Setting Lofty Goals in 2025

When I first started tracking my daily step 🦶 count, I was told a good goal is 10,000 steps a day.  So when I hit that mark in 2020- which was 3.65 million steps for the year- I thought, what’s a higher 🪜 milestone I can reach? Last year, I surpassed five million steps- or nearly 14,000 steps a day- an increase of 40% from my initial target.  So it got me thinking about 2025 goals and five key principles for increasing performance over time.

🎯 Always aim a little farther than you think is possible

📊 Establish benchmarks and set progress milestones 

🔄 Analyze results regularly and try to continually improve

💡 Brainstorm to expand your horizon and problem solve

🤝 Partner with a peer to increase your commitment

🎯 Always aim a little farther than you think is possible–  this principle is based on the fact that our minds often set artificial limits on what we can accomplish based upon past experience.  While I don’t think one should set completely unrealistic goals, in business or in life, it’s important to always have stretch goals and set ones that will take considerable time and effort.  

📊 Establish benchmarks and set progress milestones– as described above, it’s generally not possible to suddenly realize a 40% improvement in anything (remember it took me 4 years to increase my daily step count from 10k to 14k).   That is why I advocate to first establish a performance benchmark, and then have intermediate goals – weekly, monthly, etc., and set milestones (e.g. 5% improvement in the first 90 days) along the way.  Whether you over-achieve or under-achieve the milestone, you can adjust timelines and progress measures along the way.

🔄 Analyze results regularly and continually improve– the best way to continually improve is to ruthlessly measure results.  Just like breaking down ambitious goals into small incremental improvements that build momentum over time, you should have a pulse check with regularity to confirm progress, perhaps adjust targets and timelines, or sometimes take a break and reset.

💡 Brainstorm to expand your horizon and problem solve – this rule applies equally well in business as in life.  We all are creatures of habit, prone to fall into familiar patterns, get stuck and believe that we have reached the proverbial brick wall.  In fact, every step forward and key milestone achievement broke the previous number in some way, often with a novel technique (think Fosbury flop in track and field and GenAI in information synthesis).

🤝 Partner with a peer to increase your commitment– whether it’s a workout buddy, workmate, or trusted peer, I’ve found that having someone with a shared goal, similar targets or compatible mindset can really help propel one towards lofty goals, when going it alone fall short. I’ve been lucky enough to compete in the USTA National Championships four times (at the 4.0 level).  My of my closest tennis friends first inspired me to compete and having already participated, his experience bolstered my belief I could get there once, and now having made it four times, I’m aiming for a fifth appearance! 

So there you have it, five proven principles to set, monitor and achieve you most ambitious goals- this year and the next!

And, by the way, if you need extra motivation, taking more steps has been scientifically proven to increase your longevity Upping your step count, even in small amounts, may increase life span | American Heart Association

Here’s to success in business, and most importantly, living a fuller, longer, healthier life!  #AimHigh #MoreSteps #LifeSpan