Goal Setting for People Who Hate Goal Setting: A 2025 Reframe

"Goals don't have to be giant, intimidating, or perfectly executed. In fact, the best goals are often the ones that feel easy to start and flexible enough to evolve as you do."

Let’s be honest—New Year’s resolutions are kind of the worst. Everyone around you is bursting with energy, talking about their big goals for the year, while you’re over here just trying to remember to take the laundry out of the washer.

If you’ve ever felt called out by the idea of goal setting, I hear you. It’s overwhelming, it can feel rigid, and let’s face it—there’s nothing fun about writing down a bunch of goals you’re terrified you won’t reach. So, this year, we’re doing things differently.

If traditional goal setting has failed you before, this blog is for you. I’m going to help you reframe the way you look at goals, sprinkle in some creativity to keep you on track, and remind you that you do not need to be the most organized or productive human on the planet to make progress. You just need to start somewhere… and we’re going to make it fun.

Ready? Let’s reframe those goals, buttercup.

Why We Struggle With Goals (And Why That’s Totally OK)

Let’s normalize the struggle. For a lot of us, goal setting feels like:

1. Pressure: If I don’t hit this goal, I’ve failed.

2. Overwhelm: Where do I even start?

3. Rigid Perfection: I wrote it down, so now I must follow it exactly, or what’s the point?

The good news? You don’t have to do goals that way. Goals don’t have to be giant, intimidating, or perfectly executed. In fact, the best goals are often the ones that feel easy to start and flexible enough to evolve as you do.

Here’s the reframe:

Instead of thinking of goals as strict to-do lists, think of them as guiding intentions for what you want more of this year. Less pressure, more direction.

Step 1: The “What Would Feel Good?” List

Here’s the first creative twist. Forget goals for a second—let’s focus on feelings. Take 10 minutes to answer this question:

“What would feel good to have more of in my life this year?”

Maybe it’s more laughter. More time outside. More money in savings. More creativity, connection, or moments to breathe.

Write it all down. No judgment. These don’t have to be fancy or specific. You’re simply getting clear on what you want more of. And the great thing about this exercise? It shifts your focus to the positive.

Step 2: Pick a Theme for Each Month

Forget the pressure of annual goals. Instead, let’s break this into smaller, bite-sized themes—one for each month. This keeps things fun and doable.

For example:

• January: Simplify. Clean out a drawer, simplify your schedule, or say “no” more often.

• February: Connect. Reach out to a friend, spend quality time with family, or plan a coffee date with someone you admire.

• March: Move. Walk more, try a new workout, or dance in your kitchen.

Each theme is broad enough to give you options, but specific enough to guide you. And if you miss a day (or an entire week… it happens), no worries. You can jump back in anytime.

Step 3: The Jar of Wins

Let’s gamify your progress with something visual and fun—a Jar of Wins. Here’s how it works:

1. Grab a jar, bowl, or even a cute box.

2. Every time you do something that feels aligned with your monthly theme, write it on a small piece of paper and drop it in the jar.

For example:

• You took a 10-minute walk? Write it down.

• You sent that text to check on a friend? Into the jar it goes.

• You decluttered your desk? Yep, that counts too.

By the end of the month (or year), you’ll have a visual reminder of all the small but meaningful steps you’ve taken—and you didn’t need a rigid checklist to get there.

Step 4: Celebrate the Small Stuff

Look, we’re not about hustle culture here. Life is not a race, and you deserve to celebrate every single small win. Did you make progress this month? Amazing. Celebrate it. Did you fall off track? That’s OK—acknowledge it, let it go, and pick back up when you’re ready.

Progress, not perfection. Small steps, not giant leaps. That’s where the magic happens.

Step 5: Make It Fun

If you hate goals, it’s probably because they’ve always felt like work. So this year, let’s make it fun:

• Set Rewards: Give yourself a treat for sticking with your monthly theme—a fancy coffee, a new book, or a Netflix binge night.

• Use Visuals: Grab some markers or sticky notes and doodle your themes where you’ll see them daily.

• Get Playful: Set “silly” micro-goals like “read one page of a book” or “dance to one song today.” Spoiler: Those tiny steps still count.

The less it feels like “work,” the more likely you are to stick with it.

You’re Not Behind—You’re Right Where You’re Meant to Be

Here’s the truth: No matter where you are right now, you are not behind. You’re not “falling short” compared to anyone else, and you don’t need to prove anything to be worthy of the life you want.

This year, let’s ditch the pressure to be perfect. Let’s focus on how we want to feel, what we want more of, and how we can celebrate progress—even the tiniest steps.

Remember, you don’t need a rigid plan to grow. You just need a little direction, a sprinkle of creativity, and the courage to start.

So here’s to 2025—the year we set goals our way. The year we make it fun, flexible, and doable. You’ve got this, buttercup.

Let’s make it a year to feel good.

P.S. If this blog inspired you to reframe your goals, I’d love to hear about your first monthly theme! Drop it in the comments (or share this blog online) and let’s cheer each other on.

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Written by the team at A Higher Way Of Living