We’ve passed the halfway point of 2025, and many of us are reflecting on (and potentially resetting) resolutions we began the year with. I know I’m currently working to re-focus my energy on certain resolutions that fell a little off the radar. For example, my goal to stop snoozing my alarm hasn’t been the easiest for me to stay true to.

With mid-year reflection and planning on the mind, I recently attended a Caffeinated Conversation, hosted by the Schreiber Institute for Women’s Leadership, which focused on the topic of goal setting. I found this session to be very informative, and it re-energized me to take a look at my goals and progress.

Before the event, we were sent a couple of articles to read and Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” TED Talk to watch. These resources set the stage for the session and discussion.

Here are my key takeaways:

Don’t just define your goals, define the types

One of the articles explained the three types of goals: outcome, performance, and process. Outcome goals are the big picture things that you want to accomplish. Performance goals have to do with how well you are able to do something. Process goals are more tactical; they are the day-to-day goals you have that help you accomplish performance goals and outcome goals.

My goal of waking up when my alarm first goes off (and not snoozing) is a process goal. It’s a “procedural behavior” and completely in my control to do (although, I don’t always like to admit that).

It’s ideal to have a mix of outcome, performance, and process goals. If you only have outcome goals, they can be difficult to obtain without the “baby steps” or behaviors implemented with process goals. If you only have process goals, then you aren’t looking at the bigger picture. And, I see performance goals as very beneficial for ongoing motivation and development! Each goal type plays an important role in helping you get to where you want to be.

Goals and habits work together

When you know what you want, it’s easy to figure out what’s going to help you and what’s going to hinder you. Define the right choices to make and make them habitually.

During the session, we talked about how you won’t enjoy 100% of the process when working towards your goals. But that doesn’t mean the process is incorrect. It can be hard work to break bad habits and build better ones!

Start with why

So, how do you stay motivated to accomplish your goals? Return to your “why”! When we are clear on our “why,” we find motivation for our “how.” Simon Sinek has a great way of explaining this in his TED Talk. I highly recommend giving it a watch if you haven’t seen it before.

But, you may be wondering, “how do I find my why?”. This is a unique experience for each individual, but here are some questions we discussed to consider:

• What’s your one-word purpose?
• What lights you up?
• What brings you joy?
• What gets you in a flow state?

Enjoy your current season

While talking about goal setting, it’s easy to fall into a “hustle” mentality. But you can be grounded and ambitious. You can set goals and create a vision for the future while still appreciating and enjoying everything you have now. You know the saying: “Rome wasn’t built in a day.”

What’s a goal you want to accomplish before the end of 2025? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments or on Instagram. Let’s chat!