How You Should Set Goals To Start A New Year
The structure I use when it comes to setting goals
Hey there everyone,
I know I haven’t sent out an update in a while. Been very busy with a lot of things but also I use this Substack to only share thoughts when warranted. This is one of them.
Every year, I think we can all attest to some degree that we set goals for ourselves as an annual ritual to ring in the new year.
“I want to lose 10lbs.”
“I want to run a marathon.”
“I want to get a raise.”
“I want to…..” and the list goes on and on.
But what I’ve learned about goals, aside from quitting too early on, is that everyone usually only sets up one arbitrary “goal” and that’s it.
“I want to lose 10lbs” and then nothing after that.
What I use now is something that I got from Bill Girdley when it comes to assigning goals. They need to be
a) Measurable but also,
b) There needs to be more than one. Three to be exact.
This is how it works. The first goal is to set the initial benchmark that you’re trying to achieve. This should be your north star. Something that isn’t so easily obtainable but also isn’t unrealistic.
For instance, going into this year, I wanted to grow
to 2,000 subscribers.Given that I started at 1,269, a 57% y/y increase was definitely a modest goal to achieve.
But here’s the next part. What happens if you reach that goal? What’s the next stage? No one ever talks about that.
That’s when you have to great your second “goal” or “benchmark.”
It’s supposed to be something that is achievable but also requires you to put in a little more work to get there.
For me, it was to get to 2,500 subscribers by the end of the year.
A modest lift but still a lot based on the starting point.
Then comes the third goal. The, “shoot for the moon” goal in case you hit both the primary and secondary goals.
It needs to be a far out one. A, no way this would happen unless quite literally stars aligned.
For me, it was to achieve 5,000 subscribers. I definitely didn’t hit that but it’s not really supposed to be reached. It’s supposed to act as a third goal post in the event we met the first two and still needed something to “work towards.”
So to recap. I said for 2024, I want to reach 2,000 subscribers as my first (primary) goal. 2,500 as my secondary goal. And then 5,000 for my “shoot for the moon” goal.
As you think about your goals for 2025, I hope that you leverage the 3 goal structure that I use now. You can use it for literally anything that’s measurable, and that’s why it’s so great when it comes to New Year’s goals.
Losing weight.
Making money.
Growing a newsletter.
Hell, how many girl scout cookies you can help your daughter sell.
All something that’s measurable.
I hope this helps you with your 2025 goal planning and that the new year brings you everything you’ve been working hard for.
Here’s to a bright 2025. Let’s get it. 💪🏼
Best,
Paul