We’ve all heard of SMART goals. I’ve used them. I’ve taught them. And I’m not here to tell you they don’t work.
But what happens when a perfectly specific, measurable goal starts making you feel like you’re failing?
As we get closer to the end of the year, it’s easy to look back at the goals we set months ago and start focusing on everything we haven’t accomplished. We see the gap instead of the progress. We start telling ourselves we should be further along.
In this episode of Brave Moves, I’m sharing a different approach to goal setting that I discovered through Ali Abdaal’s book Feel-Good Productivity: NICE goals.
NICE stands for:
N – Near-term: Focus on what you can do today, this week, or in the immediate future instead of becoming overwhelmed by the entire journey.
I – Input-based: Pay attention to the actions and behaviors you can take rather than measuring yourself only by the final result.
C – Controllable: Build goals around what is actually within your control. You can send the pitch, make the offer, take the walk, or do the work. You cannot always control what happens afterward.
E – Energizing: Ask how you can make the process feel better. Can you bring in more play, choice, connection, support, or enjoyment?
We’ll also talk about the difference between an outcome like “I want five new clients” and an input like “I’m going to reach out to five potential clients this week.”
That distinction matters.
You can influence an outcome, but you can't always control it.
So if you're heading toward the end of the year feeling behind, this episode is your invitation to stop using your goals as evidence against yourself.
You don't necessarily need to abandon the goal or lower your expectations.
You might simply need to be a little NICER about how you get there.
Your Brave Move
Choose one goal that has started to feel heavy and run it through the NICE framework:
Is there a near-term step you can take?
Can you turn the goal into an input or behavior?
Is that behavior within your control?
How could you make the process more energizing?
Your goal can still matter without making yourself miserable trying to achieve it.
In This Episode
• What SMART goals are and where they can become challenging
• The NICE goal-setting framework from Feel-Good Productivity
• Why input-based goals can reduce the pressure we put on ourselves
• The difference between influence and control
• How small behaviors contribute to bigger outcomes
• Why enjoyment and energy belong in conversations about productivity
• How to rethink your goals as you approach the end of the year
• A simple exercise for turning a heavy goal into a NICE goal
Get Ali Abdaal's Book Feel Good Productivity here
Resources Mentioned
- Ali Abdaal’s website
- Feel-Good Productivity book and overview
- Ali’s Productivity Resources
- Free Feel-Good Productivity Visual Guide
If you loved this episode, text me and let me know what you though.
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Brave Moves is a daily confidence and personal growth podcast for ambitious women, women entrepreneurs, and leaders who are ready to overcome self-doubt, build resilience, and take bold action in business and life. Each short, practical episode blends mindset science, decision-making psychology, and real-life stories to help you strengthen your confidence, rewire negative thought patterns, and create meaningful forward momentum.
If you are navigating career pivots, burnout, reinvention, or leadership growth, Brave Moves gives you the tools to think differently, act bravely, and design a future aligned with your values and vision. Because confidence isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build, one brave move at a time.
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