January 2025 is almost over—how are those New Year’s resolutions holding up? If you’re worried you’ve already fallen off-track, don’t panic: tomorrow (Jan. 29) kicks off the Lunar New Year, so consider this your official second chance to start fresh!
If you’re anything like me—a busy dad with two little ones under age two—life can get hectic fast. Yet as a personal development enthusiast, I’ve always got goals on my mind. I want to improve myself, nurture my family life, grow professionally, and strengthen my spiritual life.
As a health actuary, I’ve spent years mastering the art and science of building models that break complex problems down into simple components. As the head of analytics for a virtual primary care practice, I transform raw data into actionable insights and turn plain numbers into intuitive visuals. Then it dawned on me: Why not apply those same analytics skills to goal setting?
After extensive research—from Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, James Clear’s Atomic Habits, and more—I created a four-step system that has helped my wife and me realign with our New Year’s goals. Now, I’m excited to share this simple yet effective template—plus a custom GPT coach I built—to help you crush your 2025 goals!
Step 1: Establish Your Goals Through F.L.O.W.
I believe true success in life should be viewed holistically. Over the years, I’ve read countless (yes, too many) self-help books since founding WeZBest in 2017, all while navigating my personal development from my 20s into my 30s—and transitioning from college grad to father of two. Through it all, I landed on four key areas that form the foundation of a balanced, meaningful life—what I call F.L.O.W.:
- Faith
- What do you believe in beyond yourself?
- Having a spiritual anchor gives you purpose and resilience—something bigger to lean on when life inevitably gets tough. Having a spiritual anchor gives you purpose and resilience—something bigger to lean on when life inevitably gets tough.
- After a lifetime of unimaginable wealth and glory, King Solomon’s final realization essentially boils down to: everything is meaningless without God. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
- Love
- Meaningful connections with family, friends, and community are #1 factor to long-term happiness and even longevity (the world’s longest study on happiness, Harvard Study of Adult Development, proves this).
- Love fosters a sense of belonging, support, and shared purpose—which ultimately enriches every other area of life.
- Optimal health
- Without a healthy body and mind, it’s tough to perform at your best in any domain.
- Work
- Whether it’s your career, a passion project, or a skill you want to master, work goals keep you growing.
By defining goals in these four areas, you’ll avoid the pitfall of focusing on just one part of life and neglecting the rest.
Step 2: Clarify Your Goal (Who, Why)
To statically increase your odds of achieving your F.L.O.W. goals. Know your identity and motivation.
- Who you want to be while accomplishing it (your identity).
- Research shows that claiming an identity—like “I am a voter,” “I am a runner”—boosts follow-through because you act in accordance with who you believe you are.
- Why it matters to you.
- As Simon Sinek explains in Start with Why, people are more driven to action when they understand their deeper purpose.
My personal 2025 goals:
Step 3: Design the System (Habits)
Goals set the destination; systems outline the path. Think of it like hiking—you need a map, not just a distant endpoint.
- Focus on One Key Habit
- Ask: “What’s the one thing I can do that makes everything else easier or unnecessary?” (The One Thing by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan)
- Zero in on the 20% of actions that yield 80% of your results.
- Use the Cue-Routine-Reward Framework
- Popularized by Charles Duhigg in The Power of Habit:
- Cue: The trigger that initiates the habit (e.g., laying out workout clothes at night).
- Routine: The habit itself (going to the gym, meditating, reading Scripture, etc.).
- Reward: Something satisfying afterward (a favorite podcast, a healthy snack, or checking a box).
- Popularized by Charles Duhigg in The Power of Habit:
Step 4: Track Your Progress
I printed a Goal & Habit Setting Template and Tracker (which you can download for free—see below!) and pinned it on the wall in somewhere you see every day. Completing a daily habit earns you a tally mark; completing a weekly goal earns a check mark. It may seem small, but visually tracking your efforts can generate a huge sense of accomplishment.
Print it out, pin it on the wall, and watch your progress accumulate day by day! (Digital tracker never worked me for, but I’m going old school here!)
- Life happens, but make a promise to yourself to not missing the same habit two days/weeks in a row. If you slip once, jump back in right after.
Bonus: AI Executive Coach
Sometimes, brainstorming goals and habits can feel overwhelming. That’s why I built a custom GPT with curated knowledge. Think of it as your personal executive coach to help you refine your “What,” “Who,” and “Why,” and suggest powerful habits tailored to your goals. It’s free to use—and could be the extra nudge you need.
Try my Custom GPT Coach here: bit.ly/HabitFlowGPT
Download Your Free Goal & Habit Tracker
I’ve put together a printable template you can use to write down your goals, plan out your habits, and track daily or weekly progress. This simple, clear layout makes it easy to see at a glance how far you’ve come—and reminds you to pick up any habit you might’ve missed.
Free F.L.O.W. Goal & Habit Setting Template and Tracker: bit.ly/ZBestGoals
What’s Next?
I’ll keep sharing updates on my F.L.O.W. journey—how I’m integrating faith, love, optimal health, and work with the demands of being a new parent. In upcoming posts & videos, you can look forward to:
- Lessons Learned juggling kids, work deadlines, and personal ambitions.
- Personal Experiments (like my 30-minute-a-week gym routine: Occam’s Protocol from Tim Ferriss’s 4-hour Body) and real-world results.
- More Tools & Trackers to streamline goal-setting and make accountability simpler.
Ready to Join the WeZBest Journey?
- Subscribe for more insights and practical tools to make 2025 your best year yet.
- Share this post with someone who’s juggling a busy life and needs a holistic system.
- Comment below: What are some cornerstone habits that have supported your F.L.O.W. goals?
Thank you for reading—and remember, with a little structure and a lot of heart, you can turn your goals into a reality.
WeZBest 