Say NO to New Year Resolutions?

Say NO to New Year Resolutions?

???? STIMIES,

Happy New Year!

Right now, most people will be asking themselves existential questions like:

" Who am I?"

"What am I doing with my life?"

"Is it time to quit my job?"

While there are no easy answers to the above, some my recent conversations have helped me to rethink how I measure my life and year ahead.

You might find them helpful:

1. What does a 'successful year' mean to you?

I've always hated this question; it feels too broad and fluffy.

But a friend recently mentioned how he defines a 'successful year' as a year where he had a chance to:

  • Complete 4 week-long, full-immersive experiences - where he allows himself to pursue his curiosity, unrestrained
  • Complete 4 big creative projects

If he can achieve the above, then it's a successful year in spite of the doubts/uncertainties/disappointments that might arise.

I quite like this perspective. It's easy to let the bad trump the good but this is very measurable and helps keep things in perspective.

2. What are your intentions?

Instead of setting New Year resolutions, set your intentions for the year instead, i.e. broad ideas and mindsets that you want to maintain for 2025 to keep you on the path towards your True North.

For example with Sahil Bloom, his 5 intentions for 2025 are:

  • (1) Recognize time as the most valuable asset
  • (2) Control the controllable
  • (3) Find joy in the small
  • (4) Let go of the things that no longer serve me, and
  • (5) Go All In.

3. Set SMART goals, anti-goals & non-goals

Rather than setting New Year Resolutions, it's better to have more concrete SMART goals to aim for. SMART goals are:

  • Specific: Clearly defined
  • Measurable: Clear metrics/milestones to track your progress
  • Achievable
  • Relevant: Aligned with your overarching objectives and priorities.
  • Time-bound: Has a deadline

SMART goals are great to have, but it's good to strengthen them with:

(a) Anti-Goals

If your goal is to publish 30 LinkedIn posts in 2025, then your anti-goals could be:

  • (i) Don't write about any topics that don't cover your industry; and
  • (ii) Don't succumb to the urge to follow 'trends' and write superficial posts that seem to be doing well on LinkedIn

(b) Non Goals

It's easy to be distracted by shiny objects & want to achieve a million and one things. This is something I'm 100% guilty of.

Setting non-goals means being clear on what you DON'T want to achieve for 2025 (rather than being distracted and spending a couple hours here and there hoping to make something happen).

Fewer goals, better focus, greater results.

To learn more, you can see what Jay Clouse has written here.

*

That said, if you're someone who enjoys using tools to reflect on the past year/plan for the new year, then you might find these helpful:

  1. FutureMe: Write an email to yourself & schedule it for delivery anywhere from 1 month to 10 years from today!
  2. YearCompass: A 20-page booklet that helps you reflect on 2024 and plan for 2025
  3. Annual Review: I like what Dexter Zhang has done and his example might serve as an inspiration for how you can review your own year

I hope you find the above helpful.

Wishing you a great start to 2025!


Ling Yah

P/S: If you want to join the STIMY Community Directory, submit this form. The STIMY Community Directory is directory for people within the STIMY Community who've shared a little about who they are, what they're passionate about and the struggles that they're facing.

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Check it out to see if there is anyone you want to connect with

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7th STIMY Hangout

The 7th STIMY Hangout is now done & dusted!

We had ~40 pax come and time passed so fast... that half of the attendees had left before I remembered to take a group photo. ??

The event only wrapped up 5 hours later too!

You can read more about it here.

Interestingly, I received a number of queries from people asking if I'd like to do a singles edition/dating version of STIMY Hangouts. Not something I was thinking of when I first started organising these community events. Although I do wonder...

If there any interest in this singles edition?

February is around the corner! ??

Want to grow your personal brand?

Join the Build Your Why course to learn how to tell your story in simple, practical steps.

This is a beta launch so if you join now, you get a 50% discount as thanks for believing in a product that doesn't yet exist ??

You also get to build BYW with me!

