Sheila Lirio Marcelo

As the new year approaches, many of us begin to reflect on our goals and aspirations. The tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions is a time-honored practice, yet the key challenge remains: how do we convert these resolutions into tangible realities? In this blog post, I’ll share the strategy of agile goal-setting, a dynamic approach widely adopted in the startup world, including within my own ventures. This methodology, battle-tested in the unpredictable world of startups, holds remarkable potential for navigating the complexities and uncertainties of our personal lives. I’ll introduce three fundamental concepts, derived from the goal-setting strategies we implement in my companies, to help you craft effective and achievable New Year’s resolutions for 2024. 

1. Define your ‘North Star’ as a New Years Resolution

What is a North Star and why use it for your New Year’s Resolution?

In a start-up, we use the concept of a North Star in order to direct all our goals throughout the whole year, offering a clear, long-term direction. Startups operate in dynamic, often chaotic environments. 

A North Star goal helps in maintaining focus amidst rapid changes and uncertainties. In startups and personal endeavors, a North Star ensures that all efforts and resources are aligned towards a singular, overarching aim. 

It also  facilitates decision-making: when faced with difficult choices, the North Star serves as a reference point. Decisions can be evaluated based on how well they align with this overarching goal, simplifying the decision-making process.

Here are some examples of North Star Resolutions:

– Family and Relationships: If family is a central value, a North Star New Years Resolution might be, “Strengthen and deepen family bonds.” This guides actions towards spending quality time with family, improving communication, or creating meaningful family experiences.

– Health and Wellness: If your core value is health, your North Star could be, “Achieve a balanced and healthy lifestyle.” This would guide decisions towards better nutrition, regular exercise, and mental well-being.

– Personal Growth: For someone valuing personal development, your New Years Resolution might be, “Continuously learn and grow.” This could direct choices towards acquiring new skills, reading more, or engaging in activities that challenge and expand one’s perspectives.

– Career Advancement: For career-oriented individuals, the 2024 goal could be, “Significantly progress in my professional career.” This would influence activities like pursuing further education, seeking mentorship, or taking on challenging projects at work.

– Creativity and Expression: If creativity is a key value, your New Years Resolution could be, “Nurture and express my creativity.” This might lead to regular engagement in creative pursuits like writing, painting, or music.

– Each of these examples aligns towards a broad, aspirational goal with a core personal value, providing a clear direction for the year’s decisions and actions.

Note: Since your North Star represents a core value, you don’t need to have a new one every year. The important thing is progressing using milestones – the next tip!

2. Have a 2024 Roadmap with Monthly Milestones 

What is a Roadmap and Milestones?

Roadmap: Startups create roadmaps to outline their strategic plan to reach their North Star. It serves as a visual representation of where the company aims to go over a specific period.

Milestone Setting: Milestones in a startup context are specific targets or deliverables that mark significant points along the roadmap. They are often tied to product development phases, revenue goals, or other critical smaller achievements that move the company towards their overarching North Star goal.

Why create a New Years Resolution Roadmap and Milestones?

Setting specific, achievable goals for each month is similar to defining milestones. These goals are tangible and smaller targets that mark your progress towards your broader North Star goal. Just as milestones motivate startup teams by breaking down daunting objectives into achievable chunks, setting monthly goals can keep you motivated and engaged in your personal journey this coming 2024.

Review and Celebrate your Milestones!

Remember, Monthly Milestones are not just checkpoints; they’re real reasons to pause and pat yourself on the back. Nailed a milestone? Great, celebrate it — you’ve earned it! And don’t forget to extend thanks to those who’ve supported you along the way. In both the startup world and personal endeavors, recognizing our achievements and the contributions of our supporters is key. It fuels our motivation and sets the stage for future successes. 

Lastly, Monthly Milestones give you the chance to reassess your progress and efforts from the past month. Missed a milestone? No stress, it’s common in the startup world too! This is your perfect opportunity to reevaluate and, if needed, iterate or pivot. We’ll dive deeper into this later.

An Example of Monthly Goal-Setting or ‘Milestones’:

If your North Star goal is focused on “Family,” your monthly milestones can be designed to strengthen family relationships and create meaningful experiences together. Here are some examples of what these milestones might look like:

January Milestone: Family Game Night Tradition

– Milestone: Establish a weekly family game night.

– Activities: Select a variety of games that cater to all family members’ interests and ages.

February Milestone: Bond Through Memories

– Milestone: Create a family photo album or digital slideshow.

– Activities: Gather photos, involve family members in selecting their favorites, and work together on the album.

March Milestone: Outdoor Activities

– Milestone: Plan and go on a family outdoor trip.

– Activities: Choose a location, plan activities, and ensure everyone participates in the preparation.

April Milestone: Learn Together

– Milestone: Start a family learning project or hobby.

– Activities: Pick something new to learn together, like a cooking class, gardening, or a craft.

May Milestone: Health and Wellness

– Milestone: Initiate a family health challenge.

– Activities: Include activities like shared exercise routines, healthy meal planning, and wellness check-ups.

June Milestone: Family History Project

– Milestone: Explore your family’s history or create a family tree.

– Activities: Research, collect stories from extended family members, and maybe even plan visits to places of family significance.

July Milestone: Volunteer together

– Milestone: Participate in a community service or charity event as a family.

