The Red Zebra Rule: Why focus beats overwhelm in goal setting

We all know the cliché that a high percentage of New Year’s resolutions fail within a short period of time. Building on that, many ambitious and optimistic goals set at the beginning of the year are missed or forgotten as life gets busy and immediate, urgent tasks take priority. In an effort to reduce feelings of overwhelm, those well-intentioned goals are pushed back, put on hold, and rescheduled for a “better time” that never quite arrives.

This common pattern led me to think about an experiment relating to the Red Zebra. Whilst it had a rather sad ending, we can still learn from what happened as we make our plans for 2026.

The Red Zebra Experiment

Lions, especially younger members of the pride, charge into a herd of zebras and are immediately overwhelmed. All they see is a blur of fast-moving black-and-white stripes. Focusing on any single target becomes almost impossible — there are simply too many. Just as a decision is made, a closer or slower zebra appears. Hesitation, overwhelm, and a lack of clear priorities often result in the lion walking away from a fruitless hunt.

I think you know where this is going.

Some biologists, anthropologists, zoologists — or whoever they were in this story — came up with an unfortunate idea: what would happen if one (poor) zebra were painted red and returned to the herd? Needless to say, it was a short-lived experiment: the lions’ task was made easy. One obvious target. One job done.

The Red Zebra and your career intentions

So, how does this relate to goal-setting at the beginning of the year? Well, what if you were to choose just one important goal for the early part of this year? What would that be?

It needs to be achievable within the timeframe and with the resources you currently have. It can be big or small, but it must be realistic. It should have a positive impact and be genuinely worthwhile to your broader career ambitions. Ideally, achieving it would really matter to you.

Perhaps accomplishing this one goal would create momentum — enough inspiration to help you choose the next One Thing.

So, rather than stepping into well-intentioned overwhelm, where the emotional impact of each goal is diluted, why not pick just one thing and commit fully to it?

Be clear about what it is — specifically — and, importantly, why you want to achieve it. Then go and do it. Having gained momentum and a strong sense of achievement, you can take real pleasure in deciding what the next One Thing will be.

If you are looking to make a career change this year - towards something more fulfilling or sustainable - and would benefit from an informed sounding board, let’s talk. Use this link to book a free, 15-minute career coaching call at a time that suits.