My new way to set goals for 2025 (that doesn’t rely on will-power)

I’ve spent a lot of time the past week thinking about what goals to set for this new year, and even how best to approach this whole topic.

To me, this is the most important thing I’ll do all year.

Because no matter how far along in it we already are, there’s always infinite directions we can go in life… And so much happens in the course of one year.

So where we choose to direct our energy and focus for even a mere 365 days can create huge changes that will be felt for the rest of our lives.

Last week I broke down how I set my 3 big goals for 2024, and the results. I concluded that (for me) breaking down long-term goals into regular, repeated tasks/habits on a weekly basis is the best way to achieve them.

But then I thought more about it… and totally changed my mind. I’m going to set goals in a very different way this year.

If this makes sense to you, I hope you try it too.

A Different Approach to Goal-Setting

That’s because these beliefs have formed my own perception of my identity, and that creates subconscious drives in me to take actions that reinforce that identity.

For example – I have a deep belief of myself as someone who finishes what he starts.

Because of that, I’ve noticed that when I get near the end of a project, the subconscious urge to push it across the finish line is intense, almost obsessive.

So when I’m on the last few hours of a long edit, but I have an appointment that takes the rest of the day – I’ll often find myself counting down the hours until I can get back and do the last touches on that edit. Even if I’m tired and feeling unmotivated, I subconsciously am driven towards the little serotonin bump from completing that project.

That’s one example, but we all have LOTS of these stories we’ve internalized about ourselves, that have become so rooted in our own psyches, that they form our identity.

Some of these core beliefs become our superpowers (like “I’m never afraid to ask for the help I need” or “I’m a great negotiator”).

Others are crippling (like “I always mess things up” or “I never know what to say in social settings”).

But they’re always there, deep down. And of course, they may not even be true, but our firm belief in them drives our everyday behavior regardless.

And that’s what I want to tap into next year to reach my goals.

By reinforcing & nurturing certain beliefs about myself, I can create subconscious drives towards the goals I want to achieve.

The benefit of this indirect approach to goal-setting is that it transforms long-term goals from daily/weekly/monthly tasks into habits that don’t require willpower.

When you truly identify as a “type” of person, you naturally take actions all the time to adhere to that identity.

On the other hand, forcing myself to do (ultimately rewarding) activities like working out or writing is not the path towards making it a huge part of my life, as I’ll be instinctively resisting the goal by framing it as something I’m supposed to do.

Instead, I think the key to success is making sure I’m naturally drawn towards them. Then it becomes like the video edit that I’m itching to get back to finishing, even though I’m tired. If working out and writing felt like that, I’d get way, way more done, effortlessly.

So now the question becomes – how do I influence my own beliefs about myself?

Mantras, Not Goals

I feel the best way to re-organize my subconscious drives is through journaling – specifically, with the first sentences of each journal entry.

I know this because I played around with this method in the past to great success…

Back in 2022 before my YouTube channel was getting much attention at all, I started every single journal entry with this: 2022 Kent – Runs a fast-growing YouTube channel.

This was not me trying to “manifest” anything, it was just me repeating to myself where I’m trying to go.

And each time I wrote or typed that in (no copy and pasting allowed!), I was forced to reflect on that goal and reinforce its importance subconsciously.

Later, I realized that I was typing in a result (a fast-growing channel), so I updated that mantra to something I could control: “2022 Kent – Creator of 50 educational YouTube videos”

I typed this over and over, with almost daily journaling in the morning. It was how I started most of my days, and I know that it kept me on track with my goal of growing on YouTube.

We could call this a mantra or an affirmation or a visualization exercise – it doesn’t really matter. I just think that writing these goals down, or typing that up at least once a day, every day, not only keeps your goals top of mind, it steadily moves the needle of how you think about yourself over time.

It’s not about brainwashing yourself into being a certain type of person.

It makes you LOOK FOR these goals or qualities in yourself, and feed them with attention.

As humans we tend to see only the things we look for, especially when it’s about ourselves. So it’s important to look for the right things and nurture them with a little extra attention every day.

What this actually looks like…

If this looser, somewhat more indirect way of setting goals makes sense to you, I hope you’ll give it a shot with me! Here’s how I’m approaching it:

The most important piece of the puzzle is setting the 1 fundamental habit of journaling every single day. First thing in the morning preferably, or at least before you start work.

I’ll make it a part of my coffee ritual. It can be done with pen and a notebook or on a computer. I’ve done both. It also doesn’t have to take more than a few minutes if you’re short on time.

The structure is simple: write the date, then your mantras, and then anything that’s on your mind (with as little filtering as possible).

Ideally you just dump out your thoughts in a stream of consciousness. You stop writing when you feel like stopping, whether that’s 1 minute in or 1 hour in.

As for how you write the mantras – I recommend trying to write them in a way that reflects a belief about yourself that you can control, which if true, would make you way more likely to succeed in your goals.

Here are some examples:

My favorite way to spend free time is screenwriting, and I’m always working on a script.

I’m effective at work and hate wasting time on a project.

I’m always getting more fit and healthy.

I’m happy if one of my films fails as long as I challenged myself.

I’m comfortable talking with anyone and always take an opportunity to expand my network.

Etc.

And be aware that the wording will likely change over time as you discover how you authentically connect with this goal and identity. That’s a good thing! It means you’re honing in on what you really want, even if it’s not exactly what you originally thought.

How many should you include? Well, so far I made 4 for myself. one in each category: filmmaking, work, health, and my relationship. Could you do more? I reckon, but don’t bite off more than you can chew.

So a journal entry might look like this:

1/5/2025

I’m effective at work and hate wasting time on a project. I’m always getting more fit and healthy. I’m a prolific filmmaker who always finds a way to put out new films.

Woke up late today and feeling under the gun already. Even thought about skipping this journal but I know if this falls off then so does everything. Probably best not to start my day with “putting out fires” energy anyway and just be more proactive instead of reactive. Most of the stuff on the list today isn’t that important anyway and can wait.

Last night I saw Juror #2 with my parents and I’m still thinking about it. Why is Clint Eastwood so hit or miss with his films? Is it just how quickly he moves and the fact that he doesn’t really do script revisions? Anyway this one hit to me. Loved the simplicity of it and the escalation of the stakes throughout. Good performances too. Although the old lady on the jury was cartoonish and kinda sucked. But still, isn’t it just one of those single-use films? Like would I ever want to watch it again? Probably not. What makes some movies so re-watchable and some just one-and-done? Maybe that’d be a good YT video. Hmm.

Boom, done. It took a few minutes but I got the mantras on paper, reset my state of fluster, and even came up with an idea for a video. Now I can start my day with purpose and hopefully a little closer to living up to those mantras.

Again, the important thing is to do this CONSISTENTLY. Every day.

Like a river flowing past stones and shaping them, this is a gradual process.

And remember, the day you don’t journal is the day all your goals take a hit too.

I wish you the best in the year ahead.

Let’s make some movies.

-Kent