Learning About Setting Goals

In this episode, Brian Miller and Brian Tracy kick off January's theme—Escaping the Tyranny of the Urgent—by looking back at Brian's 2025 goal list (10 goals… 3 achieved… baseball Hall of Fame, real life: "ouch"). They explore what a "failed" goal year can teach you: you can't predict what's coming, God opens doors you didn't even know existed, and the real win isn't perfect outcomes—it's faithful work and healthy relationships.

Key Highlights

• Brian admits he set 10 public goals for 2025 and hit 3, then uses that "miss" as a learning lab rather than a guilt trip.

• You can't predict the future: partnerships changed, a collarbone broke, and leadership responsibilities shifted—none of which were on the goal spreadsheet.

• Hold goals loosely: both Brians describe learning to release control and stay alert to God's unexpected openings.

• Focus on the work, not the scoreboard: habits and daily faithfulness matter more than lofty targets (with a nod to Atomic Habits and the "become the person" principle).

• Relationships are the real goal: productivity can quietly sabotage what matters most—community, family, prayer partners, and life-giving friendships.

Takeaways

• Set fewer goals—and build "adaptability" into them. A smaller number of priorities leaves room for real life (and real leadership curveballs).

• Measure faithfulness by the work you do daily, not just the outcomes you can't control.

• Ask: "Does this goal strengthen relationships?" If it doesn't, it might be a shiny distraction wearing a halo.

• Stop trying to kick down locked doors. Pay attention to the doors God opens—and when they open, walk through them boldly.

• Schedule rest and life-giving time on purpose. If you never plan time off, the urgent will happily eat your entire year.