Trust Movement: Setting Goals for an Action-Oriented Year
"Trust only movement. Life happens at the level of events, not of words. Trust movement."
This quote landed like a natural 20 during my daily journaling session in Obsidian. The meaning behind the quote might be closer to the song “More Than Words” by Extreme… But today, it inspires me to focus on movement in my goals. As I prepare to wrap up 2024 and look ahead to 2025, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the past year’s Sagas, the monumental goals I set, and to start shaping new ones.
Too often, I create goals that emphasize outcomes or resemble chapter titles instead of detailing the actions and conflicts that push the story forward. Trusting movement aligns perfectly with how I want to approach goal-setting in my Yearly Note — emphasizing actions that drive progress rather than words that merely sound impressive.
Let’s dive into how I’m using this philosophy to refine my goal-setting process and ensure my Sagas are actionable and impactful.
Sagas: From Aspirations to Action
In my Yearly Note template, Sagas are the monumental goals that define the year — my version of epic quests. But a Saga without movement is like a lore-filled TTRPG campaign where no dice are rolled and no encounters happen. This year, I’m ensuring that each Saga is action-oriented by asking:
- What Allies can help me?
- What Traps might derail me?
- What specific actions will I take to progress this Saga?
Example: Turning Goals into Sagas
Instead of a vague goal like “Write a game,” I’ll frame it as a Saga:
- Saga: Develop a narrative-driven RPG.
- Allies: Online game design communities, tutorials, and friends for playtesting.
- Traps: Over-scoping or getting lost in perfectionism.
- Actions/Encounters: Spend 2 hours every Saturday working on mechanics, write 500 words every week for 40 weeks, and publish a devlog monthly to track progress.
This framing shifts the focus from outcomes to the actionable steps needed to achieve them. Each action becomes a movement that advances the story of my year.
Building Momentum: The Anatomy of a Saga
To keep my Sagas grounded in movement, I break them down into Quarterly Campaigns, Monthly Adventures, and eventually Weekly Quests and Daily Actions. Each level of planning rolls up into the larger Saga, ensuring alignment and progress. For instance:
- Saga: Run my first half marathon.
- Quarterly Campaign: Complete a 12-week training plan.
- Monthly Adventure: Increase long run distance by 1 mile each week.
- Weekly Quest: Run 3 times, staying in Zone 2 heart rate.
- Daily Action: Saturday - Meal prep for the week.
This structure mirrors the way my journaling templates roll into each other, creating a seamless flow from daily actions to yearly ambitions.
Applying “Movement” to 2025
As I fill out my 2025 Yearly Note, I’ll integrate Alfred Adler’s wisdom by ensuring that every Saga is defined by actions. Here’s how:
- Action-Oriented Sagas: Write each goal as a verb-driven objective.
- Focus on Movement: Use Allies and Traps to create a roadmap for consistent progress.
- Align Across Templates: Ensure that Quarterly, Monthly, and Weekly notes tie directly into the year’s Sagas.
- Celebrate the Journey: Reflect often in the Long Rest sections to recognize progress and recalibrate as needed.
Yearly Reflection: Wrapping Up This Year’s Sagas
As part of my end-of-year routine, I use the Long Rest section of my Yearly Note to reflect on what worked and what didn’t.
- Wisdom: What lessons did I learn from my efforts this year?
- Boons: What actions energized or helped me the most?
- Loot: What were my biggest wins?
- Monsters: What challenges did I face, and how did I overcome them?
- Growth: What will I improve next year?
This reflection ensures that I carry forward the insights and successes while leaving behind what didn’t serve me.
TL;DR: Roll Initiative on 2025
Goals without action are like a beautifully drawn map in a TTRPG — visually appealing but useless until the players start exploring. By trusting movement, I’m making sure my Sagas for 2025 aren’t just words. They’re journeys, filled with encounters, challenges, and progress.
Here’s to a new year of rolling the dice, taking action, and advancing our personal campaigns. What are your Sagas for 2025? Let’s make them legendary.