How to set achievable goals: A better alternative to New Year’s resolutions

Learning how to set achievable goals can transform your entire year. While most people rush into New Year’s resolutions for 2025, successful goal-setters take a different approach. My enhanced goal-setting framework helps you create goals you’ll actually achieve, by going beyond the traditional SMART method.

In addition, I have a downloadable 2024 Reflections and 2025 Planning worksheet which provides a structure to reflecting on the past year and in doing so, it helps set you up for a highly successful 2025.

• Why traditional New Year’s resolutions fail
• How to set achievable goals
  • 1. Achievability: Setting the right challenge level
  • 2. Precision: Making goals crystal clear
  • 3. Timing: Creating urgency and deadlines
  • 4. Why: Finding your deep motivation
  • 5. Action: Taking the first steps
• Case study: From vague resolution to achievement
• Your free Reflections and Planning worksheet

Why traditional New Year’s resolutions fail

As another year draws to a close, we often find ourselves reflecting on our achievements and planning for the future. The pressure to define our success through accomplishments can be overwhelming, especially when faced with questions about our plans for 2025.

Many of us respond by hastily creating resolutions, trying to compensate for unmet goals from the previous year.

Some resolutions that might sound familiar are:

• I’ll finally write that novel
• I’ll get my book published
• I’ll lose the weight I’ve been carrying
• I’ll run a marathon
• I’ll secure a high-paying dream job

But these resolutions often fail because they lack two crucial elements: understanding why previous attempts didn’t succeed and identifying the deep personal significance of these goals.

How to set achievable goals

While SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound) provide a useful foundation, my experience with coaching clients has revealed the need for a more refined approach that helps them set achievable goals.

My goal-setting framework focuses on five essential elements that make goals truly achievable: Achievability, Precision, Timing, Why, and Actions.

1. Achievability: Setting the right challenge level

Achievability isn’t about playing it safe – it’s about finding the sweet spot between comfort and impossible. A well-calibrated goal should stretch your capabilities while remaining within reach.

Key principle: If you always achieve your goals, they’re likely too modest. If you never reach them, they might be too ambitious. The perfect goal challenges you to grow while remaining attainable.

Example transformation:

• Instead of: I’ll write a novel this year
• Try: I’ll write 500 words three times per week, completing a first draft in 6 months

Success tip: Your achievable goal should make you slightly nervous but not paralysed with fear.

2. Precision: Making goals crystal clear

Vague aspirations like ‘write more’ or ‘get fit’ don’t give your brain a clear target. Clarifying it more precisely tells the brain exactly what it is aiming for which helps to motivate it.

Example transformations:

• Instead of: Write more
• Try: I’ll complete the first draft
• Instead of: Get fit
• Try: Be able to run for 20 minutes straight

Key insight: The more specific your goal, the easier it becomes for your brain to create an action plan.

3. Timing: Creating urgency and deadlines

A goal without a deadline is just a wish. Setting clear timeframes creates momentum and helps break down larger goals into manageable chunks. We all think of timing differently. Some of us think of timeframes with fixed dates (i.e., 10 March 2025), others with a cyclic time (i.e., end of spring)

Effective timing approaches:

• Fixed dates: By 10 March 2025
• Cyclic timing: End/start of week/month/season/year

Set some milestones: If your goal feels overwhelming, set some milestones or subgoals along the way.

4. Why: Finding your deep motivation

Your ‘why’ is the engine that powers your goal achievement. It needs to resonate deeply with your personal values and aspirations.

Examples of powerful whys:

• Health goals: To be actively involved in my grandchildren’s lives for decades to come
• Career goals: To create generational wealth and security for my family
• Personal goals: To prove that my past limitations don’t define my future
• Creative goals: To share stories that could help others feel less alone

Reflection question: Ask yourself, Will this why still matter to me in five years?

5. Action: Taking the first steps

Goals remain dreams until you take action. Start with three small, concrete steps that move you forward.

Example action sets:

For a writing goal:

1. Create a dedicated writing space by clearing your desk
2. Install and set up your chosen writing software
3. Write for 10 minutes at the same time tomorrow

For a fitness goal:

1. Schedule three 30-minute workout slots in your calendar
2. Prepare your workout clothes the night before
3. Sign up for a beginner’s fitness class

For a career goal:

1. Update your LinkedIn profile with current achievements
2. Reach out to one industry contact for coffee
3. Research three companies you’d love to work for

Action principle: Start so small that it feels almost impossible to fail.

Case study of how to set achievable goals: From vague resolution to achievement

My coaching client Sarah (pseudonym) transformed her vague resolution ‘write more’ into this achievable goal using this goal setting framework:

• Precise goal: Complete the first draft of my manuscript by 26 June 2024
• My why: To have prove that I can finish something
• First actions:
  1. Blocked time in my diary to write each week
  2. Told my partner that I was going to be writing at that time
  3. Open my document to read what I have already written

Sarah achieved her goal one month early and went on to complete her second draft by the year’s end.

Your free Reflections and Planning worksheet

You deserve to have a great year so I’ve prepared a reflection and planning worksheet so that you can set yourself up for an even better 2025. I recommend you put aside an hour or so to give it the time it (you) deserve.

The exercises in the worksheet will help you reflect on achievements; remember things that gave you joy and things and people you’re grateful for; note learnings and next steps; and plan a wonderful 2025 by making decisions based on your reflections.

Remember, setting achievable goals isn’t about limiting your dreams – it’s about creating a realistic path to achieve them. Use this framework to make 2025 the year your goals transform from wishes into accomplishments.

Ready to make 2025 your best year yet?