Yearly planning and goal-setting

As the year comes to a close, it’s the perfect time to pause, reflect on your accomplishments over the past 12 months, and set meaningful goals for the year ahead.

If you’re someone who dreams big but struggles to turn those goals into reality; perhaps because planning and tracking feel overwhelming, this blog is here to guide you.

I’ll share my step-by-step process for yearly planning and goal-setting, helping you clarify your objectives, create a solid plan, and stay committed to achieving what matters most to you. 

I absolutely love using Notion for all my digital organisation, including my yearly planning and goal-setting. While you’re welcome to use any system that works best for you, all the images in this blog are taken from my 2025 yearly planning and goal-setting page, which I’ve specifically designed in Notion for this planning process.

Step 1: Choose Your Word for the Year Select a word to define your year. Something that aligns with your aspirations and serves as a constant reminder of what you aim to accomplish.

Step 2: Define Your Personal and Career Goals Start by creating two lists: your top 5 personal goals and your top 5 career goals. Separating your personal and professional aspirations helps you focus on both areas of your life without feeling limited. This approach encourages balance and gives you the freedom to dream big in both areas of your life, ensuring neither is overlooked. 

Step 3: Get Specific

Get specific with your goals. This means getting clear and intentional by writing a detailed sentence that explains exactly what you want to achieve. It should outline the specifics of your intentions and the steps you'll take to reach them.

This clarity creates a vivid picture of your goals, making them more actionable and motivating, helping you stay on track throughout the year. 

Step 4: Collect Visual Inspiration

Gather a collection of inspiring images that help you visualise both your personal and professional goals. Pinterest is an excellent tool for this, but you can also use personal photos or content from social media. Save or screenshot your favourite visuals so they’re ready to use when you start creating your vision board.

Step 5: Design Your Vision Board

Create a vision board! You can use my Canva Vision Board Template to design yours or create your own if you're feeling especially creative. Upload your carefully chosen inspirational images, arrange them in a way that resonates with you and include descriptive words that align with your goals.

Save your vision board and add it to your yearly planning and goal-setting document you have just created. I recommend also displaying it in different spots where you’ll see it daily. I keep digital versions on my computer and phone, along with printed copies in my bedroom and workspace, to stay constantly reminded of my goals.

Step 6: Set Your Top Priorities

Outline your top 3 priorities for each set of goals (personal and career) that you want to accomplish in the first quarter of the year (Jan-Mar). These should be realistic, actionable steps that will guide you toward achieving your larger goals by the end of the year.

At the end of each quarter, take time to review your progress. Reflect on what you accomplished, areas for improvement, and identify your priorities for the next quarter to stay on track or realign with your overall yearly vision.

Step 7: Take Action on Your Goals

You're ready to turn your goals into reality! With your yearly plan and goals clearly outlined, you can start the year with focus and purpose. This detailed plan will serve as your roadmap, helping you stay on track and refer to it as you work towards achieving your goals. Use this document to guide you daily, breaking your larger objectives into actionable steps that bring you closer to your quarterly goals. For extra guidance, check out my blog post 'Organising Your Life for Success', where I share how to build daily habits, plan your week, and set boundaries to stay focused and achieve your goals with ease.

Remember, one small step each day is all it takes.

I’d love to see what you create! Feel free to tag me on Instagram @ashleighorchard or email me to share your yearly planning and goals. I can’t wait to see your vision come to life!