Last week, I wrote about preparing for year-end reviews and how they give us an opportunity to reflect on progress, impact, and what really matters in your career.

Autumn, for me, is a season of looking back - noticing patterns, understanding what has really gone well, and being honest about what has not. Winter, on the other hand, is when I begin to look forward. It is the time when I start thinking more intentionally about what I want to create next.

So many people start a new year full of good intentions, but without clarity. They want “more” of something or “less” of something else, but they have not taken enough time to decide what actually matters most. Without focus, even the best intentions evenutally tend to dissolve into nothing.

Over the years, I have learned that progress does not come from doing more. It comes from choosing carefully.

Why I only set six goals

Each year, I set three professional and three personal objectives. These are not work objectives that sit in a corporate system (which I also have btw), they are my own. They are goals I spend hours thinking about, after weeks of reflection, because they shape how I use my time, energy, and attention over the year ahead.

I landed on this number because it is achievable. Six goals allow me to make real progress in the areas that matter most in my life, without spreading myself too thin. Any more than that and my focus gets diluted. Any fewer and I risk not making the progress I want to.

These goals are not chosen lightly. They must move the needle in my bigger life goals. Otherwise, what is the point? I want to reach this time next year and be able to say, honestly, “yes, I made progress” or “yes, I did something that genuinely mattered to me.”

How I choose what makes the list

The first filter I use is alignment. I go back to my autumn reflections and look for themes. What came up again and again? What do I want more of? What do I want less of? Where did I feel energised, and where did I feel drained?

If a goal does not clearly support the life I want to build, it does not make the list.

The second filter is focus. There are always more things I could work towards. Some are exciting, some are sensible, and some are simply distractions dressed up as opportunities. Even valid goals sometimes need to be ruled out, not because they are wrong, but because now is not the right time. If I try to focus on everything, I will achieve very little.

Finally, my goals must not contradict each other. There is no point setting objectives that pull me in opposite directions or create unnecessary tension in my life. 

Making goals clear and measurable

For a goal to be useful, it has to be well defined. I want to be able to look back a year later and say, clearly, whether I achieved it or not. That means being specific.

Examples might include hitting a certain revenue number, achieving a particular performance rating, completing a professional accreditation, or reaching a defined health or fitness milestone. Clarity matters because vague goals create vague outcomes.

They don't need to be complex either. One of my goals for 2025 was to weight train 3 times per week. It could not have been simpler. It wasn't about losing weight, or gaining size, I just wanted to be healthier and so this simple goal worked for me. 

Keeping goals visible and alive

Once my goals are set, I make them visible. They become my phone screensaver and I print them out and frame them where they sit on my office wall, where I see them almost every day. This is not about pressure, but it acts as a reminder of what truly matters when the noise and distraction of daily life kicks in. 

I also schedule quarterly check-ins with myself to review progress. These are non-negotiable moments to step back and ask, “Am I still on track?” Having an accountability partner, colleague, or trusted friend to talk this through with can make a huge difference.

Ambition, intention, and trade-offs

I am ambitious, and I am honest about that. Some professional goals may demand more time or energy, and in the short term they can feel like they pull me away from my bigger life goals. The key question I ask myself is whether that short-term trade-off gets me where I want to go faster in the long run.

The difference now is that these decisions are made intentionally, not by accident.

I have set goals in the past that looked impressive on paper but did not serve my life. That learning has been invaluable. The more you understand yourself and what you truly want, the easier it becomes to stay on track and ensure that what you are working towards is purposeful for you.

Common mistakes I see

The most common mistakes I see are setting too many goals, not following through, lacking accountability, and allowing ego or comparison to drive decisions. And, of course, many people do not set goals at all. They drift through the year and then wonder why nothing feels different.

There is nothing wrong with setting goals for you life the same way that we set career goals, or businesses set annual targets. They work for a reason. 

A simple place to start

You do not need a perfectly mapped-out plan or a colour-coded spreadsheet to make progress. What you do need is a few moments and to be honest with yourself. 

Ask yourself this: if you could achieve just two or three things in your professional life next year, what would genuinely make a difference? Not what would look good to others, not what you feel you should want, but what would leave you thinking, “yes, that really mattered.”

Then ask the same question of your personal life. What would move the needle there? More time to yourself, better health, deeper relationships, greater financial security, or simply more space to breathe?

Once you have those ideas, sense-check them against your reality. Do they align with the life you want to build? Do they support one another, or are they competing for your time and energy? If you tried to focus on all of them at once, would you make progress, or would everything stall?

From there, see if you can narrow it down. Choose what matters most for the year ahead and write those goals down clearly enough that you could look back in a year and know whether you achieved them or not.

Thank you for reading, reflecting, and being part of this space.

Before I close, I wanted to share that I will be taking a well deserved short pause over the holidays, and I’ll be back in the new year with more reflections and practical tools to help you move forward in your career and life with clarity and confidence.

I am genuinely excited for what 2026 will bring, it is full of possibiliy and opportunity which gets me excited and I hope it does for you too. 

But for now, take some time to rest and enjoy the festive break. I want to wish you a very Merry Christmas and look forward to seeing you in the New Year!

Always with love,

Elsa x