Kickstart Your New Year: Resources for Goal Setting

Let's Make it a Great Year

As we step into a brand new year, it's a perfect time for reflection and to set intentions for the months ahead. But I'm not going to offer any advice, just a list of resources I like to look over as I get myself into gear for the new year.

This is in no particular order. Some of these overlap, but they also have slightly different approaches. It's your year, so you call the shots on how you'd like to handle it.

Annual Review Framework
-Farnam Street

Excellence demands elimination.

Most people spread themselves too thin, taking on too many projects and not really getting much done.

When everything is important, nothing gets the attention it deserves.

Your success in 2025 depends more on what you say NO to than what you say yes

The Personal Annual Review
-Sahil Bloom

My 7 question Personal Annual Review:

What did I change my mind on this year?

What created energy this year?

What drained energy this year?

What were the boat anchors in my life?

What did I not do because of fear?

What were my greatest hits and worst misses?

What did I learn this year?

So You Wanna De-Bog Yourself?
-Experimental History

Toothbrushing problems: you have to work at them forever until you die. You can’t, as far as I know, just brush your teeth really really well and then let ‘em ride forever. I only started making progress when I realized I was facing a toothbrushing problem: feeling normal again would probably require me to do stuff every day for the rest of my life. I might get better at doing that stuff, just like when you first start brushing your teeth as a kid you get toothpaste everywhere and end up swallowing half of it, and eventually you learn not to do that. But even when you're a toothbrushing expert, it still takes you a couple minutes every day. You could be mad about that, but it won’t make your teeth any cleaner.

How to Build Better Habits
-James Clear on Daily Stoic Podcast

Start with an incredibly small habit.

Increase your habit in very small ways.

As you build up, break habits into chunks.

When you slip, get back on track quickly.

Be patient. Stick to a pace you can sustain.

(the podcast is great, but you can read this for a quick summary)