Before we start setting goals, I want you to imagine something.
Imagine it's December 2027.
You're looking back at the year.
And instead of immediately thinking about everything you didn't finish, you find yourself thinking:
That was a good year!
What happened?
Not just professionally.
Not just financially.
Not just according to your checklist.
What made it feel like a good year?
That question can tell you far more about what you should pursue than starting with a traditional list of New Year's resolutions.
Accomplishment and Fulfillment Aren't Always the Same Thing
We tend to build annual plans around accomplishments.
Get the promotion.
Hit the revenue number.
Lose the weight.
Finish the project.
Take the trip.
Pay off the debt.
Those can all be worthwhile goals.
But you can accomplish an impressive list of things and still reach December exhausted, disconnected, or wondering where the year went.
That's why I want you to think beyond what you want to accomplish in 2027.
Think about how you want to live it.
What Do You Want Your Days to Feel Like?
This may sound less practical than setting measurable goals.
I would argue it's just as important.
Do you want your days to feel calmer?
More focused?
More connected?
Less rushed?
Do you want more evenings when work actually ends?
Do you want mornings that aren't immediately consumed by your phone?
Do you want more time with the people you care about?
More space to think?
More confidence in your decisions?
More room to enjoy what you've already built?
Those answers belong in your annual plan too.,
Because your life doesn't happen once you've accomplished your goals.
Your life is happening while you're working toward them.
Look at the Whole Picture
As you envision 2027, consider several areas of your life.
Career or Business
What would meaningful progress look like?
Maybe it's a promotion.
Maybe it's growing a business.
Maybe it's becoming a stronger leader.
Or maybe success this year means creating healthier boundaries around your work instead of continually doing more.
Family and Relationships
Who do you want more time with?
What traditions do you want to protect?
Are there relationships you want to strengthen?
What moments don't you want work, busyness, or distraction to cause you to miss?
Financial Life
What would make you feel more secure?
Saving?
Reducing debt?
Increasing income?
Investing?
Simply understanding where your money is going?
Health and Well-Being
Forget the January pressure to completely reinvent yourself.
What would taking good care of yourself realistically look like?
Movement?
Sleep?
Appointments you've been postponing?
Rest?
Creating routines that actually fit your life?
Personal Growth
What do you want to learn?
What have you always wanted to try?
What would you like to read, experience, or understand better?
Who do you want to become—not for anyone else, but for yourself?
Time
And finally:
How do you want to spend your time?
Because every other goal eventually comes back to this.
Imagine an Ordinary Tuesday
Here's another exercise I love.
Don't imagine the highlight reel of 2027.
Imagine a random Tuesday.
What time do you wake up?
How does your morning feel?
What kind of work are you doing?
How many meetings are on your calendar?
Do you have time to think?
Who do you have dinner with?
What happens after work?
How rushed are you?
How tired are you?
What do you have time for that you don't have enough time for today?
Big visions are exciting.
But our lives are mostly made up of ordinary Tuesdays.
Build a year that works there too.
Be Careful About Building a Life You Don't Actually Want
It's possible to set a goal that looks wonderful on paper but creates a life you don't enjoy living.
Maybe the next level professionally requires a schedule you don't want.
Maybe doubling your business requires giving up more family time than you're willing to sacrifice.
Maybe an opportunity sounds impressive but moves you further away from the balance you've been trying to create.
That doesn't necessarily make the opportunity bad.
It simply means you need to understand the tradeoff.
Ask:
If I achieve this goal, what will my life look like while I'm achieving it?
That's part of the goal too.
Write Your 2027 Vision Before Your 2027 Goals
Give yourself permission to dream before you start creating action plans.
Finish this sentence:
By the end of 2027, I want to be able to say...
Then keep writing.
Don't worry yet about whether everything is measurable.
Don't create the task list.
Don't open your calendar.
We're going to get there.
For now, describe the year.
What changed?
What stayed the same?
What did you protect?
What did you accomplish?
What did you stop doing?
Who received more of your time?
What are you proud of?
And most importantly:
How do you feel about the way you lived the year?
Then We'll Turn the Vision Into a Plan
A vision without action can stay a wish.
But action without vision can keep you very busy moving in a direction you never intentionally chose.
We need both.
First, decide where you're going.
Then we'll build the plan that helps you get there.
Because 2027 doesn't need to be the year you do everything.
It can be the year you become much more intentional about doing what matters.
Shape Your 2027
Use the Shape Your 2027 Planning Guide from The Powers Forma to write your vision for the year before you begin turning it into goals.
Don't rush this page.
Think about your work, your relationships, your well-being, your finances, your growth—and your time.
Then ask yourself one final question:
If December 2027 arrived and I could genuinely say, “That was a good year,” what would have made it one?
Next in the Shape Your 2027 series: Turn Your 2027 Vision Into Goals You Can Actually Accomplish.
