Tips for Setting Realistic Goals After the Holidays

We are reaching the end of January. The "New Year, New Me" adrenaline is wearing off. The emails are piling up, the meetings are back in full swing, and for many introverted leaders, that quiet desire for a fresh start has already been buried under noise and urgency. If you feel like you’ve already fallen off the wagon, let me offer you a different perspective: 💡 A fresh start isn't a date on the calendar. It is a decision. You haven't "missed the window" just because it’s no longer January 1st. In fact, now that the holiday hype has settled, this is the best time to plan with clarity rather than frantic energy. Here are 6 questions to ask yourself right now to design the rest of your year intentionally: 🔹 1. The Vision Fast-forward to December. Imagine you have had your best career year yet. How does it feel? Don't just list titles or salary hikes. Do you feel "Quiet Authority"? "Strategically Aligned"? Focus on the feeling, and let that guide your decisions. 🔹 2. The Pillars One of the biggest mistakes we make is trying to change everything at once. Pick just four "pillars" for the year (e.g., Team Autonomy, Visibility, Health, Deep Work). If a new demand doesn't fit a pillar, it’s a "no." 🔹 3. Honor the Friction Look at your history with compassion. What usually trips you up by February? Is it Zoom fatigue? Imposter syndrome? Identify the obstacle now so you can plan for it, rather than pretending it won't happen. 🔹 4. Evidence of Capability Your brain loves to remind you of your failures. Counter that. Write down the evidence from last year that proves you can navigate hard things. This is your "resume of resilience." 🔹 5. Faithful Steps Grand visions are intimidating. What are three small, faithful steps you can take in February? Small motion creates momentum. 🔹 6. The Anchor Pick one word for the year. When the corporate world gets chaotic (and it will), this word is your mental anchor to bring you back to center. Finally, practice grace over perfection. Success isn't about hitting your goals 100% of the time. It's about the commitment to return to them when life gets messy. You didn't miss the start. You're just getting started. What is your "Anchor Word" for the year? 👇 ------------- 👋 Hi, I’m Ana, a 3X Certified Career Coach and Job Search Strategist. I help introverted managers & directors optimize their LinkedIn profile to attract the right recruiters without posting daily. Get the LinkedIn Guide for Introverts in my profile FEATURED section. 💜 #IntrovertLeadership #FreshStart #CareerStrategy #Burnout

Most people start January fired up to pursue new goals and change their lives. . By February, the energy and commitment has died for the vast majority.  That’s not a discipline problem. It’s a goal-setting problem. That’s why I want to share the exact framework I use every year to set goals that actually stick. It’s the same framework that has transformed my health, relationships, business, and habits over the past several years. I call them 𝗥𝗔𝗗 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀. Before we talk about the goals themselves, we need to talk about where goals should live. Years ago, I was introduced to the concept of the Wheel of Life. Picture a circle divided into eight slices. Each slice represents a core area of your life that drives fulfillment, peace, growth, and happiness. Here are the eight buckets I use:  1. Career  2. Finances  3. Health  4. Family  5. Spirituality  6. Fun  7. Growth  8. Service/Contribution Before you start setting goals, rate yourself in each category from 1 to 5. Then look at the areas where you scored the lowest - these are the areas most neglected in your life that need your focus, attention, and time. That’s where I recommend setting your RAD goals. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗔𝗗 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀? RAD stands for: 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 Your goal must be anchored to a deep why. If the reason is weak, the commitment will be weak. 𝗔𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀 RAD goals should stretch your identity and push you out of your comfort zone. 𝗗𝗿𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 RAD goals require meaningful change in how you show up, how you spend your time, or how you structure your life. 𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗔𝗗 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 I’ll share three of mine across the buckets that matter most to me right now. 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 Meditate every single day for 365 days straight. This goal is all about developing more presence, patience, and gratitude in all areas of my life 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 Get my shoulder fully healthy. This will require getting an MRI, going to physical therapy consistently, and doing what’s required to return to peak physical performance. 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝘆 Train jiu jitsu or another martial art with my kids. This will bring more time together, deeper connection, and leading by example with my children. 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 6.75M revenue in 2026 (represents 25% growth) and start a podcast, while working only 35 hours/week. I want to show sellers and founders that it is possible to thrive in your career without burning out in the process. Notice something important here. These are not dozens of goals. There are a few goals that will change how I live. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗲𝘁. If you want 2026 to be different, stop asking: “What do I want to achieve?” Start asking: “Who do I need to become?” If you want to learn exactly how to set RAD goals, watch this week’s video training here: https://lnkd.in/g8qcEach

