How to Set Goals for the New Year: 2025

Image from Canva

Happy New Year ADHDers! 🎉🎉🎉

Let’s talk about goals baby, let’s set them for you and me! 🎶

Before we get started, am I the only person who gets overwhelmed when thinking about setting goals for the year?

We’re bombarded with:

• Questions on our New Year resolution

• Overpriced planners with too many boxes to complete

• Strangers yelling through the screen on TikTok telling us we need to change our lives RIGHT NOW

But fear not! I’m going to walk you through a light touch, scare-free approach to setting goals.

Shall we begin?

---

Setting Goals for 2025

Goals are not meant to be strict rules to follow and setting them shouldn’t feel like homework.

The goals you set should be things to look forward to, to hope for, knowing there is more to life.

---

STEP 1 - Writing Goals ✍️

If you’re stuck, here are 2 things that help me:

1. Writing a ‘would be nice list’. For example: It would be nice if I get a new job with better pay this year.

2. Writing a 2025 bucket list of anything I would love to do no matter how unattainable it seems.

This removes the pressure of thinking of the ‘perfect’ goal.

Remember, it’s about what you want, there are no set rules or criteria.

When it comes to your dreams, you have two choices: pursue them or be haunted by them.”
― Mel Robbins, The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit

STEP 2 - Prioritising your Goals 🤔

Right, so now you have a list of goals. It’s time to choose 1-3 goals you’re looking forward to the most.

Here’s why:

• Many ADHDers are driven by interest and desire, this is what motivates us.

• Trying to pursue all of your goals at once will result in overwhelm or burnout.

  “Don’t be so loyal to what does not work”

• 👉 Remember there are no rules, you have the freedom to pivot and switch out your goals if you want. At the end of the day, it’s your life.

---

STEP 3 - Working towards your Goals 🎯

Some people prefer to separate their goals into short, medium and long-term. This might work for you, but this approach is too methodological for me.

There’s more benefit to working towards a goal that you’re excited about that may take 3 months, than working on a goal that you’re not as excited about but choosing to work on it because it will only take you 3 weeks.

What do you think?

NEXT:

• If you’re able to hit the ground running and figure things out as you go along, props to you!

• If you need a bit of guidance on how to proceed, I present to you, the GROW Model - developed by Sir John Whitmore.

To give you a hand, here is an example using one of my 2025 goals.

GOAL - I want to write and publish an ebook on Procrastination by March 2025.

REALITY - I’ve written chapter titles and developed the overall outline. But I need to begin writing and completing chapters.

OPTIONS - I can set myself weekly targets, I can listen to writing podcasts for motivation and techniques, and I can reach out to friends who have written books, for advice, etc.

WAY FORWARD - For each chapter, I will write a list of key points, examples, takeaways, and techniques I want to bring out. This high-level structure will act as a guide when writing each chapter.

Now it’s your turn! Choose one of your goals and write it out following the GROW model just like I’ve done.

---

Getting the most out of 2025

As long as you are still breathing, there is still hope. Things can turn around for you when you least expect it.

2025 has just begun, block out the noise and the pressure to have it all figured out. Save this post and go through it when you are ready.

I hope and pray that 2025 is a great year for us all!

That’s all from me!

Rach, with ADHD