Yesterday, I recorded a video where I reviewed my yearly goals with the help of AIs. Here's an overview of my typical goal-setting process, both with and without AI:
Non-AI Yearly Review/Goal-Setting Process
Start with Intuition:
I begin by asking myself, "What went well this year?" This gut check helps me reflect before diving into data.Gather Data:
I review everything that represents my progress and struggles throughout the year:My posts on X and LinkedIn
My YouTube videos
This newsletter
Personal goals lists
The goal is to fill my brain with as much "Charles data" as possible to get a comprehensive view of my year.
Answer Core Yearly Questions:
Using the data, I reflect on the following:What went well this year?
Did I challenge myself enough?
Did I grow sufficiently?
Have my energy levels been consistent?
What were my struggles, and how did I overcome them?
What’s exciting for me to pursue next year?
How can I align more with what I love doing?
How can I make next year’s goals more achievable?
Can I set simple goals that instantly motivate me?
What would truly satisfy me?
Expand with AI-Generated Prompts:
To deepen my reflection, I use AI (e.g., Claude) to generate additional insightful questions:What made time fly by this year? When was I most engaged?
Which small habits had the biggest impact on my life?
What conversations changed my perspective?
Where did I say "yes" when I should have said "no," and vice versa?
What am I ready to let go of?
Which relationships energized me, and which drained me?
What did I avoid thinking about this year?
Where did I play too small or hold myself back?
What feels unfinished or incomplete?
What brought me genuine joy this year?
Reflect & Answer:
I thoughtfully answer these questions to uncover patterns and insights about my year.
Using AI to Set Goals
Once I’ve reflected, I feed my answers and data sources into AIs. Here’s how I use them to refine my goals:
“AI Back and Forth” Coaching:
This is an iterative process where I treat the AI as a coach. I might even ask it to adopt the mindset of personalities like Tony Robbins or Bill Campbell to add a unique perspective. This makes the process more dynamic and emotional, which resonates with me as a serial entrepreneur.Crafting the Goals:
The AI helps me turn my reflections into clear, actionable goals. It often handles the technical aspects, such as:Creating SMART goals
Reviewing achievability
Adding emojis or characters to enhance clarity and readability
The Result:
By the end, I have a list of well-thought-out goals, like this one.
Why This Process Works
This approach combines logic and emotion, making it less rigid and more appealing to entrepreneurs who view goal-setting as an emotional and intuitive activity.
I’ll be sharing more resources soon on how I use AI to streamline my yearly goal-setting. How do you approach your goal-setting process?
Thank you for this!