In this month’s blog, I thought I would take you through my goal-setting process for 2025. I always used to share my goals with my blogging community at the start of each year. But I let things slip last year, and it made a huge difference to my accountability!

My goal-setting process has changed over the years. This year, I used Chat GPT to help me map out my goals.

I already had an idea of what I wanted my goals to be for 2025 before I turned to AI. Chat GPT came into the process once it was time to create a plan.

I hope this post provides you with some goal-setting nuggets for you to take away and put into action.

Step 1 – Brainstorm your goals

I did a quick brainstorming session over Christmas. I broke these into 2 main areas:

• Work Goals

• Personal Goals

Work-wise, I looked at the areas I felt stuck in. Some things I tell my clients to do but don’t do myself. Others I added because I want to be seen as more of an industry expert.

For my personal goals, I want to find ways to integrate myself into my local community. I also want to keep on top of my health and wellbeing.

For the purpose of this blog post, I’m going to focus on my work goals.

Step 2 – Create a plan

Once I had a rough plan of my goals, that’s when I turned to Chat GPT.

The first prompt I entered into Chat GPT looked like this:

I want to do some planning for 2025. I have some detail already but I’m not quite sure how to turn it into an actual plan. Is that something you could help me with?

I went on to tell Chat GPT what my goals looked like:

1. Post on LinkedIn at least once a week.
2. Create at least one reel per month with me speaking to camera. 
3. Embed – I have learnt a lot over the last 4 years but struggle to find time to put everything I have learnt into practice.
4. Sign up and complete the XXXX course (I don’t want to give the game away here!).
5. Engage weekly in the Being Freelance Community

Chat GPT responded by making my goals sound better and breaking them into actionable steps. It also created a structure to help me stay on track.

I won’t bore you with all of them for now, but here’s an example of the steps and structure for one of my goals:

Post on LinkedIn Weekly

• Goal: Increase visibility, share expertise, and connect with my audience.
• Action Steps:
  • Plan content themes for the month (e.g., tips, client success stories, personal insights).
  • Dedicate 1 hour each week to draft, edit, and schedule posts.
  • Use analytics to refine what resonates most with my audience.
• Milestones: Track weekly posts for consistency and review engagement monthly.

Step 3 – Create a Timeline

I then asked Chat GPT to create a timeline for my goals. It suggested a timeline split into quarters to help structure the year. Each goal was spread across the year to make progress manageable and sustainable.

Chat GPT also added a section at the end of the timeline with recurring tasks. It also included recommended tools to stay on track, which I absolutely love!

Recurring Tasks

• Weekly:
  • Post on LinkedIn.
  • Engage in the Being Freelance Community.
• Monthly:
  • Create one speaking reel.
  • Reflect on progress and adjust the plan as needed.

Accountability & Tracking

• Use a simple tool like a spreadsheet, planner, or project management app (e.g., Trello, Notion, or Asana).
• Schedule a monthly review session to assess progress and tweak goals or timelines.

Step 4 – Tracking

For now, I have added my goals into an Excel spreadsheet, using different tabs to help me stay on track. My brain’s not quite ready to tackle any new tech yet this year, so I’m staying old school for now! I would love to hear whether you’re a fan of Trello, Notion or Asana? Or perhaps you use another project management app?

A final note from me on setting goals

I’ve always struggled with the planning process, so asking Chat GPT to help has saved me hours of procrastination. Understandably, there are still mixed feelings about the use of AI. Especially in the freelance world. But for me, it really helps with those tasks I get stuck with, like planning. Less procrastination and more work can only be a good thing, right?

I thought I should mention that I am in no way affiliated to Chat GPT. I’ve used a number of different AI tools over the last couple of years. Chat GPT seems to do everything I require of it, but I love playing around with new tools. Once my brain is properly back into the swing of things, I’ll continue to explore other options. I’m sure I will find new ones and will add them here as and when.

If you’re interested in the exact prompts I used in Chat GPT for this exercise, check out my free download ‘4 (and a bit) AI prompts to help with New Year goal planning‘.

Let me know if you’ve found this post useful. Will you be using AI in your own goal-setting process this year?