Setting the Year Up for Success: How Project Managers Can Set Personal Goals and Resolutions
As another year has come to a close, many of us feel the familiar pull to reset. With new goals, new resolutions, and a fresh start.
And yet, if we’re honest, traditional New Year’s resolutions often leave us feeling discouraged by February.
That’s not because we lack motivation or discipline. It’s because most goals are set without reflection, structure, or sustainability in mind.
At Project Management Life (PML), we believe there’s a better way. One that blends intentional reflection, realistic goal-setting, and a project management mindset that supports follow-through, not burnout.
After all, if anyone has the skills and abilities to see our goals through to completion, it’s us as project managers!
Why Most Resolutions Don’t Stick
Research shows that while many people set New Year’s resolutions, only a small percentage sustain them long term. This is because goals are too general, there is too much reliance on motivation instead of systems, no action plans are defined, and there’s a lack of accountability.
Based on a study by YouGov (2022) in the US, 37% of people will make at least one goal or resolution for the year. But according to the University of Delaware (2025), about 90% give up on their New Year’s resolutions within the first few weeks of the year.
Whether you think of them as “life goals” or “New Year’s resolutions” doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you consider what’s important to you, and where you see aspects of your life you can improve to allow you to thrive and live your best life.
What’s Different For Us Project Managers?
Most data that exists is based on the general population.
But in this case, we know that we’re masters at planning and implementation. If anyone can take personal goals and break them down into baby steps and implement them successfully, it certainly is us!
So, let’s talk about how we can set our year up for success. We’re always planning and implementing goals for our projects at work, but this year, let’s balance that with some personal goals and resolutions so that we can thrive and live our best life.
Let’s Reflect on Last Year with a Personal Lookback
Before we can look forward, it’s helpful to take a few minutes to reflect and look back on your progress to date. When you think of the last year, how do you feel it was for you?
- Year of Growth? You learned, stretched, and made meaningful progress, even if it wasn’t always easy.
- Year of Survival? You got through it, managed what you could, and focused on keeping things moving.
- Year of Transition? You experienced change (a new role, priority, or life shift) and spent the year adjusting.
- Year of Burnout? You felt depleted, overwhelmed, or stretched too thin for most of the year.
When you look to the past, also consider asking yourself these questions:
- What worked well for you last year?
- What drained you the most?
- What are proud of (even if no one noticed)?
- What do you not want to repeat in the year ahead?
Defining Success for This Year Ahead
As we now start to look forward, it’s important for us to think about what success means to each of us. There is no right answer and it’s unique to each of us.
Here at PML, we believe success isn’t just about the next project management certification or learning the latest framework or tool. Success is about finding balance and taking care of ourselves as a whole person. We encourage you to look at it from this lens as well.
Success can be achieved across all five of PML’s pillars including:
- Project Management
- Career and Personal Branding
- Health and Well-Being
- Self-Care and Self-Improvement
- Professional Development
So, keep these questions in mind as you start planning your goals and resolutions for this coming year:
- What’s important to you when you think of the year ahead?
- What do you want to accomplish this year?
- What would success look like for you?
- Where do you want to be by the end of the year?
Setting Personal Goals and Resolutions
Considering all areas of your life, what areas are your priority for this year ahead?
Start thinking through 3-5 goals you want to make. These could fall within each of the five pillars, or you can focus on just a few areas of your life. Write them down.
Next, convert them to SMART goals. You already do this with your projects at work, so now you’re going apply the same thinking and principles to your own goals.
Make sure they are:
- Specific
- Measurable
- Achievable
- Relevant
- Time-bound
Here’s a few examples to help you think through your own goals for this year.
Example 1:
Perhaps you decided to work on your financial wellness (under health and well-being) and your goal is to “Eliminate my credit card debt“.
Your SMART goal might be: “By December 31, I will pay off $12,000 in credit card debt by making a minimum monthly payment of $1,000 and allocating any bonuses or tax refunds toward the balance, while avoiding new credit card charges except for emergencies.”
Example 2:
Or maybe your goal is based on self-care and you decide to “Set healthy boundaries at work“.
Your SMART goal might be: Starting January, I will set clear work boundaries by logging off by 6:00 PM at least four days per week, declining non-essential meetings outside core hours, and taking a minimum of one full lunch break each workday, tracking my consistency weekly through June.
Example 3:
Perhaps your goal is to demonstrate your knowledge and skills in project management and “Get my PMP Certification“.
Your SMART goal might be:
By November, I will earn my PMP certification by completing a PMP prep course by March, studying a minimum of 6 hours per week using a structured study plan, submitting my PMP application by June, scheduling my exam by August, and passing the exam on my first attempt.
Next, Build Your Action Plan and Timeline
Just like any other project you manage at work, your personal goals need a solid action plan and timelines to make them a reality.
Take a few minutes once you’ve built out a few SMART goals for yourself and think through:
- What tasks would I need to complete to make this goal a reality?
- What key milestones would there be and how would I schedule them over the year (think Q1, Q2, Q3, and Q4).
- What risks might there be that could derail my personal goals?
- What resources might I need or habits to make my goal successful?
- What will success look like once I’ve achieved my personal goal?
Build Accountability and Momentum
You’re a pro when it comes to building out goals, action plans, and timelines. Now, you just need to apply these incredible skills to your personal life, and keep up the momentum throughout the year.
Here at PML, we encourage you to:
- Schedule self-check-ins in your calendar to check your progress.
- Build habits that support your goals.
- Design your environment for success.
- Set reminders.
- Create a visual tracker and keep it accessible.
- Consider an accountability partner.
- Celebrate your small wins as you progress.
Our Final Thoughts on Setting Your Year Up for Success
As project managers, we have the skills, knowledge, wisdom, and experience to do what no one else can do. We implement multi-million dollar initiatives, juggle a thousand priorities, and manage the needs of stakeholders all around us. If we can do all of this, then there should be no reason why we can’t plan and implement our personal goals that allow us to thrive both personally and professionally.
We want you to live your best life. Full stop.
And that means balancing your personal goals and priorities with your work priorities and projects.
By reflecting on where we’ve been, defining what we want to personally achieve, setting some structure, and keeping sustainability in mind, we can accomplish incredible things.
Go have your best year yet. We know you’re going to knock it out of the park!
Here at Project Management Life, we’re here to celebrate and support project managers. Our goal is to help you thrive both personally and professionally, and live your best life.
If you’re interested in going deeper with us and exploring all that we have to offer you to support you in achieving your personal goals, consider exploring our PML Membership. We’re launching our “Project Manage Your Life” 4-Week Bootcamp in February for those that truly want to invest in themselves and build out their goals and a detailed plan to see them through.
Contact us to learn more at info@projectmanagement.org.
