
Click below to listen to episode 162,How to Create Goals In Teaching & Life That ACTUALLY Stick in 2025!:
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Key themes from How to Create Goals In Teaching & Life That ACTUALLY Stick in 2025!:
- Most Goals Fail Due to Missing Pieces: Most people abandon their goals within two weeks not because they’re lazy, but because they focus only on what they want and how to get there. The missing pieces? Aligning your thoughts and feelings to support consistent action.
- The Self-Coaching Model Helps You Rewire Your Mindset: Achieving goals requires more than action steps—it demands the right mindset. The Self-Coaching Model connects your thoughts, feelings, actions, and results, ensuring you’re not working against yourself as you pursue your goals.
- Progress Over Perfection: Live in “The Gain”: Measuring success based on how far you’ve come (the gain) instead of how far you have to go (the gap) helps you stay motivated, appreciate your progress, and avoid the frustration of constantly moving the goalpost.
- Anticipate Obstacles and Strategize: Identifying potential challenges and creating strategies to overcome them—such as setting boundaries or building habits—ensures you stay on track even when life gets in the way.
- Goals Are Tools for Growth, Not Self-Worth: Goals are not about becoming a “better person” but about overcoming subconscious blocks and uncovering your capabilities. You’re already whole and capable—goals simply help you explore what’s possible.
Did you know that most people abandon their New Year’s goals within just two weeks? Shocking, right? But it doesn’t have to be your story this year. Whether it’s professional milestones or personal aspirations, I’m here to share strategies that will help you break the cycle and build goals that stick. This blog post is inspired by one of the most impactful sessions from the recent Educate and Rejuvenate Winter Event. Get ready to transform your approach to goal-setting and make 2025 your best year yet!
Why Most Goals Fail – And How Yours Can Succeed
According to research, 85% of people give up on their New Year’s resolutions by mid-January. Why? It’s not because they’re lazy or incapable; it’s because they’re missing a crucial piece of the puzzle. Most goal-setting advice focuses solely on what you want to achieve and how to get there. While these are important, they leave out two game-changing factors: your thoughts and feelings.
To achieve your goals, you need to rewire your mindset, align your emotions with your actions, and create a plan that works with your brain, not against it.
The Secret Framework for Thriving in 2025
The process I teach is based on my three-step framework from my book Educate and Rejuvenate. It’s simple but incredibly effective:
- Observe Yourself – Get in touch with your current thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
- Choose Your Direction – Define clear, intentional goals aligned with your values.
- Align Yourself – Take consistent actions while reassessing and adjusting as needed.
This framework isn’t about perfection. It’s about progress and building momentum toward what truly matters to you.
The Power of the Self-Coaching Model
One of the tools we use in this framework is the Self-Coaching Model, which helps you connect your thoughts, feelings, actions, and results. Here’s how to use it to set goals that stick:
- Start with the result. Define exactly what you want to achieve.
- List the actions needed. Break down every step required to reach your goal.
- Identify the feelings that drive action. For example, confidence or motivation.
- Reframe your thoughts. Choose beliefs that cultivate those positive feelings.
For example:
- Goal: Organize your classroom supply cabinet.
- Actions: Create an inventory, declutter supplies, and set up labeled storage.
- Feelings: Focused and motivated.
- Thoughts: “I can organize one step at a time.”
Why Goals Are More Than “To-Do” Lists
Goals are not just about ticking boxes—they’re opportunities to uncover limiting beliefs, develop resilience, and align your actions with your desires. When you measure your progress not against some ideal but against how far you’ve already come, you shift from living in “the gap” to living in “the gain.”
As Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy explain in The Gap and The Gain, focusing on progress instead of perfection helps you appreciate how much you’ve accomplished and keeps you motivated to move forward.
Obstacles and Strategies: Preparing for Success
To make your goals stick, you need to anticipate challenges and prepare strategies to overcome them. Here’s how:
- List potential obstacles. What might derail your progress? For example, lack of time or unexpected interruptions.
- Create a strategy for each. If a colleague drops by to chat after school, politely let them know you need to stick to your schedule.
- Break goals into manageable steps. Assign a timeline to each step to keep yourself on track.
Building Habits That Last
Habits are the backbone of goal success. Whether it’s tracking your progress with an app like Streaks or using a pen-and-paper habit tracker, consistency is key. Remember, small daily actions compound into big results over time.
What’s Next?
If you’re ready to dive deeper into this process, join us in the Educate and Rejuvenate Club. Inside the app, you’ll find full replays of the Winter Event sessions, live coaching calls, meditations, and so much more.
Pro Tip: Unlock a 14-day extended trial by filling out the form inside the app modules for extra time to explore!
A Note About the Podcast
As we focus on enhancing our content and resources, the Educate and Rejuvenate podcast is taking a short break. But don’t worry—you’ll still get monthly bonus episodes from my live Teacher Goals sessions. Be sure to stay connected via Instagram and our email list for updates!
Let’s make 2025 the year your goals thrive. Download the Educate and Rejuvenate App (in the Apple App Store & Google Play) today and start creating the life you want—one intentional step at a time.
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Connect with Kelsey:
- Follow her on Instagram, @educateandrejuvenate
- Join our Facebook group: Educate & Rejuvenate Collective.
- Follow on Pinterest for more helpful resources.
- Educate & Rejuvenate: A Three-Step Guide to Revitalize Your Teaching, Renew Your Spirit, and Reignite Your Passion For Life
Read the transcript for How to Create Goals In Teaching & Life That ACTUALLY Stick in 2025! [#162] below:
More about Educate & Rejuvenate: The Podcast
Being an educator is beyond a full-time job. Whether you’re a teacher or a homeschool parent, the everyday to-do list is endless. Between lesson planning, grading, meetings, and actually teaching, it probably feels impossible to show up for your students without dropping the ball in other areas of your life.
Educate & Rejuvenate: The Podcast is the show that will bring you the teacher tips, practical strategies, and inspiration that you need to relieve the stress and overwhelm of your day-to-day. Your host, Kelsey Sorenson, is a former teacher and substitute turned homeschool mom. Tune in weekly to hear Kelsey and her guests cheer you on and help you thrive as a wife, teacher, and mommy. Because with a little support and community, you can do it all. To access every single Educate & Rejuvenate resource, join the club at educateandrejuvenate.com/club.