If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes.
Andrew Carnegie
As we move closer to 2025, goal setting is one of the most powerful steps you can take to create a successful and fulfilling year.
Yet, despite its impact, many entrepreneurs and business owners will start the new year without a clear plan. Stephen Covey states, “One must start with the end in mind.” Goal setting is the perfect way to do just that—envision your desired outcome and set your path to achieve it.
By committing to clear, actionable goals, you’ll set yourself up for a year full of growth, learning, and success—living life by design, not by default.
Five Steps to Goal Setting for 2025:
1. Reflect in Gratitude and Celebrate success
Before diving into your 2025 goals, take a moment to appreciate how far you’ve come. Reflection helps you get grounded in where you’re starting from. Here’s how:
- Celebrate Success: What wins did you experience in 2024? Take time to acknowledge the obstacles you overcame and the lessons learned.
- Gratitude: What are you most grateful for this past year? Often, the small steps forward lead to significant breakthroughs.
- Growth: How have you grown in 2024? What experiences pushed you to become a better version of yourself?
- Challenges: Review any setbacks you faced. What growth is necessary to move forward in 2025?
Starting with gratitude sets a positive foundation as you map out your goals for the year ahead.
2. Cast Your Vision for 2025
Now that you’ve reflected on 2024, it’s time to envision 2025. Imagine it’s the end of next year, what does your life look like? Find a quiet place, close your eyes, and let your mind explore the possibilities.
Consider these questions as you visualize:
- Who have I become?
- What have I accomplished?
- What new experiences have I had?
- Where have I travelled?
- How have I contributed to others?
- What relationships have I nurtured?
- What am I most proud of?
Let your vision feel real—tap into the emotions, sights, sounds, and even smells of your future. This vivid imagery brings your goals to life and gives you something decisive to work toward.
3. Write Down 100 Goals
With your vision in mind, it’s time to get practical. Write down 100 goals for the year.
Yes..100!
It might seem like a lot, but once you get started, the ideas will flow. I recommend writing a bold declaration for each of the following key areas. Then, write ten goals to help you fulfill your declaration in each category.
- Health and wellness
- Business or career
- Financial
- Relationships
- Spirituality
- Travel and recreation
- Personal growth
- Education and training
- Contribution
- Fun and hobbies
Writing down ten goals for each area gives you a broad spectrum to work on and ensures that you’re thinking holistically about your life and business.
4. Make Your Goals Specific and Measurable
Now that your goals are written, ensure they’re actionable. Each goal should be specific and measurable, with a deadline and a way to track progress.
For example, instead of saying, “I want to work out more,” a specific goal might be: “I will work out five mornings a week at 7:30 AM for 30 minutes.” With clear targets, you’ll know exactly what success looks like.
5. Create an Action Plan for Your Key Goals
Remember, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Your goals need an action plan to bring them to life. Start by selecting two critical goals from each area and developing a step-by-step plan to achieve them.
I like to break the year into three 90-day action plans, followed by a 30-day opportunity to evaluate my progress, course correct and set my goals for the next 90 days. This allows you to focus on a manageable timeframe and stay flexible as life evolves. From there, break each 90-day plan into monthly, weekly, and daily action steps.
With clear goals and a plan, you set yourself up to make 2025 a year of massive growth and achievement!
Remember, success comes to those who dream and map out the steps to bring those dreams to life. So, cast your vision, set your goals, and design a life that brings joy, fulfillment, and success in 2025.
Here’s to a year of inspired action!
Suzan `