How to Effectively Set Goals This 2025
By Lumify Learn Team | December 5, 2024
The new year is almost here! It's time to plan and focus on your goals for 2025.
Determining your wants, needs, and areas of improvement (whether personally or professionally) are imperative to making the new year as fruitful and rewarding as possible. In fact, a study has shown that those who set and write down their goals are 42% more successful than those who do not.
So, if you’ve got plenty of ambitions for the new year, below are ways to actively stick to and accomplish them – starting with the “SMART” method.
What are “SMART” goals?
Establishing “SMART” goals provides you with greater clarity and incentive in achieving them. Using this method gives an accurate, measurable overview of your objectives, as well as the time and resources you’ll need for success. The tool is used for both personal and business goals alike, helping you develop strategic, actionable plans.
“SMART” stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely. Your goals are evaluated under each metric to determine your desired outcome, your limits, and their big-picture relevance.
Specific: Your goal must focus on one specific area. So instead of saying, "I want to improve as a person," why not focus on improving your communication or listening skills?
Measurable: The goal must have an objective way of tracking progress and evaluating success. This can be done by including a number, a deadline, percent change, or another measurable element.
Achievable: This refers to the practicality of your objectives. Are you able to realistically achieve them with the timeframe, budget, and resources you currently have?
Relevant: Your goal must apply to your values, dreams, and long-term plans. This helps you decide whether your goals are truly worth pursuing in the current time.
Time-bound: Your set goal must have an achievable completion to keep you accountable.. Without setting reasonable deadlines for yourself, it can be hard to stay on track.
Examples of SMART goals include:
"Meditate for 30 minutes daily for the next six weeks to reduce stress"
"Complete a cyber security course in under three months within the next year"
"Read one marketing book every month to improve my knowledge on the field"
Setting your career goals
The average person spends over 90,000 hours of their lifetime at work – making it a mandatory avenue for goal-setting.
To start planning for your future career progression, you must assess your satisfaction in your current role. This helps you come to terms with your job-related wants, needs, and whether your current position engages or rewards you sufficiently.
Whether you decide to keep to your job or seek out a new one, determine what you hope to achieve from your career in the year ahead. Is it to make more money? To seek out a better work-life balance? Perhaps you’d like to actively strive for that promotion or pursue a long-time passion.
Whatever they may be, take note of these desires, and discern their attainability (turning them into achievable goals as previously discussed). Of course, try and challenge yourself by taking on professional tasks and projects that, while out of your comfort zone, are more than doable.
It can also help to keep updated on trends in your industry. Online journals, newsletters, blogs, and other forms of digital (or physical) publications help you stay informed on your field with the latest developments and opportunities. You may even benefit out of attending events – such as networking parties or conferences – to connect and learn from other like-minded professionals.
Additionally, find ways of “future-proofing” your career path; preparing for technological advancements and obsoletion of specific roles. In fact, an ACS report found that 2.7 million jobs in Australia are at risk from automation by 2035. This means if you need to upskill, look to how you can relevantly incorporate your new skills into your career plans.
Setting your financial goals
Determining your budgetary needs, limits, and spending patterns will help you set accurate and attainable financial goals. This helps you more easily manage money for the year ahead.
In no particular order, be sure to address the following: credit, taxes, savings, and debt.
If you use your credit card often, review your credit score and the factors affecting it. If it’s lower than expected, establish steps to improve it, such as paying off your bills on time (including your rent, utilities, phone bill, etc.) and keeping your credit card balance low.
It's also a good idea to get your taxes done early, rather than waiting until the last month (or week!) to get your required documents together. Make tax time a less strenuous experience by routinely organising all the necessary records for when the season rolls around.
For predicted expenses in the months ahead, set a budget and a savings goal. An accurate, detailed budget can help you monitor where your money goes – whether its necessities, recreational activities, savings, or investments. Once that’s established, you can then set a measurable, achievable goal for the amount you’d like to save per month or by the end of the year.
Finally, examine your debts and work towards paying them off. Bad debts such as those involving credit cards or personal loans can obstruct and future financial goals. The earlier they’re off the table, the better.
These same principles apply as a business owner. If you’re running a company, be sure to check up on your Profit and Loss (P&L) statements to gain an overview of expenses made, profits earned, and how to better manage your overall budget.
Then, forecast your profits for 2025 – creating sales and expense targets to aim for. This helps you make clearer, more accurate financial decisions; making room for any necessary costs (such as new recruits) and maintaining sales quotas to ensure monthly growth.
Setting your personal goals
Lastly, be sure to focus on your personal life – and your health, relationship, and growth-related needs.
Examine your current lifestyle and any room for improvement. Have you fallen into any bad habits, mentally and/or physically? How is your health doing? Be sure to outline these and how they affect your relationships or every day tasks; creating goals for positive change if necessary.
Pay attention to the current state of your relationships – whether with friends, romantic partners, family, or professional contacts. Maybe reconnect with a distant family member or colleague, to establish new traditions, or to practice a little more daily gratitude. You may even wish to plan a grand holiday getaway, and rekindle that spark with a long-time spouse or partner.
With professional relationships, you may benefit out of offering to help more, such as providing your knowledge or talents when necessary, or connecting your contacts with others who may value their expertise.
Personal development will likely play a key role in your goals, so take time to establish any new skills you hope to learn or master. These may be for recreational reasons or to benefit your current job; whichever the case, research on the activities, workshops, or courses available to successfully upskill in your desired field(s).
Upskilling has become a staple trend among two-thirds of Australian employees (particularly among the millennial generation), with numerous registered training organisations (RTOs) offering quality, nationally-recognised training in the industry areas of your choice.
Level up for the new year!
Having clear-cut goals sets you down a steady, smoother road to success. And what better way to kick off the new decade than by levelling up your career, relationships, and financial position?
As mentioned, personal development is a likely staple in anyone’s 2025 goals, with plenty looking to upskill in their current industry (or step foot in a new one).
For current IT employees and curious tech-heads alike, Lumify Learn offers industry-aligned and nationally accredited online courses in the following fields:
All courses are conducted 100% online by our expert trainers and mentors. They will do their best to answer questions and ensure that students learn from practical applications and real world examples. And as soon as you complete your course, you can participate in our Lumify Edge program. This initiative will help you revamp your personal brand, receive support from our partners like e2 Cyber and the Australian Computer Society, and connect with employers looking to hire professionals like you.
Build on your skills for the digital future, and enquire with us on a course today.