I think it’s easy to go into the new year with a laundry list of goals and intentions to accomplish. In some ways, it’s extremely liberating and in other ways, it’s completely overwhelming.
Something I’ve been reflecting a lot about is how my systems are set up for success or failure. In 2024, I had a huge list of things I wanted to accomplish. From planning my wedding to traveling to starting up a side hustle, I had big goals for myself. Here are the things I’ve learned and what I think I’ll change for this upcoming 2025.
1. Time is a Construct
When we begin to create these lists of goals for ourselves at the end of each year, I think it’s important to question why we wait until this arbitrary marker of time to do so. First and foremost, the passing of each year is marked by a flip of the calendar page. Yes, we have indicators from society that the year is anew but practically speaking, not much changes from December 31st to January 1st. I say all that to highlight that you can begin to goals at any point in your life.
Yes, I am always full of optimism as the world gears up to collectively celebrate the passing of time but upon reflection, I’m probably at my worst to start new goals on January 1st. Most of the time, I’m exhausted and maybe even a little hungover. Not a great start to my New Year’s resolutions.
Also, when I meaningfully reflect on the goals I set out for myself, I’ve noticed that some are quite realistic to achieve within the year while others are goals that take people years, even lifetimes to accomplish. In this, I’ve already set myself up for failure.
So here are my ways to combat some of these traps:
a. Short Term vs. Long Term
I think it’s important to distinguish between short-term vs long-term goals. What can I accomplish within the first 3 months, 6 months, 9 months, etc. and what may take me longer than a year to accomplish? I don’t think it’s about forgetting about the long-term goals, I think it’s more so about realistically identifying them as goals that will not be accomplished by the end of the year. And if the goal will take longer than a year, what progress do you expect to make by the end of each quarter and ultimately by the end of the year.
b. Be Realistic
Every year, I find myself overwhelmed with the number of goals & intentions I set out for myself. I think I have a minimum of 15 goals I set out for myself each year. It’s wonderful that I put so many things on my list to accomplish but it’s also the thing that holds me back the most. When my attention is split in so many different directions, it’s hard to focus and make headway on my goals. This year, I will have 3 major goals. And once I complete one, I can always add another. There’s nothing wrong with shifting and adding as you go along!
2. Building Habits & Systems
I mean, let’s be honest with ourselves. Just because the clock strikes 12 on January 1st does not mean we all magically change who we are. We’re a compilation of the habits and decisions we have made the days, weeks, and years before.
For example, one of my goals this year is to run the LA Marathon. I am a runner but I know that my historical training habits are not going to magically prepare me for this 26.2 mile run. As much as I want to run this marathon, if I don’t build new systems and change my running habits, I will not be crossing that finish line.
I think it’s great to go into the New Year positive and optimistic, but your thoughts and intentions will only take you so far. Last year, one of my goals was to sleep by 10:30 pm each night. I had great intentions to do so but I was eating dinner at 9 pm and then felt the need to wind down with some tv. Although I had great hopes to accomplish this goal, my systems set me up for failure.
So here are some ways I’ll be combatting some of these traps:
a. Improve & Build Supportive Systems
I failed miserably at trying to sleep by 10:30 pm last year. It’s because I did not have a good system in place to help me achieve my goals. I made decisions that were not aligned with my ultimate goal.
This year, I have the same goal of establishing a good sleep routine. To do this, I know that I’ll have to eat dinner earlier, start winding down by 9 pm, and say no to activities that may keep me out too late on weekdays. Goals are great but they also require a level of sacrifice that I don’t think I had ever considered before.
Whatever the goal is, it’s important to reflect upon the environmental factors that may or may not help this goal come to fruition.
b. Create a Roadmap
I think it’s important to take time to break down goals into more manageable chunks. As I said before, a year is a long period of time. It’s easy to forget your overarching goals amidst the daily tasks. So, do yourself a favor and break the year down into quarters, even months if that’s helpful and break your larger goal into smaller tasks.
For example, one of my goals is to start an Airbnb business. This is a rough sketch of what accomplishing this goal may look like:
- Q1: Do research about how to start on the platform, figure out what makes a good Airbnb & how to run one, figure out the best location for an Airbnb, prepare financially to begin the venture
- Q2: Work with a local real estate agent to find a home that is suitable to run the Airbnb, find the home, close on the home
- Q3: Furnish the home, list the home on the Airbnb platform, fine-tune marketing strategy
- Q4: Continue to monitor and improve marketing strategy
This is a rough roadmap, but a roadmap nonetheless to help me break down my tasks. It provides clarity and structure so that bigger tasks do not become overwhelming. Once they become overwhelming, we tend to procrastinate or give up all together!
Also, note that this goal does not exist in a vacuum. I had to financially prepare myself the last few years in order to get to this point. A good example of a multi-year goal.
c. Indicators of Success
As we make our way through the year, it’s important to have concrete markers of success. It will let us know that we are on our way to accomplishing our goals. If we aren’t meeting these markers, then we know that we need to adjust our strategy.
For example, if you look at my roadmap above, you can see that building the roadmap naturally gives us our markers for success. If I’m not meeting these checkpoints, it’s important to reflect on why and ask how I can get back on track.
3. Is Your Goal True to You? What’s the Why?
In this day and age, it’s easy to get distracted from what truly matters to you. With anything worth pursuing, it’s important that the goal aligns with who you are and where you want to be.
Oftentimes, I have focused on the result rather than the why. Of course, we are wired to do things to see a result but if we focus on the why, we will eventually see a result.
For example, I started this blog as a means to find a side hustle. I got caught up in the mumbo jumbo about making six-figures in the first six months and approached the blog as such. Yes, I think it’s amazing for people who can make that happen but upon reflection, I don’t think it was the right headspace to enter this realm in.
At my core, I’m a writer. I’ve always been a writer and a blog is something I’ve always wanted to pursue. I started my blog back in July and I’m truly so proud of how far I’ve come. I may not have many views but I am providing myself a platform to write. In the past 6 months, I’ve been so worried about driving traffic to my page and writing in a way that may cater to the many but in 2025, I’m doing things my way. I’m hopeful that success will come with my consistency and authenticity.
So, although I began this blog intending to make money, I now see it as a form of self-expression and a way to capture my experiences. I’m hoping that what I write is helpful to somebody out in this world and hopeful that success will come as a result.
1. Be Clear with Your Intentions
It’s important to be clear with your intentions. What is the purpose of accomplishing this goal and does it align with who you are/who you are striving to be. With clear intentions, it’s easier to stick with the goal. It is meaningful and it’s something that aligns with your higher purpose.
As I mentioned earlier, my why for beginning my blog was not aligned with my greater purpose. It did not serve my creative self and it became more of a chore than something I enjoy. Yes, it something I would eventually love to see monetized but even without the monetization, is it worth pursuing?
In this case, I do. I think this blog provides me an outlet and means of documentation for my life. I’ve always wanted to leave my mark and this is a way in which I can do so. A living diary.
Final Thoughts
Remember that it’s okay not to be perfect. It’s okay to slip up and it’s okay to fall off the track. It’s all about getting back up and continuing to push forward. Honestly, the worst thing you can do is nothing at all. So, set up your game plan, give it a good go but also give yourself grace.
We’re all just trying to better bit by bit!
