Get clear on your 2025 goals with purpose and presence

By REGINA SLOAN As humans, we are naturally driven to want more. We set goals, achieve them, and then immediately aim for the next milestone. This cycle can be amazing when balanced in a healthy way. Striving for more helps us expand beyond what we thought possible, pushing us to live fully engaged lives. It’s invigorating! But here’s the problem: when we believe that achieving the goal itself — a new career, house, car, vacation, or a huge savings account — is what creates joy, gratitude, or worthiness. This false belief can lead to a life filled with hustle and exhaustion, only to “arrive” and feel the same — or worse — because of unmet expectations. Here’s the truth: 99% of the time, we are on the journey. Only 1% of the time will we actually be at the destination before we’re onto the next goal. That means most of your life is spent in the pursuit — not the achievement. If you don’t learn how to enjoy the now, you’ll miss the beauty of your current life. Your feelings don’t come from the goal or the “thing.” They come from your thoughts about what you’ve accomplished. For example, someone...