Goal Setting and Habits: The Keys to a Productive New Year

Happy New Year, developers! As 2025 begins, Rob Broadhead and Michael Meloche, the voices behind the Building Better Developers podcast, bring you a special New Year’s Day episode. This isn’t the launch of a new season but a unique pause to reflect, reset, and ready ourselves for the year ahead. With a mix of humor, personal anecdotes, and practical insights, Rob and Michael discuss goal setting, incremental progress, and the importance of building habits that energize rather than drain us.

Building Momentum Through Goal Setting

Rob emphasizes the idea of incremental steps. Goal setting can feel overwhelming, especially when staring down big, audacious tasks. By breaking goals into smaller, actionable pieces, you make progress manageable. Whether it’s building better software, streamlining your workflow, or achieving personal milestones, progress should be steady and sustainable.

The key? Don’t aim to overhaul everything in a day. Start small. If life disrupts your plans, get back on track the next day. As Rob highlights, missing one step is okay, but never miss two in a row—consistency, even in small doses, compounds over time into substantial achievement.

Small Steps, Big Wins: Mastering Goal Setting for Long-Term Success

Both Rob and Michael share candid insights into their personal and professional goals. Rob, grappling with code merging challenges, reflects on setbacks and the determination to overcome them. Meanwhile, Michael discusses the pitfalls of developers committing code without proper testing—a relatable frustration for anyone in software development.

Yet, they emphasize the learning opportunities in these challenges. For Rob, it’s about refining processes. For Michael, it’s an opportunity to educate teams on the value of test-driven development, ensuring smoother projects and happier clients.

Tailoring Goal Setting to Fit Your Life and Career

Michael tackles the cultural obsession with instant results. From weight loss to mastering a new skill, unrealistic expectations often lead to burnout and frustration. Instead, he suggests setting realistic yet slightly challenging goals—something attainable but not so easy that it fails to push you.

For developers, this could mean learning a new technology or pursuing a certification. Instead of cramming knowledge in one exhausting session, spread it over weeks with daily, bite-sized efforts. Progress may feel slow, but it’s steady and builds resilience.

Navigating Setbacks: Staying Committed to Your Goals

As Rob and Michael point out, achieving goals isn’t just about effort—it’s about mindset. Regularly check in with yourself to ensure your goals aren’t leaving you feeling drained or defeated. Adjustments along the way are not failures; they’re necessary recalibrations to stay on course.

Setbacks, whether personal or professional, are part of the journey. The response matters more than the setback itself, whether it’s gaining weight after a diet mishap or losing work hours due to a coding error. Acknowledge it, learn from it, and move forward.

Practical Goal Setting Strategies

1. Break It Down: Divide your goals into daily, weekly, and monthly tasks. This makes large projects feel more achievable.

2. Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge incremental progress, even if it’s as simple as completing a small coding task or reading a chapter of a book.

3. Consistency Over Perfection: Build habits by showing up daily, even if it’s just for a short time. Small, consistent actions lead to significant results.

4. Reflect and Adjust: Revisit your goals periodically to ensure they’re still relevant and realistic. Adjust as needed to stay motivated.

5. Seek Support: Share your goals with others for accountability and encouragement.

Staying Motivated and Energized

A recurring theme in the podcast is the idea of energizing goals. Rob and Michael encourage listeners to focus on activities that bring joy and motivation rather than those that feel like a chore. Start small but meaningful. Even 10 pushups a day or saving a dollar daily can lead to significant changes over time.

Make Goal Setting Work for You

Rob and Michael challenge listeners to take immediate action as they wrap up. Whether sending an email, starting a new project, or setting a single daily goal, small steps lead to significant changes.

Remember, 2025 isn’t about racing to the finish line; it’s about steady, sustainable growth. Follow their advice, and by this time next year, you’ll look back proudly on the progress you’ve made.

Here’s to building better developers—and better lives—in 2025. Happy New Year! 🎉

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Additional Resources

• Achieving Goals – Setting A Milestone And Hitting The Mark
• Use Accountability To Achieve Your Goals
• Setting Goals That Serve Others – Interview With Nicky Billou
• Use The Value of Steady Improvement to Achieve Big Goals
• Building Better Habits Videos – With Bonus Content