Being confident that the goal is one that you want to achieve and that the next step really is the best thing to do to achieve it is important. Without that, you're likely going to have to run on willpower rather than coast on your own drive to reach that goal.

I also try to operate this way, with mixed results. Usually I think in this mode only when something is amiss - "hey, I'm not doing this, but I think it's the best thing to do; weird".