20 Questions for 2025
Be audacious
In addition to this newsletter, I recommend some other great ones. All free. Check them out here.
Friends,
Last year, I sent a reminder for you to set up your goals for the forthcoming year, and a few of you wanted this to come a little earlier.
So, this is your reminder. [and a slightly different post for this week]
As we progress towards 2025, I’d encourage you (as I do every year) to set personal goals for the year ahead. Resolutions to lose more weight, be more healthy and get richer are simply useless. If that’s your goal, have a plan. And make sure it’s SMART.
On the first day of the year, I sit with my family, and we work through an exercise to reflect on the year and plan goals for the following year. We also give suggestions to each other. I employ a simple template of what went well, what went poorly, plans for the year ahead, and hopes for each other. It’s the simplest way to do it, and it’s also gratifying. We also chuckle at previous years’ goals and etch some great hopes and wins to our heads. It helps in manifesting success.
Also, it’s good to have goals - even if you don’t achieve them - as long as you have tried. If you had the goal in the first place, there was a reason for it. It may change with more information or become increasingly difficult because of the balance of other goals or the day-to-day execution of your life - but at least you had a goal - something to aim for. I sometimes change these goals mid-year - or get more realistic with the ambition. And sometimes you get knocked for six by force majeure or multiple situations, as has happened to me this year. If this happens, you must reflect, regroup, take stock and go again when the time is right. I’m in this process right now, so I have spent a bit of time deep-diving into this area. So, hold yourself accountable, introspect, and set your goals for the year.
I had a surprising conversation with a friend last month. They told me their goal for next year was to get on the AI bandwagon. When I probed further, they hadn’t used Chat-GPT yet. If you’re in that boat, sign up for Sabrina’s Free Chat-GPT Course for beginners. It’s great.
The reason why goals are increasingly important is because of the noise and because of focus. If you focus on the goals that will get you where you want to be, you’re more likely to get there. I think we live in a world with many distractions, a more technology-driven world, that is more complicated and increasingly burdensome. This year should have shown that to you. This decade should be a clear indicator. Artificial Intelligence has made the world murky. And while we think of technology in waves, we are correct at the beginning of this wave where many companies and industries are simply thinking a few steps ahead - rather than creating a new north star. So, until we are mid-cycle - until the AI age is more mature, we need to be laser-focused on what we want to get done personally and not let the noise get to us.
If you need a full system, use the template from Year Compass. It’s got great coverage but I find it a little long and prescriptive to do with a group, so something just for yourself.
Or follow Dan Silverstre’s approach. I like his approach - and thinking in themes.
You’ll also find James Clear’s approach useful for framing: “The real challenge is not determining if you want the result, but if you are willing to accept the sacrifices required to achieve your goal. Do you want the lifestyle that comes with your quest? Do you want the boring and ugly process that comes before the exciting and glamorous outcome? It’s easy to sit around and think about what we could do or what we’d like to do. It is an entirely different thing to accept the tradeoffs that come with our goals. Everybody wants a gold medal. Few people want to train like an Olympian.”
Either way, have your own plan. These are my full set of questions that you are welcome to share
I do think you need to consider multiple facets of your life as you project forward:
Relationships (family, friendships, romantic relationships, family)
Health (physical and emotional)
Career
Money & Finance
Home
Fun & Leisure
Personal Growth (read Box of Amazing more often!)
If you want something to help you think about your goals for 2025 over the following few weeks, start with these more profound questions. They’ll help you get ahead and frame what’s important. I don’t think these are exclusive questions for year goals, but that’s when most people think about setting goals (if at all), so it’s a time for pondering - and pertinent for December.
Question 3 and 20 if you want just two.
The 20 Questions (Full list here)
What were my most significant accomplishments last year, and why were they meaningful to me?
What values are most important to me, and how do they influence my decisions
If today were the last day of my life, would I do what I’m about to do today?
What future version of myself would make me proud if I met them today?
What limiting beliefs have held me back, and how can I rewrite them into empowering truths?
If time, money, and failure were no obstacles, what is the most audacious goal I would pursue?
What legacy do I want to leave behind, and how do my current actions contribute to it?
What is the one thing I could achieve that would make the rest of my life feel deeply fulfilling?
What small, consistent actions will move me closer to my daily goals?