[1/8] Forget New Year Resolutions. Try "Year-End Resolutions" instead. 🤟 Why wait until January to make life changes when you can get a head start? For the past 4-5 years, I’ve been setting Year-End Resolutions in December — and it works. Here’s why you should try it! 🧵 [2/8] More Time, Better Mindset 🧘♂️ December offers a unique chance to pause, reflect, and reset. Year-end brings downtime — vacations, holidays, and family moments. Instead of rushing in January, use this "calm" to build new habits. Start small, steady, and ride that momentum into the new year. [3/8] Prevent "Holiday Damage" 🍰 Many New Year Resolutions aim to "undo" holiday indulgence (weight loss, exercise, finances, etc.). But what if you didn’t regress in the first place? Be mindful of that 3rd piece of cake, that 4th drink, or those impulse holiday buys. Win by beginning with the end in mind. [4/8] Build a New Habit ⏳ Have you ever heard of the "21-day rule" for forming habits? Well, we are 21 days away from 2025. Start small. Walk more. Journal daily. Meditate for 5 min. Take 3000 extra steps per day. By Jan 1, you’ll be unstoppable. [5/8] Lead the Herd, Don’t Follow 🚀 On January 1, everyone is “thinking” about resolutions. By then, you’ll be doing them and not feeling guilty, doubting, and certainly not following others.  When others are struggling to start, you’ll already have 31 days of wins by the first week of January. Momentum is powerful. Bet on it. This is behavioural design in action (shoutout to Richard Thaler and James Clear). [6/8]How To Start a Year-End Resolution 🚦 1️⃣ Pick ONE goal (health, learning, finance, etc.) 2️⃣ Start small (1% changes, not 100%). 1% compounded daily for a year is 3700% better for the year. Even 1% better every week is 67% better per year! 3️⃣ Track progress daily for 21 days. 4️⃣ Share it with friends/family for accountability. Don’t overthink it. Just start today — take one step. [7/8] Some of my year-end resolutions for the past few years 🗝️ Write a ‘public’ post every week (like this one!) Read a book a week (lasted > 5 years) No Sugar (lasted a year, and it has more ‘modest’ consumption since then)  Be physically active 6 days a week.  Write gratitude messages/notes to people. Spend an hour bi-weekly ‘managing’ personal finances! Small, simple habits that snowballed into consistent wins (mostly!). [8/8] Ready to try it? ⏱️ 1️⃣ Pick ONE simple goal. 2️⃣ Start small. 3️⃣ Track your progress. 4️⃣ Tell three people about it for accountability. No Games. No Drama. Just 21 days of small, consistent action. 🎉 If you’re feeling bold, share your Year-End Resolution below. 👇

