How to Become a Successful Creative Entrepreneur in 2025

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If you’ve hit the end of the year thinking,

“This isn’t the life I want to be living”

Then there’s one big question we need to answer:

Honestly, that question can be harder to answer than it seems. And even when you do know the answer, following through? That’s the real challenge.

This year, I’m all about creating a joyful, intentional life—and that starts with setting goals that feel just as joyful and intentional.

Because there’s nothing worse than reaching the end of another year and realizing you spent it chasing someone else’s version of success or missing out on what really matters to you.

4 Steps to Setting Joyful, Intentional Goals

Let’s walk through the four steps I use to set goals that don’t just look good on paper but actually bring joy, purpose, and fulfillment.

Plus, stick around for a special visualization exercise designed to anchor your goals in a way you can revisit throughout the year—your personal meditation moment to stay inspired.

Step 1: Vision Setting

Before we dive into setting goals, let’s take a step back. If we’re going to set goals that feel joyful and intentional, we need a clear vision of what we truly want.

Sometimes, it feels daunting to choose goals. Halfway through the year, you might realize you’ve overlooked something that’s actually really important to you.

To avoid that, I think of my goals in a few key categories:

1. Work
2. Health
3. Wealth
4. Relationships
5. Personal Growth.

Think of these categories as little prompts to make sure you’re not neglecting any part of your life.

For example, a high-flying career with a struggling relationship? That’s not the kind of balance I’m striving for. Healthy relationships are just as important to a joyful life as a fulfilling career.

Here are a few reflection questions to help you get started:

• What worked well this past year? Maybe it was a new routine that gave you energy or meaningful time spent with loved ones.
• What didn’t work? Were there commitments that drained you or distractions that didn’t align with the life you want to be living?
• What do you want to change in the coming year? More time for creativity? Greater financial security? Or simply more room to enjoy life’s simple pleasures?
• If you could do anything next year without the risk of failure, what would it be? A passion project? Travel? More space for self-care and wellness?
• What are you absolutely not willing to do to have your ideal year? This could mean saying no to late nights, cutting back on social media, or minimizing draining obligations.

Take some time to jot down your thoughts. As you reflect, patterns and desires will emerge—this is the foundation for crafting meaningful goals.

Grab my complementary workbook including all of these journaling prompts and categories that we’re covering today:

Step 2: Time Audit

Now that you have a vision, let’s look at one of our most precious resources: time.

The way you spent your time last year has shaped the life you’re living today.

Take a moment to think back.

• How did you spend your time? If you have a business or work-specific goals, this step is especially important.
• Look at your calendar, planner, or project management tool (I useAsana) and review which projects or tasks consumed the most of your time.

Ask yourself:

• What added value to your life? This might be completing a major project, investing in skill-building, or meaningful time with loved ones.
• What took up more time than it should have? Endless emails, low-priority tasks, or saying “yes” to commitments that drained you?
• What do you want to spend more time on? Whether it’s high-impact work tasks or personal pursuits like hobbies or rest.

Small Tasks vs. Needle Movers:

One of the biggest reasons we don’t reach our goals is that we’re not spending our time on the right things—the “needle movers” that drive real progress.

Smaller, repetitive tasks might keep us busy, but they don’t always get us closer to what matters.

Pro Tip:

Make small changes that remove time blocks.

For example, I wanted to go to the gym more often, but I felt stuck because I was always waiting at home for handymen or cleaners. My solution? I gave the cleaner a key and batched handymen visits onto one day of the week. Suddenly, I had time to head to the gym.

These little adjustments can create big shifts. Take a brutally honest look at what you need to stop doing or delegate so you can prioritize what truly matters.

Step 3: Deciding on Projects & Tasks

With your vision set and your time audit complete, it’s time to break down those big goals into actionable steps.

There are two main types of actions that help us meet our goals: projects and ongoing tasks.

• Projects are one-off actions (e.g., redecorating a room).
• Tasks are ongoing efforts (e.g., weekly tidying to maintain that room).

Take your goals and break them into projects and tasks for each category.

Example:

• Goal: Create a calm, beautiful living space.
  • Project: Declutter and redecorate a room.
  • Task: Maintain with weekly tidying routines.

For a work-related goal, you might decide to post weekly on a blog as an ongoing task, then adjust to posting twice weekly if you’re not hitting your goal’s pace.

When you break goals into clear, manageable steps, they feel less overwhelming. Plus, there’s something so satisfying about ticking off tasks along the way.

(I get a little dopamine boost with every task checked off in Asana—and the random unicorn that shoots across my screen helps too.)

Step 4: Put Your Goals Somewhere Visible

How many times have you set goals, only to forget about them by February? (Guilty!) To avoid this, put your goals somewhere you’ll actually see them.

What do you look at every day?

For me, that’s Asana and my calendar.

I create tasks for the projects I need to complete and reminders to check in on my goals at the end of each quarter.

example:

If my goal is to redesign my website, I’ll schedule a task for both the work itself and a check-in to evaluate my progress.

I also add reminders for smaller, equally important goals.

For instance:

• Social goals: I set monthly reminders to reach out to friends and family to nurture those relationships.
• Fitness goals: I schedule weekly check-ins to evaluate if I’ve been sticking to my workout routine or making time for wellness.

Whatever system you use—planner, app, or calendar—align your reminders with your routines. These nudges help you stay connected to your goals all year.

Pro Tip: Don’t let your planning session become a forgotten notebook exercise. Pop your tasks, projects, and goals into your system NOW, so they stay front and center all year.

Visualization Exercise: Anchor Your Goals

To really anchor these goals, I’d encourage you to take a moment to do this visualization exercise:

Find a comfortable spot, close your eyes, and imagine you’ve achieved one of your big goals.

Picture the moment when everything comes together.

What does your environment look like?

How do you feel—calm, proud, fulfilled?

Let yourself soak in that feeling as if it’s already real.

This visualization can be a powerful reminder of why you’re working toward your goals. Come back to it anytime you need a little extra motivation.

Ready to Start?

You’ve set your vision, audited your time, broken down your goals into projects and tasks, and placed everything somewhere you’ll see it. You’re not just dreaming—you’re planning for real progress.

If you found this planning session helpful, download the complimentary PDF with all the prompts and categories so you don’t have to worry about jotting everything down. 👇

And if you’ve made it all the way to the end of this post, kudos—you’re clearly committed!

And if you’re ready to take the next step toward staying organized, watch my video on how I use Asana, my project management tool of choice, to keep my goals, projects, and tasks on track all year long. Trust me—it’s a game changer.