Click HERE to learn more.


LinkedIn Personal Branding Corner

Here some of the most viral LinkedIn threads published in the last week or so:

  1. This was Steve Jobs’ favorite piece of art. - by Matt Schnuck
  2. I met a 1st-time founder who raised a $17M Series A from a16z—in just 14 days - by Pablo Srugo
  3. Harvard had 54,008 apply last year with a 3% acceptance rate. Because of that, I think most of us are too entitled. - by Albert Mao
  4. The Jeff Bezos interview at the DealBook summit was excellent. Some of my favorite things Jeff said: - by David Senra
  5. “are you free for a quick call?”- by Hailey Knott
  6. "Going viral" can be the worst thing for you. ??
  7. It's a lot easier to be 'authentic' online then you might think


Personal Branding Tip

[This is a small snippet of the lessons taught in the Build Your Why course, which you can join here]

Core memories are important.

Look at any person with a strong personal brand and you’ll notice that they tend to share the same stories over and over and over again.

It doesn’t matter how famous they are or how many books they’ve written. Those exact same stories will always pop up, one way or another.

I call them our 'core stories'.

The reason is simple:

  • These core stories form the foundation of their personal brand
  • New audiences are discovering them daily so those core stories need to be constantly retold
  • Even old audiences who have heard of them before will have forgotten their life journey; they need to be reminded!
  • Stories create emotional connections and engender trust

If famous people like Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey and Guy Kawasaki (former guest on Episode 39 of the So This Is My Why Podcast ) are always sharing their core stories, then we should too.

So if you're looking to build your personal brand, start by opening up a blank Google Doc and creating a list of core memories that come to mind. Keep adding to this list as you go along.

This is going to be a list that you'll always refer to as you build your personal brand online.

Some prompt questions to ask yourself:

  1. What were you like as a child?
  2. What do I (the third party) need to know about you to understand the person that is sitting in front of me today?
  3. Who are some of the most influential people in your life and why?

To obtain the full list of prompt questions and how to proper mine your core stories, check out the Build Your Why course!


P/S: If you were forwarded this email and want to subscribe to STIMY Newsletter or read past editions, CLICK HERE.


Ling Yah

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Aaron Lim JC

Investor Relations & Fundraising | Runs a Financial Markets newsletter on the side (personal interest)

1 个月

I have gradually come to the position that if we want to make changes to our lives, why delay it until the "new" year, why not just take small steps NOW? I am just going to wing it and hopefully make some progress in 2025. God help me Ling Yah

回复
Rae Fung

Speaker and Coach | Guiding industry leaders to become original thinkers and powerful communicators, so they can actually be heard, recognised, and create change. #OwnYourVoice

2 个月

I love the idea of Anti-Goals! Like having an Anti-Vision, it reminds us of the TRAP we want to avoid! This is a wonderful article to prepare us for the new year, thank you Ling Yah!

Craig Davis

I write really good LinkedIn comments ?? | Currently looking for a new Customer Success Associate role (DM me)

2 个月

I have a different point of view about New Year’s Resolutions. 1. I like to do yearly themes instead. Themes around the year. 2. I wrote a LinkedIn article on my theme for 2025 and why I chose it. 3. It’s better to plan around the year than to create resolutions which will fade over time. P.S. Thank you for the article, Ling!

cj Ng 黄常捷 - Sales Leadership Team Coach

I help B2B companies generate sustainable sales success | Global Membership Coordinator, IAC | Certified Shared Leadership Team Coach| PCC | CSP | Co-Creator, Sales Map | Author "Winning the B2B Sale in China"

2 个月

My resolution is to upgrade from 1080 to 4K in my videos ?? Just kidding.?? I will be writing darker and acerbic posts. And I got them for the next 4 weeks ?? BTW, given how fast things change, I think my definition of success will change quite often. And with that, I'll recalibrate my goals. Which is LinkedInese for screw it, let's start over ??

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