Are You Set With Your Goals For The New Year? Build a Blueprint for Your Best Year Yet

December is the perfect time to look ahead. As the saying goes, a goal without a plan is just a wish. Thoughtful planning turns your ambitions into actionable steps, helping you build momentum before the new year even begins. Studies, such as those by Dr. Gail Matthews at Dominican University, show that people who set clear goals and plans are 42 percent more likely to achieve them. Why not give yourself that advantage?

Effective planning begins with clarity. It is one thing to take time and assess where you are. It is another to then take action from the reflection you have completed. What do you want to accomplish by the end of next year? More importantly, how do you want to feel along the journey? Taking time now to envision the year ahead helps align your actions with your priorities, ensuring you invest your energy where it matters most.

This Is Not a Calendar Drill

This isn’t about filling your calendar with tasks or chasing someone else’s idea of success. It is about crafting a vision that reflects your values and inspires you to show up as your best self every day. Planning isn’t just practical. It is empowering.

To build the year you want, you must start by asking the right questions. What is my vision for the year ahead? Imagine completing the annual review process a year from now. What will you be reflecting on? Build the vision for what that looks like now. Who do I want to spend more time with in the upcoming year? Are there barriers or people in your life that are holding you back? Finally, are there words that define what you want the new year to feel like? Some people stick to a single word to really align to for their year, such as "intentional."

Go Beyond SMART Goals

We have all heard of SMART goals. However, I believe we need to go further to ensure we are selecting the right goals for our specific situation. Before you finalize your goals, use the PRE goal planning stage:

P is for Purpose: Why do you want to achieve this goal right now? Clearly defining the why behind the goal ensures it is a good fit for the timing.

R is for Relevant: Is this the right time to take this goal on? We all have limited time and resources, so if it is not relevant to something else you are doing, it might not make sense to invest time in doing it.

E is for Exciting: If you feel like you have to go through the motions of achieving a goal, you are less likely to achieve it to its full potential.

Once you have established your SMART goals, you need to make them SMARTER. This adds two critical steps to the end of the process: Evaluate and React.

Evaluate your progress on the goal you have set. Where are you making a difference and seeing success? Then react to the evaluation you have performed. Goals should set people in motion, and so should evaluation.

Goals Versus Expectations

As you build your plan, it is vital to distinguish between goals and expectations. They are not the same thing. Think of it as the difference between your floor and your ceiling.

Expectations are the Floor. They should be clear, concise, and precise. This is the minimum standard of what must be done to maintain your current status. Goals are the Ceiling. These take on a more aspirational connotation.

Why would a goal only be aspirational? That suggests that you will not achieve them. Goals should be aspirational in the sense that you want to aspire to a higher level, but it also means taking concrete steps to achieve that new level. Blending the consistency of meeting expectations with the ambition of goals is a recipe to move from average to excellent.

The Art of Pruning: The "Not-To-Do" List

Before we discuss how to execute these goals, we must address capacity. You cannot simply add more goals to an already overflowing plate without removing something first. This is where "Pruning" comes in.

Just as a gardener must prune dead or overgrown branches to allow a tree to blossom, you must prune activities that no longer serve you. What are you currently doing that consumes time but adds little value? What obligations are you holding onto out of guilt rather than necessity?

Create a "Not-To-Do" List. Explicitly writing down what you will stop doing creates the mental and physical space required to tackle your new, ambitious goals.

The SPRINT Method

At the beginning of a year, we all have a mindset that we have the full year to achieve those goals. We feel time is on our side until it isn't, and we realize the year is almost over. There is a better way. Using SPRINTs will break your goals into smaller, actionable bites.

We are going to use 13-week windows for our goal journey. The breakout is 12 weeks of goal actions and one week of reflection, relaxing, and restarting.

This creates a sense of urgency that keeps us fully engaged in what we need to accomplish NOW. That 13th week is for you. We tend to build things that just keep going, one right after the other. The reality is, everyone needs a little space for decompression. If you keep going, going, going, you will burnout and eventually your successes will diminish.

Planning is the Key

Weekly planning ensures that you are proactively setting your priorities rather than reacting to whatever comes your way. Your weekly planning session should be scheduled and prepared for just like any other priority task.

Weekly planning gives you a roadmap, but daily planning is how you make consistent progress. Daily planning isn’t about filling every moment with tasks. It is about creating structure and clarity so you can take meaningful action. Review the priorities you have on your calendar and assess what, if anything, was left over from today. Plan out the key priorities for the next day based on your schedule. Identify what you will get done first, second, and third.

Consistency and Persistence

There is a formula that can ensure that you reach the goals you establish: Consistency + Persistence x Situational Urgency = The Desired Outcome.

Consistency means doing something repeatedly. It is about building habits and cycles. Persistence is pushing through when obstacles arise.

Think of a pot of water on the stove. Consistently applying heat raises the temperature slowly and steadily. At 211 degrees, water is just very hot. It is not doing much. But if you apply that heat for just a moment longer and push it one degree further to 212 degrees, the entire situation changes.

At 212 degrees, the water boils. With boiling water comes steam. And with steam, you can power a locomotive. The idea of one more degree—pushing through the last hurdle and staying consistent in your approach—can produce magnificent, powerful results.

Anticipate Obstacles

By mid-February, nearly 90 percent of people who set resolutions at the new year have given up on trying to achieve them. The second Friday in January is even known as "Quitters Day." Most people don’t fall down on their goals due to a lack of willpower; it is the structure behind the goals that fails them.

An Ideal Week is a powerful tool to structure your time and keep you on track. However, it’s important to recognize that no week will go exactly as planned. Disruptions will happen. Anticipating these obstacles and having a plan for handling them will keep you from getting completely derailed. Have a Plan B in place. A backup plan ensures that when obstacles arise, you can shift your schedule rather than abandoning it altogether.

Write It Down

A 2023 Gallup study found that 70% of people have intentions of setting goals, yet only 30% of that group would take intentional steps to achieve them. Being intentional is always the first step in achievement, and writing down your goals is an excellent first step in intentionality. People with written goals are 50 percent more likely to achieve success than people without goals.

You should be crystal clear on what you want to accomplish by reading your goal statement. Writing your goals down initiates that process. Having written goals gives you something to see and touch every day. Keep your goals someplace you see or check often. Seeing your goals regularly reminds you what you are working to accomplish.

Start Now

Planning ahead will make a difference. It allows you to realize your best self and accomplish big things in the next year. The world's most successful people agree that what you get by achieving your goal is not as important as what you become in the process.

Don’t get lost in looking only at the outcomes. Spend time on the steps and processes that will get you there. With clear written goals that you can see every day, you are well ahead of the curve. So, write those goals down and stand out. Design the year you want starting today.

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