1.0 Introduction
During the last week of every year, I sit down and set my goals for the next year. This is the 6th year I’ll be doing that.
Goal setting is one of those activities that everyone would agree is important, and almost everyone does poorly. Not because they lack ambition, but because they optimize for the wrong thing.
Over time, I’ve created a rule: if a goal depends on anything other than my own action, it’s not within my control.
2.0 Output goals (and why they aren’t the best way)
Output goals describe desired outcomes, and not the actions required to get there.
Reach 10,000 subscribers
Get five new clients
Lose/gain weight
They are motivating, but they depend on many factors, and even more importantly, output goals provide very little usable feedback throughout the year.
Most of the time, you’ll only know if you’ve hit or missed the goal at the end of the year. You have no idea if you’re slightly behind or completely off-track. What started as “motivation” doesn’t help when you’re in the middle of the year.
Which is why I believe input goals are the way to go.
3.0 Input goals
All the output goals mentioned above can be broken down into actions to reach them. These actions are within your control. These are the input goals.
Reach 10,000 subscribers - Make two videos/posts per week.
Get five new clients - Send X outbound messages per week.
Lose/gain weight - Workout three times a week
Don’t get me wrong, the output goals still matter, but this way, you only focus on what is within your control.
You can measure it weekly and even adjust it if needed.
Do you want to read more? Input goal: Read 5 hours per week.
Do you want to meet more people? Input goal: Go to 2 events per month.
Do you want to switch jobs? Input goal: Send five applications per week.
Do you want to write a book? Input goal: Write for an hour every day.
Do you want to grow your X audience? Input goal: Write 50 tweets per week.
You get the point. In every case, the pattern is the same: define the outcome, then commit to the actions you fully control.
4.0 Final words
Find your output goals, then set input goals you can control. I have three types of input goals:
First: Family-related (These goals help me be a good father, husband, brother, and son)
Second: Personal goals (These goals help me be in good shape, physically, mentally, and emotionally)
Lastly: Business goals (These goals ensure my business is in good shape)
P.S. Do not set too many input goals. Having a few input goals for each category is more than enough.
I hope you find this useful, and I wish you lots of success in 2026!