Before You Set Goals, Ask This One Question
As another year turns, I see a familiar pattern show up on social media—post after post about how many books people read last year. The lowest number I’ve seen so far is 34. And the highest is well over 100.
My first reaction when this barrage of books inevitably happens each year is usually the same: I’m not doing enough. I should read more.
I’ve never been a reader. I’d rather wait for the movie to come out. I can usually make it about two chapters into a book before I find myself falling asleep—and that’s with books I genuinely enjoy.
Comparison is a terrible companion. Because while others were learning or being entertained or finding connection through reading, I was doing it differently—through observation, through videos, through conversations, through experimentation, through experience. Reading just isn’t how I learn best.
Understanding yourself is perhaps the most important first step in goal setting.
What did last year teach you about how you actually grow?
Not how you wish you grew.
Not how growth looks on LinkedIn.
Not how others seem to be doing it.
How you actually grow.
That question matters—especially at the start of a new year—because too often we set goals based on comparison instead of clarity.
Some people grow through books. Some through dialogue. Some through doing and failing and doing again. Some through reflection after the fact.
None of those paths are better than the others. They’re just different. However, problems arise when we design goals and development plans that ignore those differences.
Why This Matters at Work (Especially Early in a Career)
I see this all the time with early-career employees. They’re told to “be proactive,” “improve their communication” or “take ownership,” but rarely are they helped to understand how they learn best.
So they default to what looks productive or what is readily available instead of what actually helps them grow.
When employees—early-career or otherwise—understand how they learn, reflect, and adapt, a few important things happen:
Feedback lands more effectively
Development feels energizing instead of exhausting
Confidence grows faster
Progress becomes more sustainable
The same is true for managers and leaders.
A Different Way to Start the Year
Before you set goals, pause and ask:
What did last year teach me about how I actually grow?
Growth that fits you will always outperform growth that just looks good from the outside.
And by the way, I read 2 books in 2025 and I’m very happy with that number. So for all you non-readers out there, you are not alone.
-Shaun Boyle, Founder of Taber Coaching