You know that feeling on January 1st? The fresh start energy. The "this year will be different" feeling. The list of goals that feel both exciting and totally achievable.

But you know what usually happens by March.

Here's the thing: you're not failing because you don't plan well enough. You're failing because you're trying to execute on everything simultaneously, which means you're not actually giving anything the attention it deserves.

The most common execution problem I see with ambitious professionals isn't lack of discipline. It's lack of ruthless focus.

The real problem with your 2025 goals

Right now, you probably have 6-10 things you want to accomplish this year. Maybe it's:

• Read more books 📚
• Build better habits ⛓️
• Finally get in shape 🏃‍♀️
• Build that side project 🛠️
• Learn a new technical skill 👩‍🎓
• Strengthen your relationship 👯‍♀️
• Improve your leadership presence 🫡

All worthy goals. And if you try to make progress on all of them in Q1, you'll make so little progress you'll lose motivation before March comes around.

The exercise that changes everything

Before you plan 2025, you need to make some hard choices about what actually gets your focus in the next 90 days. Here's the weighted scoring matrix I use with coaching clients:

Step 1: List your 2026 goals

Step 2: Score each goal on a scale of 1-5 for each of these criteria:

• Maintenance cost: Once achieved, how much ongoing time does it demand? (5 = low maintenance, 1 = high upkeep)
• Time to complete: How quickly can you actually finish this? (5 = quick, 1 = long-term project)
• Long-term vision alignment: Does this move you toward who you want to be in 3-5 years?
• 25-year impact: Will you care that you did (or didn't do) this two decades from now?
• 90-day impact: How much does your daily life improve this quarter?
• Snowball potential: Does this unlock or accelerate other goals?

Step 3: (De-)Emphasize any criteria based on what's most important to you, and multiply each of your scores from Step 2 accordingly

Step 4: Add up the scores

Your top 2-3 scores become your Q1 focus. Everything else goes on the "later" list.

A real example

Let me show you how this plays out.

Imagine someone who is playing the long-game. They're not in a rush to get immediate results, so their vision, 25-year impact, and snowball potential are their most important criteria--twice as important as the other criteria. Here are two goals they might have:

Goal A: "Write a book" (sounds impressive)

• Maintenance cost: 5 (once it's done, it's done)
• Time to complete: 2 (realistically 12+ months)
• Vision alignment: 4 (builds authority in my field) * 2 (most important criteria) = 8
• 25-year impact: 5 (creates a legacy asset) * 2 = 10
• 90-day impact: 2 (won't even be finished yet)
• Snowball potential: 3 (modest multiplier effect) * 2 = 6

Total: 33

Goal B: "Build a consistent content creation system" (less sexy)

• Maintenance cost: 3 (ongoing but can be systematic)
• Time to complete: 4 (can systematize in 6-8 weeks)
• Vision alignment: 5 (essential for my business growth) * 2 = 10
• 25-year impact: 3 (it's a process, not a legacy piece) * 2 = 6
• 90-day impact: 5 (immediate visibility and credibility)
• Snowball potential: 5 (feeds my business, network, and future projects) * 2 = 10

Total: 38

The book feels more important, but the content system actually IS more important for Q1.

This is why smart people make bad priority choices--we confuse impressive with strategic.

What this actually looks like

When I did this exercise for my own Q4 goals, content consistency scored higher than preparing for my next race, even though the race felt more impressive and exciting. That clarity let me actually ship content every week instead of dabbling in both and finishing neither.

The goal isn't to do less forever. It's to do less NOW so you actually complete something and build momentum. Most execution problems are actually focus problems in disguise.

Try this before January 3rd

​Download the scoring worksheet here--feel free to make a copy to use it for your own goals.

Go through the exercise. See what rises to the top. Notice which goals you're relieved to deprioritize (that's useful data).

And then comes the hard part: what do you do when two goals tie at 24 points? How do you handle your partner's expectations about a goal you're putting on hold? How do you build an actual execution system for your top 2-3 so they don't just become better-scored goals you still don't finish?

That last point is what we'll work through on January 3rd.

I'm running a Quarterly Planning Workshop where we'll:

• Build your 90-day execution roadmap (not just goals, but the actual system to achieve them)
• Identify YOUR specific execution gap patterns so you stop repeating the same mistakes
• Leave with accountability structures to support your success the next 13 weeks

Join me at Sharetea on January 3 for the Quarterly Planning Workshop. (Click here to RSVP, or simply feel free to show up--we'll probably have space. 😊)

You can absolutely do this prioritization work solo using the worksheet above. The workshop is for people who want structured time, expert guidance on their specific situation, and a community of people serious about execution.

The scoring matrix tells you what to focus on. The workshop helps you actually follow through.

Either way--whether you join us or work through this solo--please don't try to do everything in Q1. Pick your top 1-3 priorities. Go deep. Build momentum.

That's how you make 2026 different.

Happy New Year!

Tyler

P.S. If you want ongoing coaching support, I'm extending my coaching discount (get 30% off coaching packages) until end of day tomorrow (January 2, 2026) for you because you're subscribed to my newsletter. Just send me an email if you'd like to join the others who are committed to their success in 2026 and have already taken advantage of this offer.