BLT #21 | Should you set goals in 2025

Before we go any further, we’ll be clear: setting great goals isn’t all bad. There is absolutely a time and a place for setting clear, actionable targets for yourself and your team. But like James Clear says in his book Atomic Habits, just because you want to win the game doesn’t mean you should spend all your time staring at the scoreboard. Instead, focusing on the rigor of practice and habit-building can set a stronger foundation that naturally increases your chances of winning over time. Let’s break it down.

WE BELIEVE:

The world is changing too fast for many goals to stick.

We know that two things are true:

• First, the world and the workplace are changing more quickly than ever.
• And second, we don’t work in a vacuum.

What does that mean? If the world is evolving every day, week and month, then a goal we set at one point in time (and the circumstances around that goal) will inevitably need to evolve, too. That’s why we like to focus on building great habits in addition to setting strong goals.

SOMETHING WE LOVE:

YOU SHOULD TRY:

Set some habits instead.

If you’ve spent some time thinking about a goal you hope to achieve in 2025, we encourage you to take it a step further and brainstorm 2-3 habits you could put in place to help get you closer to achieving that goal.

• Do you want to get a promotion? Make a habit to jot down your weekly wins at work so you can better advocate for yourself.
• Do you want to get a first draft of a book written? Commit to writing for 15 minutes every day.
• Are you hoping to start your own business, but you’re scared or intimidated? Commit a certain amount of time each week to writing down your fears and brainstorm how to mitigate them proactively.

Goals have a time and a place, but the habits we form to get us there are what really determines our success.

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