What habits or distractions do I need to eliminate or replace to progress toward my goals?
How do I ensure that each day is a small step toward becoming the person I aspire to be?
How will achieving this/these goals make me feel, and what emotional rewards do I anticipate?
What deeper purpose or value drives my goals, and how can I stay connected to it throughout the year?
What emotions, if amplified, would make my journey toward my goals more joyful and fulfilling?
Am I surrounding myself with people who inspire, challenge, and motivate me to be better?
Is there anyone I need to thank for their support or encouragement?
What does success look like at each milestone, and how will I measure progress?
How will I adapt my goals and actions if circumstances change unexpectedly?
What is my deepest “Why” behind each goal? Why does this matter to me?
If I knew I had only one year left to live, what goals would I prioritise?
I have put together a more extended list for those who want to dive deep.
Why these questions? They will encourage deep reflection on values, strengths, and purpose and align daily actions with long-term aspirations. They will help you to drive practical action while balancing emotional and motivational alignment. If you’re looking for the right supportive environment for Growth, they will get you thinking about building resilience and adaptability for your long-term success. Answering these questions thoughtfully can lead to transformative insights and set the foundation for a fulfilling, purpose-driven life within the confines of an AI age.
I also think it’s worth considering some BHAGs (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) or Epics. BHAGs are a large-scale goal of great importance that is also bold, somewhat risky, and high-stakes. For example, set a few goals that push you to your limit - be well-known within your industry, do a 30-minute keynote speech to 100 people, climb Kilimanjaro. One of my goals for last year was to double this newsletter to 20,000. I’m currently short, but I might get close if you forward this to a few family members or colleagues!
While I don’t think you should review these goals every month, doing a mid-year accountability check will help you achieve whatever you want to achieve next year.
Stay Curious - and don’t forget to be amazing,
Here are my recommendations for this week:
One of the best tools to provide excellent reading and articles for your week is Refind. It’s a great tool for keeping ahead with “brain food” relevant to you and giving serendipity for some excellent articles that you may have missed. You can dip in and sign up for weekly, daily or something in between -what’s guaranteed is that the algorithm sends you only the best articles in your chosen area. It’s also free. Highly recommended Sign up.
Now
Bird Flu Virus Is One Mutation Away from Binding More Efficiently to Human Cells - A new study finds tweaking part of the H5N1 virus infecting dairy cows in a single spot could allow it to better attach to human cell receptors, raising concerns it could transmit more easily between people.
Friend or Faux - Millions of people are turning to AI for companionship. They find the experience surprisingly meaningful, unexpectedly heartbreaking, and profoundly confusing, leaving them to wonder, ‘Is this real? And does that matter?’
Why do so many young people suddenly have cancer? - When you were born is actually an important risk factor for cancer.
How to avoid being a toxic friend - A few simple steps to improve your relationships can help make sure you are the kind of friend you would wish to have yourself.
Why Aging Experts Are Obsessed With ‘Health Span’ - Trying to stay healthy into old age is a better goal than attempting to live as long as possible.
Next
AI Generated Business: The Rise of AGI and the Rush to Find a Working Revenue Model - report about the business models behind the Gen-AI companies that raise millions.
The race is on to make AI agents do your online shopping for you - they’re supposed to navigate retail websites for you, find the products you’re looking for, and even click the checkout button on your behalf.
Certain names make ChatGPT grind to a halt, and we know why - Filter resulting from subject of settled defamation lawsuit could cause trouble down the road.
OpenAI is charging $200 a month for an exclusive version of its o1 ‘reasoning’ model - The company is introducing ChatGPT Pro, a new $200 monthly subscription tier that includes unlimited access to OpenAI o1, GPT-4o, and Advanced Voice mode. It also includes a version of o1, exclusive to Pro users, that uses more compute to provide the best possible answer to the most complex problems (called o1 pro mode). The company will continue offering a Plus tier for $20 a month that includes early access to new features, all the company’s models (except the more powerful o1 version), and more.
Google Introduces AI Agent That Aces 15-Day Weather Forecasts - GenCast, from the company’s DeepMind division, outperformed the world’s best predictions of deadly storms and everyday weather.
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"If today were the last day of my life, would I do what I'm about to do today."
We should never stop asking ourselves this question.