set the RIGHT goals for the New Year

I’m a Chronic Goal-Setter.

Every year when December rolls around, I get giddy with excitement over setting goals for the New Year. It always feels like a big, beautiful fresh start! Like I could be anything I want to. Go anywhere I want to. Do anything I want to. Setting goals or intentions is a wonderful idea with so much merit to it. Goals give us a sense of direction and purpose. But there are a lot of dangers to goals as well…

In the age of social media, comparison is a near-constant plague. We’re inundated with only everyone’s Best Side. The pristine and intricately decorated rooms in their homes and not the messy, unfinished ones. Their $20,000 week-long vacations, but not the sick weeks on the couch. Their masterpiece of an oil painting, but not their 27 previous failed attempts at the same piece. Comparison is such a thief of joy, and with everyone sharing their goals for the New Year, it’s incredibly hard not to fall into the trap of comparing our goals to theirs. And not only comparing the size of our goals with theirs, but letting their goals influence the ones we set. The right goal for someone else may not be the right goal for you.

Last year, I decided not to set many goals. 2023 was a very strange and difficult year for me, and I just didn’t have much mojo to begin the new year. Truthfully, I think this was the grace of God preparing me for 2024, a year that would be one of the most difficult I’ve been through. A lengthy list of goals would’ve been too overwhelming and completely unachievable. I needed every ounce of energy and every available moment for all the unexpected challenges 2024 held. As we reach the end of the year, I’m so grateful that I didn’t set any big goals or challenges for myself. The lack of goals did sometimes leave me a bit directionless, but in the long run, I think the softer, more flexible lifestyle was what I needed.

After making it through this year, I’m entering into 2025 with a bit of a clearer head, a softer attitude, and a heart more ready to set a few intentions. I’m working on my goals for the New Year (a few big ones, but it’s not an overwhelming list this time), and I’m absolutely over-flowing with passion for these new projects! I truly believe 2025 is going to be a big year for me, and I’m excited to watch it play out.

All this to say, listen to yourself if you decide to set some New Years goals. Make sure the size and quantity of your goals align with the energy and time you can dedicate to them, and make sure the goals you set align with your values, not the values of the people you see on social media. Whether you enter into 2025 with big, bold intentions and lots of excited energy or let the goals go and live a bit more softly for a while, do it with confidence, and don’t compare yourself to anyone else. I wish you all the best in 2025, my friend!