Are you a goal setter? I know the new year rolls around and suddenly everyone is talking new year resolutions and goals. I’ve never been a fan of that hype and pressure to set a goal, but I am inherently a goal setter and driven by goals, so long as they are authentic, align with my values and don’t provide undue pressure. The goodreads reading challenge I find incredibly stressful and I can’t post a challenge for myself. But writing down my authentic desires for what I want to do this year? Absolutely, I am 100% on board for that.
I once heard a speaker say that if a goal is shared, you are more likely to stick to it. I find sharing my goals deeply personal and also I think goals aren’t really something we need to compare. My goals for this stage of my life should and will be totally different from another person’s. So, in the effort to balance both perspectives, I will share the general sense of my goals.
I have three goals, one for my personal life, and two for my two professional work spaces. I write them down, making sure they are aligned to my overall vision and values, and that they are achievable. There is no point writing down something I won’t ever achieve, but they do need to hold me to account, push me, and make me step up to achieve these things. That said, they are not all about doing or achieving more. Actually, the theme of things this year is to do less, be more focused, put energy into the things that bring me joy rather than trying to do everything at once.
Balance
My word for 2025 is balance, bringing some balance back to my life rather than letting it be dominated by the constant demands and challenges at work. I’ll always give my all to what I do at work, but I also want to have time to focus on other professional goals, and ensuring I have time to recharge, be creative and restore my energy.
My Goals
My goals very much reflect that desire for balance. This includes being deliberated about looking after myself this year, putting more time into my writing, putting boundaries up around work and targeting my focus at work on good leadership and management, and supporting literacy.
Staying committed
It seems simple to write these goals, harder to stay committed to them for the year. I know I got nowhere close to even focusing on my goals for 2024 last year. Once February hit, everything went out the window and I think that is why I am so determined to write and reflect on my goals for this year. I’m going to make my goals visible to me – share them here, share them with my closest colleagues, write them in my ideas journal, identify small steps towards achieving them, and reflect each week on what I need to do or change in my routine to help me continue to work towards them. I hope by doing so, I’ll have a more focused and balanced year.
What are your goals for 2025?