A Better Way to Make New Year’s Resolutions

Are You Setting Goals for 2025? Here’s What You’re Missing👇

Hi, I'm Manuel Saez, 2x Founder, Award-Winning Designer, and Emotional Intelligence Coach 🌻 Here I Share the advice I wish I had while building my businesses ➜ I love fixing old motorcycles 🛵🏍️

Reading time: 4 min.

Contents:

How do I want to feel in five years?

Life Success Is Measured by the Quality of Your Emotions

My Simple Formula for Setting Better Goals

Why Emotions Matter

What About You?

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How do I want to feel in one year?

Every December, I, like so many others, reflect on the year that’s passed and think about what I want to achieve in the new year.

For years, I followed the usual formula: list my objectives, break them into milestones, and get to work. And while I achieved some of those goals, I often felt unfulfilled, as though something crucial was missing.

A couple of years ago, I decided to try something different.

Instead of focusing only on the objective—“what I wanted” to achieve—I started to associate the objective with “how I wanted to feel.”

This subtle but profound change transformed my relationship with goals—and my life.

Let me share why focusing on feelings instead of objectives might be the best way to approach your New Year’s goals.

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Life Success Is Measured by the Quality of Your Emotions

The emotions you’re seeking through your goals don’t have to wait—you can start experiencing them now.

We often set goals thinking they’ll bring happiness, fulfillment, or peace. Losing weight, earning a promotion, buying a house—these objectives seem tied to the emotions we crave. But too often, we get caught up in the “doing” and forget about the “feeling.”

Life isn’t defined by what you accomplish—it’s shaped by the quality of the emotions you experience.

When you focus on how you want to feel and become aware of the emotions you’re seeking, you can begin enjoying them even before achieving the objective.

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My Simple Formula for Setting Better Goals

Over the past couple of years, I’ve developed a simple formula that’s completely changed the way I approach goal-setting. It’s helped me feel more connected to my life and has made the process of pursuing goals so much more fulfilling. Here’s how it works:

1. Close Your Eyes and Dream

Start by imagining your ideal future. I like to sit quietly, close my eyes, and picture my daily life: What am I doing? Who am I spending time with? Most importantly, how do I feel?

For example, instead of focusing on a goal like “I want to make six figures this year,” I might say, “I want to feel secure and abundant.” Or instead of “I want to run a marathon,” it becomes, “I want to feel strong, energetic, and alive.”

This small shift creates an emotional connection to your goals, making them more meaningful and motivating.

2. Align Your Actions With Your Desired Feelings

Once I’ve identified how I want to feel, I think about the actions or habits that can help me experience those feelings right now.

If I want to feel calm and centered, I might start meditating in the mornings or spending more time in nature. If I want to feel connected, I make an effort to have more meaningful conversations with loved ones or schedule time to be with people who energize me.

It’s about intentionally bringing those feelings into your daily life, instead of waiting for some far-off milestone to bring them.

3. Feel the Joy of the Present Moment

This step might be the most important. I’ve learned that you don’t need to wait until you achieve your goals to feel good.

Gratitude has been a game-changer for me. Every day, I reflect on the small things I’m grateful for—like the warmth of the sun on my face, a quiet moment with my family, or even my morning coffee.

When I focus on what’s good in my life right now, I find that positive emotions start flowing naturally. When I approach my goals from this place of abundance, the journey becomes lighter, and the results seem to come more easily.

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Why Emotions Matter

Think about the traditional approach to goals: you set an objective, work hard to achieve it, and then—hopefully—experience the joy of success.

But what happens if you don’t succeed? Or worse, what if you do, only to find it doesn’t bring the happiness you imagined?

Focusing on emotions rather than achievements flips the script. It creates a life where fulfillment isn’t conditional on external results.

As a bonus, when you prioritize how you feel, you naturally gravitate toward goals that align with your true values—bringing you not only success but also lasting happiness.

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What About You?

How do you want to feel in 2025? What small steps can you take today to bring those feelings into your life? You can close your eyes and dream, and feel the joy, now.

Sending you good vibes for 2025 🌻

Manuel Saez
manuelsaez.com

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