🚀The best time to plan your 2025 success isn't January 1st.  It's right now.  After testing various approaches over the years, these 8 strategies help me achieve a lot more with the time I have but I do so by taking time over the holidays for deep reflection and think time. 1️⃣ Start with Reflection 🪞 Take stock of 2024's achievements. Every milestone, skill gained, and lesson learned builds your foundation for 2025. Document wins across work, health, relationships – they're fuel for future growth. Document things that you had hoped to achieve but could not. What got in the way? 2️⃣ Design Your 360° Vision for what 2025 should look like🌟 Map goals across key life dimensions: ➡️Career Growth ➡️Learning & Development ➡️Key Relationships ➡️Health & Fitness ➡️Skills & Learning ➡️Financial Freedom ➡️Mental Wellbeing ➡️Personal Joy 3️⃣ Make space for your "Stretch Zone" 🎯 Set goals that energize but don't overwhelm. Replace "become an industry expert" with "speak at two conferences and publish monthly insights." Ambitious yet achievable. 4️⃣ Build Success Rituals ⚙️ Convert goals into daily habits: ➡️Want to innovate? Block 30 minutes for creative thinking ➡️Aiming for growth? Schedule daily learning time ➡️Building relationships? Create weekly connection rituals 5️⃣ Execute Strategically 📝 Break down 2025 into: ➡️Yearly Vision ➡️Quarterly Milestones ➡️Monthly Targets ➡️Weekly Actions ➡️Daily Non-negotiables 6️⃣ Embrace Adaptation ➿ Markets shift. Priorities change. The goal isn't perfect execution – it's consistent progress. Stay flexible while keeping your vision clear. 7️⃣ Celebrate Milestones 🏆 Track and celebrate progress. Each small win builds momentum toward bigger achievements. Document successes, learn from setbacks. 8️⃣ Practice Self-Compassion ❤️ Growth isn't linear. Some goals will take longer, others might need adjustment. Focus on progress, not perfection. Bonus: Don't jump back into work on Jan 2nd. Ease into the year with careful time for planning on your first day or two back to work. 💭 What key lesson from 2024 is shaping your approach to 2025? Share below. #2024Reflection #2025Goals #PersonalGrowth #Success #CareerDevelopment

Setting goals for a new year should feel energizing - but it can also be overwhelming. Here is my 6-step goal-setting process to make 2025 your BEST YEAR YET: This process has not only worked for me - it’s also helped my coaching clients thrive. 1️⃣ Review your 2024 achievements List out everything you’ve accomplished that you feel and don’t be afraid to break it down by month. Why? Because we always underestimate how much we’ve achieved. 2️⃣ Analyze the ‘Why’ behind your wins What qualities or actions helped you achieve those milestones? Look for patterns: Did collaboration with a great partner make a difference? Did stepping out of your comfort zone lead to growth? These are insights you’ll want to carry into 2025. 3️⃣ Visualize your 2025 Before you set any goals, take a moment to imagine yourself at the end of next year. Write a story: How do you feel? What have you accomplished? What does your daily life look like? This is an exercise I ask all my PMM coaching clients to do because when you imagine without limitations, you can strive to live your fullest potential. 4️⃣ Set your goals in small steps Now you have your grand vision, you need to break them down into digestible parts. Start with quarterly goals, then break them down by month. Don’t worry about having your entire year planned out—just focus on Q1 and leave flexibility for the rest of the year. Progress happens through iterations, not perfection. 5️⃣ Decide what help you need - and what to say NO to Achieving big goals isn’t a solo effort. Ask yourself: What kind of help or resources do I need? (This could be a coach, a mentor, or even a software tool.) Just as important: Decide what not to do. A focused plan means saying “no” to distractions that don’t align with your vision. 6️⃣ Build a mental support system Let’s face it: Big goals come with challenges. Prepare for those tough moments by having a support system in place. Here are a few mental strategies I use: ---> Have a "stuck" plan: When I feel unmotivated, I turn to my list of go-to strategies, like reaching out to trusted friends or taking a social media break. --> Stop comparing yourself to others: Everyone moves at their own pace. Someone else’s journey - whether faster, slower, or entirely different - is not yours. Focus on your path and your progress. — The bottom line is, your plan for 2025 doesn’t need to be fully baked on January 1st. It’s okay to start small, iterate, and adapt as you go. The most important thing is that your plan sparks joy, energy, and excitement. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about the year ahead, remember to approach it with courage, grace, and less pressure to have it all figured out. And if you ever need support on your journey, reach out anytime. I’d love to help. What’s one thing you’re excited to embrace or create in the new year? Wishing you a wonderful and fulfilling year ahead!! #productmarketing #2025 #growth #coaching #career