How to Take Practical Steps Toward Meaningful Goals

Charting the Road to Success: 2025 Business Goals with @emmyteddydesigns

Setting and achieving meaningful goals is a skill that takes time, practice, and reflection. In 2024, I learned that making realistic and attainable goals starts with brainstorming. When I was new to goal setting, I made the mistake of picking massive goals like "start trending on social media" without considering the smaller steps needed to get there. Additionally, I set unrealistic timelines, expecting to complete a three-week project in just one week, which often led to frustration and abandonment of the goal.

Through trial and error, I developed a better approach to goal setting. Here’s what helped me in 2024:

Step 1: Practice Goal Setting

One of the best things I did was meet with my art mentee weekly to discuss our art goals. We would identify a big goal and break it down into smaller, manageable steps. Then, we’d set a deadline of one week to complete the first small goal.

The first time I attempted this, I failed. My big goal was to start a YouTube channel, and I gave myself only one week to write, record, edit, and post my first video—without having any prior experience or routine in making videos. Naturally, I didn’t meet my goal. However, during our next check-in, I realized that while I didn’t finish posting the video, I had written the script. This insight helped me adjust my deadlines. The following week, I focused solely on editing the video, which I successfully completed. Over time, I discovered that I needed about one month to fully create a YouTube video. This was an important realization because it allowed me to set more realistic timelines moving forward.

Identify a big goal and break it down into smaller, manageable steps with @emmyteddydesigns

Step 2: Break Down Your Goals

Rather than setting vague or overwhelming goals, break them down into actionable steps. Ask yourself:

• What do I want to achieve? (Personal, career, or family goal?)

• What steps do I need to take to get there?

• What is a realistic timeline for each step?

  
  

For example, instead of saying, "I want to create new art products," I refined my goal. Initially, I planned to design holiday gift tags, but I quickly lost interest. After reflecting, I realized my real passion was designing greeting cards, so I shifted my focus to my Let’s Go greeting card collection. This process of refinement is normal—goals can change, and that’s okay!

Design sketches and references for "Let's Go to an Arcade!" greeting card.

Step 3: Set Weekly Deadlines

I found that setting weekly goals was more effective than long-term deadlines because it kept me accountable and reduced procrastination. Here’s how you can do it:

• Choose a small, achievable goal for the week.

• Focus on completing that step without overwhelming yourself.

• Adjust future deadlines based on your progress.

Step 4: Reflect on Your Goals

Reflection is crucial. Each week, ask yourself:

• Which goals did I meet? What helped me achieve them?

• Which goals did I not meet? What were the obstacles?

• Do I need to adjust my goals or deadlines?

I use a journal to check in on my goals. Every month, I write down what I want to achieve, and each week, I review my list and check off completed goals. With practice, I went from crossing out abandoned goals to consistently meeting them.

Weekly reflections are crucial for meeting my goals.

Step 5: Be Flexible and Adjust as Needed

It’s okay to lose interest in certain goals or replace them with new ones. The key is to stay flexible and keep refining your approach. Now, my goals include:

1. Content Creation: Posting YouTube videos and blog articles.

   

   

2. Product Design: Expanding my Let’s Go greeting card collection.

   

   

3. Community Outreach: Collaborating with artists, networking, and attending events like the Riverside Art and Music Festival.

Even though my mentee and I no longer meet weekly, I continue my check-in process through journaling. This practice keeps me accountable and allows me to track my growth over time.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve ever seen my work and thought it was impressive, just know that I am one person running this creative brand. My progress comes from setting goals, checking in with my journal, and refining my approach. You can do this too!

The more you practice goal setting, the better you’ll become at creating realistic timelines and achieving meaningful growth.

If this article was helpful, bookmark it and share it with a friend who wants to set goals. For more art business insights, check out our YouTube channel, Emmyteddy Designs, and explore the rest of our blog at EmmyteddyDesigns.com/blog.

Thanks for being part of this journey with me—I’m glad we can support each other in reaching our goals!