Welcome back to The Better Workday Podcast, and Happy New Year! After a lovely break, I’m excited to start 2025. In this episode, I share how I’m approaching my goals, drawing on personal insights and wisdom from three of my favourite books in this area: The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington, Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt, and The One Thing by Gary Keller.
Whether you’re looking to achieve professional growth, personal milestones, or a better balance in life, these strategies will help you set impactful goals and sustain momentum throughout the year.
Key Takeaways
The 12-Week Year: Why Shorter is Better
Annual goals often fail because they lack urgency and focus. The 12 Week Year offers a powerful alternative: treat each quarter as a complete year.
- Eliminating Procrastination: Shorter timeframes create urgency, encouraging consistent action every week.
- Predictable Planning: Fewer unknowns in a 12-week period make planning more realistic and actionable.
- Week 13: Use this time to reflect, celebrate wins, and refine your strategy for the next cycle.
Practical Tip: Start with clear, measurable goals for January–March. Dedicate Week 13 to assessing progress and adjusting your approach.
Smarter Goals: Add Excitement and Risk
Michael Hyatt’s Your Best Year Ever expands on the SMART framework (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound):
- Exciting Goals: Ensure your objectives inspire and motivate you to persist through challenges.
- Risky Goals: Stretch your limits with goals that challenge you but remain within your capacity.
Hyatt differentiates between two types of goals:
- Achievement Goals: One-time milestones like running a marathon.
- Habit Goals: Daily or weekly practices that support larger accomplishments.
Key Insight: Focus solely on your primary plan. Backup plans often dilute effort and reduce your chances of success.
The One Thing: Simplify Your Focus
Gary Keller’s The One Thing introduces a game-changing concept: prioritise with purpose.
- Counterbalance vs. Balance: Instead of striving for perfect balance, focus intensely on one priority at a time and shift as needed.
- Unclenching: Let go of tension from trying to do everything. Focus energy on what truly matters.
- The Focusing Question: What’s the one thing I can do such that by doing it, everything else will become easier or unnecessary? This question acts as a compass, guiding your daily and long-term decisions.
My Personal Goals for 2025
Professional:
- Achieve a revenue target that supports sustainable growth for my business.
- Limit my weekly working hours to maintain balance and be present for my family.
Personal:
- Complete the Dingle Marathon—a challenging yet meaningful goal.
- Celebrate and nurture the achievements of recent years.
Word of the Year: Nurture
Each year, I choose a theme to anchor my decisions and actions. For 2025, my word is nurture. I aim to strengthen what I’ve already built—my business, relationships, health, and home—through care, attention, and gratitude.
Practical Tips for Goal Setting in 2025
- Define Your 12-Week Goals: Focus on actionable objectives for the first quarter.
- Set Smarter Goals: Choose exciting and challenging goals supported by sustainable habits.
- Use the Focusing Question: Regularly prioritise the most impactful task for your goals.
- Reflect and Adjust: Dedicate time each quarter to review progress and refine your approach.
Resources to Help You Succeed
Here are some tools and references to support your journey:
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The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington
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Your Best Year Ever by Michael Hyatt
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The One Thing by Gary Keller
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Goal Ladder Guide: A free guide to set and achieve your goals. Download it here.
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The Better Workday Blueprint: A self-paced course for creating a sustainable and productive workday.
Final Thoughts
Goal setting isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. By breaking your goals into smaller, manageable steps, you’ll maintain focus, adapt to challenges, and celebrate every win along the way.
If this episode inspired you, please share it with a friend or colleague and reach out if you’d like to explore creating a better workday for your team.
Until next time, stay well and have a better workday!
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