How do I sincerely make God my goal in everything, and not a false pretense?

For Allah the Almighty to be the Muslim's goal and the purpose of their existence, their motto in all their affairs must be His (the Almighty's) saying: "Say, 'Indeed, my prayer, my rites of sacrifice, my living and my dying are for Allah, Lord of the worlds. No partner has He. And this I have been commanded, and I am the first of the Muslims.'"

This will not be achieved except by holding oneself accountable before and after an action:

1. Accountability before the action: Stopping at the first thought and considering the following: Is the action feasible? Is performing it better than leaving it? Is the motive for it seeking the Face of Allah? Is one supported in it?

2. Accountability after the action: Holding oneself accountable for an act of obedience in which one fell short and did not perform as required. Holding oneself accountable for every action that it would have been better to leave than to perform. Holding oneself accountable for a permissible or customary matter, considering whether its aim was Allah and the Hereafter, or this worldly life.