Not all career goals must get more money, status, clients, or new roles in 2025. Career goals can be based on deepening what you already have in your career. It doesn’t mean that you allow your career to grow stagnant. Instead, your career goals can be planned and measured by internal feelings and interests.

Navigating and planning your career is often easier based on external factors. If you want a new job, a raise, or speaking accolades, you only need the imagination to know what you wish for, a strategy, and committed action to make it happen. I wrote The Career Stories Method book to teach people how to achieve that.

What surprises people is that they still feel something is missing once they land the job.

The something missing is often related to:

• Knowing how to appreciate what you have

• Seeking depth and meaning over external validation

• Wanting more artfulness in your existing work or professional presence

I know this experience because I’ve been there and seen hundreds of clients experience it. What do you work on when you already have a great career?

In 2025, Focus on clarity, depth, and meaning.

Here are four career goal prompts that have nothing to do with getting a raise, a new title, or external validation. You can download this PDF to create your own

The 2025 Career Goal Prompts:

1. Next year, I will focus on these three things:

______________

______________

______________

Why this works: by focusing on three things, you can get depth back into your work. You can add a clear focus by deciding which three things are the most valuable and engaging. If you do not know how to decide on the three things, I would suggest looking at the past years and seeing if there is an area that brings you joy but also benefits your work -- or a combination of those.

The three-things list allows you to say no to other projects. Often, people in jobs they like get there by doing many things and digging into their overachieving tendencies. At some point, for your career happiness, you can start to do fewer things. But, you do them well. What will those be for you?

What I’m doing: In 2025, I have focused on finishing my play, deepening my mindfulness teaching practices, and building a new leadership development program at my day job.

2. By the summer of 2025, I want to feel these two emotions while working.

________________

________________

Why this works: This helps you pinpoint how you want work to feel. You may be in an ideal job, doing work you love, but it’s not giving the emotions you thought it would evoke. This career prompt helps you focus on how you do the work, plan your days, and greet yourself.

I have seen people completely change how they feel about their jobs by focusing on this goal.

If you want to feel inspired and generous when you work but currently feel distracted and closed-off, this indicates that something needs to shift. Emotional goals can often be nurtured through mindfulness and intentional presence exercises. If you want to try them out, join the Career Stories Club or message me to learn how that works. 

What I’m doing: In 2025, I want to be more open and wise in my work. 

3. In 2025, the one thing I am devoted to learning more about is:

__________________

Why this works: This goal helps nurture lifelong learning, ensures you are not getting stagnant and supports creativity. Creativity often comes into your work when you connect an idea/concept from one discipline with something from another. Learning more about one topic allows you to go deep, make connections beyond the obvious, and tickle your brain. You aren’t expected to learn just one thing all year but commit to understanding one thing deeply.

Once you know what you’re committed to learning, you can map out a year of training. This gives you something to do if you have downtime — instead of scrolling or getting sucked into something distracting, always have resources related to your learning topic on-hand.

What I’m doing: In 2025, I am devoted to learning about memoir plays. I am taking a three-month-long writing workshop that begins in January, reading memoir plays and daily writing. I have mapped out my reading list, writing time, and first workshop. I’m excited that memoir plays can also tie into the mindfulness and Career Stories work — so as I learn things and make connections, my clients also benefit.

4. Most often, in 2025, I want people to feel these two things when they’re working with me:

____________________

___________________

Why this works: A big part of your authentic presence at work isn’t the narrative you craft about your work and impact. It’s how people feel when working with you. Sometimes, we can get so focused on getting our projects done or our ideas out there that we forget to consider how people feel when they are with us. This prompt helps you be clear on what impact you want to make, and you can plan on it and be more intentional with your actions. We can never control what people feel, but we can be deliberate about what we do and how we treat the people we work with. I have clients who love their work but struggle with their work relationships — this goal can help them have more self-awareness and intention.

If you wonder, “How do I change how I treat people?” The secret is mindfulness and authentic presence training. By learning to be aware of your sensory system and how it affects your habitual reactions, you can break cycles that no longer support you or others. In addition, authentic presence exercises help you be more aware of your presence and how minor actions (like how you hold your arms during a conversation) can impact a relationship.

What I’m doing in 2025: This year, I want people to feel wise and awake when they work with me. Although I have been good at sharing my wisdom in the past few years, I want to be more intentional about highlighting their experiences and knowledge.

How to stick with your 2025 Career Goals vision

As with any goal, it is much easier to achieve this career vision if you remind yourself of the goals and why they matter, map out the small but consistent steps you’ll take to get there, and imagine yourself reaching them. Later this week, I'll release a new meditation in the Career Stories Club, leading people to imagine having this dream vision come true.

If you can see and feel it, you can believe it and make it real.

On the surface, the career goals I have listed can seem a bit simplistic. There is no tremendous external award at the end, no best-selling book, sold-out coaching slots, or record-breaking income. But when I see the goal, as summed up below, I am excited about the work I get to do next year. That's part of it.

What does dreamy and meaningful work look like to you next year? What are you excited to do?

This is my dreaminess:

In 2025, I will finish writing my play, deepen my teaching practice, and develop a new leadership development framework for a company with 5,000 employees. I will also feel open and wise and help others to feel wise and awake when they work with me. My deep knowledge of memoir plays will support all my other work.

I'd love to read yours.