Why You Suck at Goals (and How to Change in 2025)

TRIBE Newsletter – December 20, 2024

December 20, 2024

Before we jump in:

We recently announced our 2025 retreat dates! The first will come up quickly, so here are the details:

Orlando Golf Retreat 🏌️

Reach out to Heather or Trenton if you have any questions! Now… onto the rest of the newsletter!

It’s the time of year when everyone starts talking about their… New Year’s resolutions.

“What’s your big plan for 2025?” “What’s your resolution?”

But here’s the thing... Most people fail at their goals. They start strong, lose focus, and fall back into old habits.

Why?

Because goal-setting is easy.

Goal execution is hard.

But… with the right approach, you can make 2025 the year you finally achieve the goals you’ve been chasing.

Let’s get into it.

The stats aren’t pretty: Over 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. But why?

Too vague. Too big
“Grow my business,” “get more customers,” or “double revenue” all sound great—but without specifics, they’re just wishes. Big goals without clear milestones can feel overwhelming and unattainable.
No structure or plan
Big goals need small, actionable steps. Without breaking them down, it’s hard to measure progress—and easy to get discouraged.
Daily distractions derail progress
Entrepreneurs are pulled in a hundred directions: emails, meetings, and unexpected fires to put out. Without focus, long-term goals get pushed aside.
Overcomplicating the process
Many founders mistake complexity for progress. A bloated plan filled with unnecessary steps or jargon makes execution harder and kills momentum.

One word for you: Execution. Here’s how you make it happen:

Mile Steps are your major projects—big moves that drive momentum.
Mini Feats are the small, day-to-day actions that build up to your Mile Steps.

Example:

Mile Step: Launch a new marketing campaign in Q1.
Mini Feats:
- Week 1: Brainstorm campaign ideas.
- Week 2: Draft the content.
- Week 3: Test messaging with a small audience.

Breaking big goals into smaller, bite-sized actions makes them feel doable—and gets you moving faster.

Goals shouldn’t be set in stone. Things change—markets, strategies, even your priorities.

Focus on clarity over complexity. A simple, actionable plan is easier to execute—and easier to communicate to your team.

Most people treat January 1 as the starting line. But any day can be your “Day 1.”

The magic happens whenever you start.

Don’t wait for January 1 or a Monday or the first of the month. Start now. Start today:

Set your own landmarks
- These are dates that feel significant to you. It could be your birthday, the start of a quarter, or even today.
- The point is to remove the pressure of a single “big” date and create momentum whenever you’re ready.
Start small and build momentum
- Instead of waiting to start cold outreach on January 1, send one email today. By next week, you’ll already be ahead.

The calendar doesn’t care when you start. What matters is that you do.

Successful entrepreneurs approach goals differently. Here are the three traits they master:

Focus
Don’t try to tackle everything at once. Identify one or two high-impact priorities each quarter, and commit to them.
Accountability
Share your goals with a mentor, accountability partner, or your team. Knowing someone is checking in keeps you motivated and on track.
Resilience
Setbacks happen. Successful founders don’t see them as failures—they see them as feedback. Use challenges to refine your approach and keep moving forward.

2025 isn’t about setting perfect goals. It’s about executing them.

Forget waiting for the “perfect” time. Forget overcomplicating the process. Forget the excuses.

Instead, start small. Stay consistent. Focus on progress, not perfection.

The Tribe community is here to help you win this year. What’s one goal you’re committing to in 2025? Hit reply and share it with us.

We can’t wait to see what you build,

— The Tribe Team