How to set goals for 2025!

Every year, I reflect on the importance of setting goals. It’s a practice that not only shapes my future, it keeps me focused and also ensures I’m not wasting the most precious resource of all: time. Wasted time, after all, is worse than wasted money. You can always earn back the money, but time? That’s a one-way street.

In 2025, I encourage you to approach goal-setting with intention and balance. My framework for this stems from a method my sister Bernice Fernandes, MBA taught me a few years ago. It’s straightforward, actionable, and addresses six key areas of life:

1. Personal
2. Financial
3. Relationship
4. Professional
5. Health
6. Spiritual

I’ll explain each one of these below.

1. Personal Goals

Personal goals are all about self-growth and fulfilment. They help you become a better version of yourself by focusing on aspects that matter most to you. These might include improving time management, mastering a new skill, traveling solo, committing to journaling, or even finishing a book each month.

For 2025, consider asking yourself: What habits or hobbies can I develop that will make me feel more accomplished by year’s end?

2. Financial Goals — Review Monthly.

Managing your finances isn’t just about saving money; it’s about creating freedom and peace of mind. One simple yet powerful practice I’ve adopted is tracking my ‘net worth’ monthly. I list my bank balances, stocks, crypto holdings, and any other assets in a spreadsheet. It’s not complicated, but it’s transformative. It helps you make better decisions.

To help with this, I’ve made a very simple and basic version of a spreadsheet I use which you can click here to download.

For 2025, define your financial aspirations. Perhaps you’ll aim to save a specific percentage of your income, start investing, or maybe save up for that side hustle or holiday.

Remember, what is not measured, can’t get improved.

3. Relationship Goals

Relationships enrich our lives, but they require effort and intentionality. These goals focus on strengthening bonds with your partner, family, or friends.

For me, I think this one is really important. I think we (I’m really bad at this) often focus too much on trying to become successful but I end up missing a lot of special moments with my family, friends, birthdays, funerals, weddings, child births, reunions. It’s not something I’m proud of but something I’m proactively doing my best to change.

With Family → Cherish your loved ones, family is important — a yearly trip with my parents has become a tradition I started this year that ensures we spend quality time together.

With friends → 2 years ago, my friends sat me down about my workaholic tendencies which inspired a change. I organised a 30th birthday trip to Zanzibar, bringing 52 friends to Zanzibar, and followed it up with a smaller trip to Hong Kong with close friends this for my Birthday this year. Spending a few days with my friends.

In 2025, think about how you can prioritise the people who matter most. It could be as simple as planning a monthly dinner or as big as organising a group vacation. Or it could be about dating and finding ‘your person.’

4. Professional Goals

Your career is where you spend a significant chunk of your time, so setting clear professional goals is essential. Whether it’s aiming for a promotion, launching a business, learning how to code, or attending networking events, these goals keep you motivated and focused.

If you are a founder or entrepreneur, your goals here might be around a revenue target, money you want to raise and so on.

In 2023 December, I set a goal of raising $30million Series A in 2024. In 2024, we raised $40 million, you can read about it here.

For 2025, this might be the year you want to — start that side hustle you have been thinking about, or pivoting to a new industry, writing this down helps you define where you’d like to grow in your career and how you’ll get there.

Write it down. It’s a simple step that makes your ambition concrete.

5. Health Goals

Your health is your wealth, and small daily habits compound over time. In 2021, I took on the challenge of avoiding beef/steak for an entire year. It was a game-changer for my discipline and overall well-being. In 2022, I took on the challenge of avoiding chocolate for the entire year. It wasn’t that I had an addiction, for me this practice was partially to exercise my discipline.

In 2024, my goal was to pick up a new sport I could be consistent with, I failed at the consistency part but I did pick up playing Padel.

For 2025, consider health goals that resonate with you. It might be committing to daily walks, playing padel twice a week, or joining a run club and finally doing your first 10K (one of my goals for 2025). Remember, the secret to your health’s future is hidden in your daily routine.

6. Spiritual Goals

Spiritual goals connect you to something greater than yourself. Whether it’s through faith, meditation, or self-reflection, these goals ground and guide you. For me, my relationship with Jesus is the cornerstone of my life. One of my 2024 goals was to attend church every Sunday, and I’ve hit 50 out of 52. The goal wasn’t just attending church but this helped me become disciplined about my prayer life and relationship with God.

For 2025, think about where you find peace and purpose. It could be dedicating time to prayer, meditating daily, or volunteering for a cause that aligns with your values.

Final Thoughts

If you don’t take responsibility, you take orders. That’s a principle of life.

Goal-setting isn’t just about writing down what you want to achieve; it’s about creating a roadmap for a meaningful and intentional life. By focusing on these six types of goals, you can ensure that 2025 isn’t just another year but a year of growth, connection, and fulfilment.

You need to make sure you are accountable when you set goals. Ultimately, the only person to be accountable to, is yourself.

Take some time to reflect on what matters most to you and write down your goals. Stress less about what others think, don’t get caught up in material possessions, and value experiences over things. Take risks and embrace opportunities to appreciate the simple joys in life.

Remember, it’s never too late to start.