Welcome, 2025! Time for New Goals and Plans!
Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment.
Every year, we promise ourselves change. We make lists, set goals, and draw up plans. But after a couple of months, we often find that our enthusiasm has faded, and we’ve stopped following through.
We might conclude that trying is pointless, or believe it’s time to give up on false hope.
But what we should really do is analyze this recurring yearly pattern to uncover the true reasons that keep us from sticking to our goals.
The Mind Game!
Our minds often focus on what we haven’t accomplished instead of recognizing the opportunities we still have. This creates the feeling that time has passed without meaningful achievement. Yet, when we take a step back and reflect on what we’ve actually gone through over the past year, we are often surprised by the number of achievements and challenges we overcame.
So before setting new plans for the year, revisit your past goals and steps. Identify what worked well and can be repeated, and what needs improvement. Avoid self-blame, and instead focus your energy on actions that bring you closer to your goals.
Negative thoughts will surface, but it’s important to challenge them when your mind tries to convince you to give up. Remember: every day is a new chance to move forward; you don’t need to wait for the new year to start working on something.
Overthinking
Over-analyzing choices and consequences can lead to hesitation, indecision, and lack of progress. Excessive thinking also strains the mind and drains mental resources, reducing focus and productivity. Being stuck in constant thought may cause emotional fatigue, which lowers your motivation and energy.
To overcome this, develop strategies to limit overthinking, such as focusing on the present moment, practicing meditation and relaxation, setting specific times for planning and reflection, and then shifting your energy toward taking concrete steps rather than endless thought.
Reflect on your decisions but don’t let planning turn into paralysis. As long as your goals are clear and realistic, break them down into actionable steps, and move forward.
Beware of the Illusion of Achievement
In today’s digital age, information is available everywhere, in all forms: videos, podcasts, articles, short or long, serious or entertaining. Access is only a few clicks away on the mobile devices we carry everywhere.
It’s tempting to constantly consume new knowledge. But beware of learning endlessly without applying it. True learning comes from practice, making mistakes, and trying again. This does not mean you shouldn’t seek advice from experts when needed, but experience is the ultimate teacher.
Simplifying Your Goals
Most of our ambitions are big and require time and effort to achieve. This is why we need to break them down into smaller, achievable goals.
One useful tool is the SMART goals model, which helps define goals clearly and improves planning and execution.
After preparing your task list, make sure each goal is:
- Specific: For example, “I will publish content for my business on Instagram.”
- Measurable: “I will publish three videos about my business on Instagram.”
- Achievable: Ensure you have the skills and resources needed, such as content creation ability and the apps to publish content.
- Relevant: “I will publish three videos about my business on Instagram to raise awareness and reach a new audience.”
- Time-bound: “I will publish three videos a week for three months on Instagram to raise awareness and reach a new audience.”
With persistence and commitment, you’ll accomplish these smaller goals, which will then accumulate and pave the way to your larger ambitions.
Seek Progress, Not Perfection
Made a mistake?
“Failed”?
It’s not the end of the world.
Try again.
It’s important not to ignore the negative feelings and disappointments that come from setbacks. But equally important is learning how to manage these emotions and bounce back quickly to continue your journey. Avoid criticizing yourself so harshly that you begin to feel like a complete failure.
One way to cope in difficult moments is to remind yourself of the tough challenges you’ve already overcome. Past achievements serve as stored credit to draw from when motivation is low.
This doesn’t mean leaning on past success as an excuse to stop achieving new things, but rather using it as a reminder of your resilience and capacity to succeed. You can also lean on communities, such as the Riyada community, to find the moral and social support that helps you keep going.
Remember: continuing your efforts doesn’t guarantee arrival at your destination, but stopping your efforts guarantees that you won’t get there.
So keep going, every day is a fresh chance for creativity and achievement.
Riyada’s Achievements in 2024
The achievements of Riyada in 2024 were summarized in this post, may they inspire you.
Additionally, a free 2025 Vision Board has been provided to help you set your goals visually.
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