The Perfect Goal Setting Formula: A Step-by-Step Guide For 2025

Goal setting is a science that goes beyond identifying your long-term objectives. The best goal setting strategies for achievers must identify strategic steps to achieve those objectives.

Many new year's resolutions fail because people cannot visualize a path from reality to the desired outcome. A 2023 study from Forbes Health showed that 90% of people abandon their goals by the end of the year.

(Source: Forbes Health)

Want to set goals for the new year? Let’s explore the most successful goal setting formulas for 2025.

Modern Goal Setting Frameworks

These are techniques that guide you through the process of setting a goal that is clear, achievable, and trackable.

1. SMART goals

The SMART goal setting formula is one of the most popular strategies among professionals, students, and organizations. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

Here's how the strategy works:

• SPECIFIC

Goals must be well-defined and clear to visualize the process of attaining them.

Example: You're a marketing manager aiming to improve team performance. Identify a specific performance gap and align your goal with it.

Result: Manage Time To Improve Team Performance.

• MEASURABLE

Goals should be defined as actions to be performed within a set timeframe so that progress can be measured by how consistently the action is performed.

Example: Your team's major challenge with time management is how daily check-in meetings drag on, leaving less time for productivity.

Result: 'Discuss Daily Agenda In 15 Minutes To Manage Time’

• ACHIEVABLE

Choose actions that can realistically fit into your routine. You can start small; consistency is the key to habit formation and long-term success.

Example: Consider the subjects covered in daily team check-ins. Can all team members share their input within 15 minutes? If this goal isn’t realistic, adjust it to make it achievable.

Result: ‘Discuss Daily Agenda In 20 Minutes To Manage Time’

• RELEVANT

This criterion is also known as ‘Rewarding.’ Goals must align with long-term objectives to encourage continued effort.

Example: Your long-term objective is to improve your team's performance. Better time management will free up time to deliver high-quality marketing campaigns within set deadlines.

• TIME-BOUND

Goals should be designed to achieve broader objectives within a set timeframe. A sense of urgency can impact determination and commitment.

Example: You want to improve your team's performance within the coming year. Set a timeframe for your goals and assess your progress when the time elapses.

Result: ‘Discuss Daily Agenda In 20 Minutes To Manage Time & Improve Team Performance By Q2’

1. HARD

The HARD goal setting formula requires that goals are all of the following:

• Heartfelt: You commit better to goals if they align with your passions or address a genuine personal or professional concern.
• Animated: Imagining the outcome of your plans can motivate you to stay the course.
• Required: Align with outcomes essential to your personal or professional well-being to create a sense of obligation.
• Difficult: The sense of accomplishment you feel at the end of a challenging goal can motivate you.

1. WOOP

WOOP is an acronym for Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, and Plan. The formula includes the following steps:

• WISH: Set an ambitious long-term goal.
• OUTCOME: Envision your success and what you stand to gain by achieving your goals.
• OBSTACLE: Consider what possible challenges stand in the way of reaching your goals
• PLAN: Make a detailed plan to help you commit to and achieve your goals.

Other effective goal setting formulas include OKRs (Objectives & Key Results), a popular technique companies and organizations use to align team efforts and track progress. Locke and Latham's goal setting theory also proposes five principles to help individuals create attainable goals.

7 Steps To Create An Action Plan That Works

A good action plan should answer the 6 W's: What, Why, Who, When, Where, and Which. These questions encourage self-reflection, allowing you to examine your desires, intents, and limitations as you create a strategy to achieve your goal.

(Source: Canva)

Here's how to create your action plan:

• Step 1: Write down specific steps you need to take to achieve your goals
• Step 2: Why are you choosing to pursue this goal? Note down what you stand to gain.
• Step 3: List and connect with people you need on the journey.
• Step 4: Set a timeline for achieving your goal and create milestones to track progress.
• Step 5: List the ideal locations to pursue your goal and ensure you have access to them.
• Step 6: List the resources, materials, or conditions you need for your journey and get them.
• Step 7: Take action. Follow the steps you outlined, stay consistent, and track your progress.

Progress Tracking Methods For Achievers

Progress tracking allows you to identify patterns during your journey and refine your strategies. It also encourages accountability and provides motivation to stay on course.

There are different approaches to goal tracking, and here are a few:

1. Writing Goals

Studies show that 48% of goal-setters always write their goals down, and research confirms that people who do are more likely to succeed. Writing down your goals helps commit them to memory and keeps you conscious of your progress.

1. Marking Milestones

Create incremental milestones as markers of progress while drawing up your action plan. Celebrate your achievement when you hit one to stay motivated.

1. Journalling

Document your journey routinely, recording your ideas, achievements, and setbacks. It will give you a clear view of your progress and how effective your strategy is.

1. Accountability Check-ins

Have an accountability partner or check in with your team to get external opinions on your progress. People who submit weekly accountability reports tend to achieve 40% more than those who don't.

1. Digital Trackers

Software tools like GoalScript offer advantages over traditional journals by providing automated goal-tracking features and data-driven insights into your journey.

Real Life Goal Setting Success Stories

98% of company leaders say their company has a goal setting framework. Why? Because they work!

Many individuals and public figures have attributed their achievements to strategic goal setting frameworks. A notable example is Hollywood star Jim Carrey, who went from hardship to stardom.

1990, while he was still a struggling comic, he wrote himself a $10 million check for 'acting services rendered,' dated it for 1995, and stuck it in his wallet. Before Thanksgiving 1995, he secured a $10 million role on Dumb and Dumber.

All those years before, he had visualized his goal, wrote it down, and with that check as a constant reminder, he worked hard towards it.

Effective Goal Setting & Tracking For Long-Term Success

Goal setting frameworks enable you to define your goals in a way that makes them achievable. However, beyond this, you must draw up an action plan for your goals and track your progress to become successful.

Here's how GoalScript helps:

• Provides a clear structure for breaking down long-term career goals into actionable steps
• Offers daily and weekly planning features that help prioritize tasks
• Tracks engagement patterns and progress streaks to provide insightful feedback
• Offers milestone tracking, progress reminders, and achievement recognition for motivation

Whether you're restructuring your goals for measurability or trying to fit your goals into a busy schedule, GoalScript's natural goal evolution and effective prioritization tools will keep you on track.

Ready to shape the future of goal achievement? Join our first 1,000 founding members and help build the next generation of productivity tools. Reserve your spot today.