you want to get rid of what doesn’t work, it’s time to do some cleaning. Just like you scrub your toilet, you gotta scrub your mind. Do you really want to hold onto that yuck and muck?

Here are three things to scrub your mind clean and bulldoze a pathway to lasting change:

1. Recognize and Challenge Your Negative Thoughts

Your mind is a battleground between what you fear and what you want. Being aware of your negative thoughts and actively questioning their truth shrinks their power over you. Ask yourself, “Is this doubt based on fact—or just my fear talking?” Replace “I can’t” with, “What if I actually can?” Proverbs 23:7 reminds us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” What you repeatedly think shapes your actions and outcomes.

2. Anchor Yourself in a Higher Vision

Doubt thrives in uncertainty, but when you’re rooted in a clear, higher purpose, self-defeating thoughts lose their grip. Write down what achieving your goal means beyond just you: the impact on your family, your community, your future.

Ziglar also said, “People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing—that’s why we recommend it daily.”

Commit daily to your vision and why it matters—remind yourself every day why quitting is not an option.

3. Take Small, Consistent Action to Build Momentum

Paralysis breeds doubt. Action breeds confidence. Pick one small step each day that moves you forward. It doesn’t have to be perfect; it just has to happen.

James 1:22 advises, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”

When you back your thoughts with action, you break the cycle of doubt and prove to yourself that change is possible—and you are capable.

“A fresh year is just a number unless the thoughts that govern your mind do something new.” ~ Kristianne Wargo

Toss those doubts. Garbage the excuses. Remember: the only thing truly holding you back is that voice in your head telling you to stop before you even start.

As Zig Ziglar said, “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.”

It’s time to change your mind, and the reset will follow.

“Be present. Be incredible. Be YOU!!!“