Designing goals for 2025 with patience: 5 essential steps for every woman who dreams big!
All right, ladies!
We are officially on the doorstep of 2025, and that means one thing: it's goal-setting season!
But let's be honest - while goal setting sounds inspiring and fresh, it can also feel daunting. Have you ever set a big, beautiful goal, felt excited for a week, and then when the next month rolled around, the excitement wore off and it just... passed you by?
Yes, the same thing happened to me, folks!
One of my grand goals or intentions this year is - to get into conscious Zen! What does that mean? The course of the year will tell, although a few ideas are already floating around in my mind...
So this time, let's give it a spin. Instead of rushing to burnout, let's design our goals with patience and a big dose of joy.
Imagine having goals that make you feel like you're winning every day in life, no matter how small a step forward it is...
Sound like a dream? Let's break it down...
Step 1: Dream big, but start small
Let's say you want to start a side account business in 2025. Amazing! But instead of aiming to have an entire business empire by next December, start with small, joyful steps.
My friend Christine wanted to open her own online boutique. This goal seemed huge, almost intimidating to her. So she decided that her first goal would not be to launch a store, but simply to get to know her potential customers. She spent the month of January getting involved in online communities, talking to people and asking them what they wanted. By February, she knew so much about her prospective customers that opening a store seemed much easier. Small steps, huge impact!
Step 2: Celebrate each step as a big win
Okay, listen up. It's time for celebrating small victories to become fashionable again. Every time you do something that moves you towards your goal - even if it's just 1% - take a moment to encourage yourself.
One of my colleagues decided to improve her fitness by the end of the year by running a 5K without stopping. On the first day, she ran for five minutes and thought, "Well, I barely made it out alive." And then she decided to do a "victory dance" for every extra minute. In a flash, she moved into her third month and is at 20 minutes and feeling like a rock star!
Whether it's completing a small task for your business, saying no to things that don't align with your vision, or just getting out of bed on a busy day - it all counts! Set up a system to indulge yourself. Maybe it's a fun coffee date, buying a pair of comfy slippers to take home that you've been eyeing, or sending a funny voicemail to a friend who "gets it."
Step 3: Share your successes and challenges with others
Setting goals and working toward them can feel lonely, but it doesn't have to. Sharing your progress, victories and even setbacks can be a great motivator.
There is a Facebook group I joined this year full of amazing women working on their own goals. Some are starting businesses, others are focusing on taking care of themselves. We share our small victories like they are big victories because honestly, they are! Every post like "I worked out for ten minutes today" or "I finished this chapter of my book" lights up with cheers and smiley faces.
When you have like-minded women supporting you along the way, it adds so much energy and fun to your goals. And if you're the type who doesn't like to share your experiences online, find one person you trust - a friend, a mentor, a mom! A quick text update can sometimes be the perfect reminder of how far you've come.
Step 4: Let go of the need to be "perfect" at everything
Sometimes we start the year thinking we have to get everything perfect. Newsflash: no one expects you to be superwoman in 2025! In fact, abandoning perfection can become your superpower.
I remember last year I wanted to learn how to cook healthier meals. My goal was to make a new recipe every week, but guess what? Life kept me busy and some weeks I just ordered takeout. And that's okay! By focusing on the moments I was cooking, I found myself trying new things without stressing about having to do it "perfectly".
So embrace the messy progress. Did you miss a goal? Adjust it. Realize something isn't serving you? Give it up. Goal setting should be flexible and empowering, not like a weight you drag around with you all year.
Step 5: Honor your inner joy with "reflection breaks"
Once a month, set aside a "reflection break" to look back and celebrate all the small (and big!) steps you've taken. Remind yourself of all the ways you are moving forward, even if it seems slow.
My friend Darina is a full-time mother and a capable entrepreneur. Every month she takes the time to keep a ten-minute journal of her wins. Her favorite part? She reads the previous month's entries and sees how much she's moved on. Sometimes she even laughs at her "big fights" from the previous month and realizes they weren't so impossible after all.
Taking breaks to reflect is like a mini spa for your soul. It's a pause where you can look back and say to yourself, "Hey, look how you're doing!" It's also a beautiful way to tap into gratitude and realize that growth is happening, even if it doesn't always seem to happen quickly.
Bring more patience and playfulness into 2025
When it comes to your goals for 2025, I urge you to follow the motto "slow and steady." Design your goals with patience and let joy be the fuel that keeps you going.
Every step you take matters - even the ones that seem small or insignificant. It's about feeling good on the journey, not just at the destination.
So let's make this a year of fun, laughter, and real progress.
And don't forget to celebrate yourself, often and with love. Because girl, you deserve it!
Here's to a 2025 full of patience, joy, and every little success along the way...
What are your stated goals for this year? How much do you excel at setting them and how do you reward yourself for each success?
Let me know your visions or wishes in the comments...