– Activities: Choose a cause important to your family and find ways to contribute together.

August Milestone: Try a New Family Hobby, Interest or Sport

– Milestone: Get into a new sport or hobby as a family. 

– Activities: This could include rock-climbing, cycling, starting a new Netflix series or even playing video games together! Remember that not everyone will love the same thing, so try different ones to find something everyone can enjoy!

September Milestone: Back to School 

– Milestone: Establish a supportive back-to-school routine.

– Activities: Organize pick up and drop off times, create a better system of organizing your family calendar. 

October Milestone: The Build Up to Halloween

– Milestone: Plan and create family Halloween costumes or decorations.

– Activities: Work on costumes or decorations together, making it a fun and creative process.

November: Expressing Gratitude

– Milestone: Focus on expressing gratitude as a family.

– Activities: Share daily gratitudes, write thank you notes, or start a gratitude jar.

December: Holiday Traditions

– Milestone: Create or continue a special family holiday tradition.

– Activities: This could involve baking, gift-giving, storytelling, or a special family outing.

As you can see, setting smaller, more focused goals each month transforms the seemingly vague ambition of ‘spending more time with family’ into a practical and achievable roadmap. This approach not only makes your New Year’s resolutions feel more tangible but also provides a clear path to accomplishing them.

3. Iterate your Monthly Goals or ‘Milestones’

At the end of each month, take time to review your progress. Reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and understand why you didn’t hit your milestones. Use these insights to adapt and make necessary adjustments for the upcoming month. 

What is the Iterative Strategy?

Startups often employ the methodology of iteration due to its agility in an uncertain environment. Markets, consumer preferences, and technology can change rapidly. Iteration allows startups to respond to these changes swiftly. It also encourages a culture of continuous learning and innovation within a startup. Teams are able to experiment, learn from failures, and pivot when necessary.  My mantra: it’s about evolution, and not revolutions!

Why Apply the Iterative Approach to my New Year’s Resolutions?

Just as markets and technologies evolve in the startup world, our personal lives are also just as chaotic. Iteration allows us to adapt our goals as our circumstances, priorities, or understanding of what we truly want changes throughout the year.

More importantly, it allows us to assess, learn and adjust our approach every month. Sometimes people are discouraged when they are not able to achieve their goals. Remember, THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN at some point, both in business or in your personal journey. So the concept of iteration is valuable because it is founded on the notion that you will encounter setbacks and enables you to navigate them properly. 

(Keep in mind, the purpose of New Year’s Resolutions are to help you evolve into a better version of yourself, not yardsticks to measure your self-worth!)

This iterative and agile approach fosters continuous improvement rather than striving for immediate perfection. By applying this mindset to New Years Resolutions, we focus on making consistent progress, celebrating small wins, and learning from the journey, rather than being fixated on a perfect outcome. 

How to apply the Iterative Approach to your New Year’s Resolutions:

As you conduct your monthly milestone review, evaluate potential improvements for the upcoming month. If you didn’t meet the previous month’s milestone, focus on identifying ‘low-hanging fruit’ for the next month – these are goals that are easier to accomplish but still make an impact. In the startup world, we prioritize based on their level of effort and potential impact. Opting for high-impact, low-effort goals is a strategic choice that can help build momentum and confidence.

5 Examples of How to Iterate your Monthly Milestones to Goals that are ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’:

Example 1: Family Time Goal

– Previous Month’s Challenge: Difficulty in scheduling extended family outings or activities due to busy schedules.

– Next Month’s Low-Hanging Fruit Goal: Implement a daily “15-minute family check-in” where everyone shares their day’s experiences or thoughts over a snack or before bedtime. This is a simpler commitment compared to organizing large outings, yet it effectively increases quality family interaction and strengthens bonds.

Example 2: Personal Fitness Goal

– Previous Month’s Milestone missed: Struggled to attend an hour-long gym session every day.

– Next Month’s Low-Hanging Fruit Goal: Switch to a 15-minute high-intensity home workout. It’s less time-consuming but still effective in improving fitness.

Example 3: Learning a New Skill

– Previous Month’s Milestone Challenge: Difficulty in finding time for a lengthy online course.

– Next Month’s Low-Hanging Fruit Goal: Listen to educational podcasts on the same topic during your commute. This integrates learning into your existing routine without additional time commitment.

Example 4: Improving Mental Well-being

– Previous Month’s Milestone Missed: Hard to maintain a daily 30-minute meditation practice.

– Next Month’s Low-Hanging Fruit Goal: Start with 5 minutes of mindfulness or breathing exercises each morning. Shorter duration but still beneficial for mental health.

Example 5: Enhancing Professional Networking

– Previous Month’s Milestone Challenge: Not able to attend multiple networking events.

– Next Month’s Low-Hanging Fruit Goal: Focus on connecting with one professional per week on LinkedIn and engaging in meaningful conversations. This requires less effort but can still significantly expand your network.

As we step into 2024, let’s embrace the agility and adaptability of startup strategies in our personal lives. By defining a North Star, setting a roadmap with monthly milestones, and iteratively adapting our strategies, we can make our New Year’s resolutions more than just wishes – we can turn them into achievable, life-enhancing realities. Follow me on Instagram to know what my North Star New Year Resolution will be for 2024.