Breaking Down Goals: How Daily Actions Will Bring Success In 2025

As we head into the new year, the idea of a new beginning will motivate people to explore goal setting strategies that ensure consistent progress. However, of the 41% of Americans who set goals for the new year, only 9% say that they have succeeded in achieving their goals.

The numbers from Forbes Health's research paint an even sorrier picture, with only 6% of people still sticking with their new year's resolutions by December. Now, the big question is: why should anyone bother with goal setting if the majority of people fail?

The truth is setting goals is only the beginning; the real challenge is creating an action plan and implementing it. Research shows that breaking down goals into daily actions can boost success rates by 76%.

Source: Canva

So, what kind of goals will you set for 2025? And which goal setting strategies will help you turn them into achievements?

Types of Goals

Goals fall into various categories, and the type of goals you set can influence how much you achieve. Here's the breakdown of four categories below:

1. Short-Term Goals

These are goals that can be achieved within a short timeframe—ranging from a day to a few months—and they help build momentum toward larger objectives. Research published in Frontiers in Psychology shows that short-term goals increase motivation by providing quick feedback on progress.

The major challenge with short-term goals is that if they are too easy, they cause stagnation. Also, a poorly aligned short-term goal may distract from long-term objectives.

For example, completing a work project or adopting a healthier diet.

1. Long-Term Goals

Long-term goals are more challenging objectives with a timeline of months or years. Locke and Latham highlight how the challenge of a long-term goal that is both difficult but attainable leads to better performance than easy or overly difficult goals.

One thing about long-term goals is that they require consistent effort and adaptation; long timelines can cause procrastination and discouragement. Hence, it is ideal to break them down into smaller, proximate goals.

For example, goals aligned with broad aspirations like education, career changes, and child raising.

1. Individual vs. Group Goals

Individual goals are self-set and self-actualized, focusing on personal achievement. To keep up the momentum and increase the chances of success, people pursuing an individual goal should have a system of accountability.

Meanwhile, group goals require collaboration and teamwork and are common in community settings or organizations. Because they are a shared obligation, issues may arise from poor communication, vague task allocation, and lack of accountability.

Examples of personal goals are weight loss or strength training, and shared goals include academic group research and work team projects.

1. Action-Oriented vs. Avoidance Goals

Action-oriented goals use measurable action to reach a positive outcome, while avoidance goals withhold certain actions to manage risk and prevent a negative outcome.

Research from PLoS One shows that action-oriented goals have a 58.9% success rate, significantly higher than the 47.1% for avoidance goals. In The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg explains the habit-loop theory and why quitting a habit is harder than forming a new one.

An example of action-oriented goals is 'Practice new skill daily,' while avoidance goals include quitting habits like drinking or smoking.

How Can Breaking Down Long-Term Goals Benefit You?

More than identifying your desired objectives, goal setting strategies enable you to match your ambition with action. Breaking down goals into measurable steps is a principle found in strategies like the SMART goal setting formula.

Here's why you should break down your long-term goals into daily tasks:

1. Habit Formation:

Achieving goals requires changing behaviors, and the science of habit formation relies on consistent, routine actions reinforced by positive results. Breaking down goals into daily actions speeds up this process.

2. Clarity:

Breaking big goals into daily steps provides and organizes a clear roadmap toward your goal. It helps align your strategies with your daily routine for consistent progress.

3. Motivation:

Completing daily tasks offers immediate rewards and boosts motivation as each small achievement leads to a bigger objective. According to the American Psychological Association, small wins increase next-day productivity by 44%, while daily progress markers improve long-term goal achievement by 57%.

4. Timeliness:

Breaking large goals into smaller, manageable tasks and setting specific daily timelines help you stay on track and avoid procrastination. A study by the University of California Research revealed that structured daily planning increases productivity by 25%.

5. Work-Life Balance:

Breaking tasks into smaller steps keeps you on track while allowing for personal time. Since they're achievable, you're less likely to feel overwhelmed or burned out, even with a busy schedule.

6. Writing:

Breaking goals into daily actions by writing them down in a goal-planning app or journal helps solidify them in memory, which boosts progress. A study by Dr. Gail Matthews' at Dominican University found that those who wrote down their goals were 33% more likely to achieve them.

For instance, if you're a marketing manager looking to gain entry-level data analysis skills, your daily steps could include:

• Day 1: Research data analytics courses on Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, or Udemy.
• Day 2: Review course options, content, and certifications; choose and register for one.
• Days 3-20: Dedicate 2 hours daily to watching video lectures and completing practice exercises.

What Are The Benefits Of Goal-Setting In Achieving Success?

Goal-setting is essential for steady progress in your pursuit of self-improvement. Goals define your long-term objectives and enable you to focus your efforts on relevant tasks. According to Locke and Latham, clear and challenging goals provide a sense of purpose and direction, which enhances commitment.

In addition to fostering focus, goal-setting significantly boosts motivation, often surpassing monetary incentives. By setting specific goals, you visualize a path toward your objective, allowing you to track your progress, evaluate your strategies, and make necessary adjustments.

Beyond professional and physical achievements, setting goals contributes to personal growth. It instills discipline, fosters a go-getter mindset, and helps build valuable habits that support lifelong development.

Moreover, goal-setting positively impacts mental health. Research published in the Journal of Happiness Studies highlights how learning to set and plan goals significantly improves psychological well-being. In fact, goal-setting is a major focus in many modern therapies, such as Problem-Solving Therapy (PST), which is used to treat depression.

Source: Evermind Group

By embracing goal-setting, you equip yourself with a framework that drives progress, builds resilience, and enhances overall well-being on your path to success.

Why Do I Set Goals But Never Achieve Them?

The goal-setting theory explains that goals become effective when they are measurable, specific, realistic, and relevant. If you set long-term goals but can't keep up with pursuing them, here are some mistakes you're making:

• Pursuing too many goals simultaneously stretches you thin and overwhelms you.
• Setting vague, large goals that you cannot visualize causes self-doubt.
• Setting unrealistic timelines for your goals and seeking immediate results.
• Not breaking down goals into daily actions you can repeat consistently for habit formation.

Get Daily Step Goal Planning In 2025 With GoalScript

A daily steps strategy is the secret to making progress on your goals throughout 2025. Write down the daily steps you need to take in a journal or on a goal-tracking app like GoalScript.

GoalScript's user-friendly features make it easy for busy professionals and other people on a tight schedule to set long-term goals and keep up with them successfully. The path to achieving goals should feel clear, not complicated, and here's how GoalScript can help:

• Clear, daily focus on goal-connected tasks
• Morning brief for clear directions
• Daily progress visibility
• Simple goal management with quick task creation
• Progress tracking and motivating feedback

If you want to develop new skills relevant to your industry or improve your work-life balance, GoalScript's Today Focus feature has all the tools you'll need.

Ready to make steady progress on your goals in 2025? Join our first 1,000 founding members and help build the next generation of productivity tools. Reserve your spot today!