If you’re anything like me, setting goals is fun, but sticking to them… that’s a different story. For those who are neurodivergent or struggle with mental clarity because of depression, anxiety, or another mental health condition, achieving the goals you set tends to feel like a hopeless battle.
I know this is my experience.
If it’s yours too, I want to share the framework I’m using to set goals for 2025 that I’ll actually follow through on.
It’s called the RIB method (shout out to Amanda from ChatGPTforADHD on TikTok for the name).
Reasonable. Interesting. Broken Down.
These three pillars are guiding my goal-chasing strategy for the new year. Hopefully they’ll help you reach your freelancing (and personal) goals as well!
Step 1: Make It Reasonable
I’m sure we’d all like to have “Make a million dollars” on our list of goals for 2025. For most of us, though, that just isn’t going to happen.
Setting realistic goals gives you a tangible target to aim for.
I’m not suggesting you shouldn’t have bigger, harder-to-reach dreams to strive for. But when your goals are too large, working on them becomes an abstract puzzle that’s difficult to solve. You’ll waste time chasing one path only to realize it isn’t working and need to pivot to another. Staring at your written goal will leave you overwhelmed and unable to start because you don’t know the next step.
The old saying, “There is only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time,” bodes true here.
If you have a lofty goal in mind, great. Now, honestly ask yourself if it’s reasonable to achieve in the next year. If not, consider how you can scale it down into a more attainable task that moves you in the right direction.
Say you want to be healthier, and think running could be a great way for you to get your exercise in. But you’ve never run before. Many people are quick to set a goal like:
Example: “Run a marathon by June 2025.”
In reality, most people who aren’t already runners can’t safely condition their body to run a marathon in six months. Sure, nothing is impossible. But the idea of running 24+ miles when you’re sitting on the couch and haven’t yet run down the street can be paralyzing. You might convince yourself it’s easier to just give up—or procrastinate until it’s way too late.
Reasonable Example: “Run a half marathon by June 2025.”
This goal pushes you in the right direction to meet your ultimate ambition of running a marathon. But it’s much more realistic for a beginner to achieve. You only need to increase your mileage by about two miles per month to complete a half marathon by June.
When you have a reasonable target to aim for, you are more likely to pursue it than when you’re grasping at something that feels too far away to be realistic.
Step 2: Make It Interesting
For folks with the “spicy” brains (raises hand), writing a goal on paper might not be enough motivation to actually get things done. Research shows that some motivating factors work better than others. Finding what works for you is key.
Hence, you need to make your goals (and the work it takes to achieve them) interesting to YOU. Here are a few motivators to consider:
- Novelty: For many neurodivergent people, something new or different is infinitely more appealing than something mundane. Making the tasks needed to achieve your goals novel can motivate you to work on them.
- Passion: It’s no secret that we’re more driven when working on something we feel passionate about. Do your goals align with your passions? If not, are those the goals you truly care about?
- Social Support: Sometimes, motivating yourself isn’t enough. Having a support system to cheer you on and hold you accountable can help you achieve far more than you can alone.
- Progressive Rewards: Treating yourself for small wins on the way to achieving your goal helps keep your motivation high. Making these rewards larger or more attractive as you get closer to the goal will keep you hungry for more.
- Clear Structure: When you have a clear roadmap for getting started, you’ll feel more confident, and choosing to act becomes easier.
Example: “Run a half marathon by June 2025.”
Make it Interesting: → “I’ll save my favorite audiobook and listen to it only while I’m training.”
Step 3: Break It Down
Would you rather run 12 miles right now? Or run one lap around the block? You can still run the half marathon, but only the latter will condition your body safely.
Would you rather write a whole book today? Or write one chapter this afternoon? You can still write the book, but only by working on it over time.
Breaking down your goals not only makes them more achievable, but it also motivates you to pursue them. Seeing a monumental task ahead can be discouraging. When I look at one, my brain automatically wants to focus on anything else. Without making myself a roadmap, the infinite array of options is paralyzing.
The reasonable goals you want to achieve for the year likely can’t be completed overnight. That doesn’t mean they aren’t reasonable. But you shouldn’t work toward them as if they are one giant checkmark.
Why make life harder than it already is?
Instead, dig deeper into each of your goals individually. What underlying tasks lay between you and achieving that outcome?
One of my goals for 2025 is to read at least 12 novels and at least six non-fiction books. There’s no way I can read 18 books in a day, week, or realistically, even in a month. If I worked hard and read five books in January, I’d feel discouraged and have nothing to show for my work—at least on my goal sheet. I might lose focus or give up entirely before reaching my goal.
Instead, I like to break my goals down into smaller, more actionable steps.
First, I divide all the work it will take to achieve a goal into four quarters. One for each quarter of the year. So, in Q1 from January through March, I might aim to read three novels and one non-fiction book.
From there, I break these tasks down further into one-month blocks. At the end of the month, I have a “CEO meeting” with myself to review my progress toward my quarterly goal. I don’t even think about the full yearly goal I originally set. I only focus on the Q1 tasks.
If I’m on track, great. If not, I figure out what I need to do in the next month to get back on track. At the end of the quarter, I review my mini-goal and see if I’ve achieved it. If so, it means I’ll meet my yearly goal if I keep going at this rate, so I’ll jump right into Q2. If not, I take some time to reassess and figure out what went wrong so I can right the ship in the following quarter.
From launching, growing, and selling businesses to managing an ever-evolving roster of freelance clients, dividing my goals into pieces has helped me eat some massive elephants over the years.
Who Do You Want to Be At the End of 2025?
A quote from one of my favorite writers of all-time, James Clear, is, “Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become.”
As you plan your roadmap for 2025, reflect on who you want to be on December 31st. Then create goals using the RIB method to help you get there.
Remember, you can’t accomplish everything overnight. Only by consistently showing up and putting in the work will you get where you want to go.
Let me know what you think of the RIB framework. I’d love to hear about your goals for 2025 and cheer you on along the way!