Thinking differently about goals with Dr. Troy Holaday of CollegeSource
A message from the President
Welcome to 2026! Can we talk about goals?
Early January is traditionally a time for making resolutions about all the things you are going to do to improve your life in the new year. It’s certainly the time we do goal setting at CollegeSource, which is a process I’ll talk about toward the end of this letter to you, the amazing people who use the software we design every day to make students’ lives better. First, however, I want to do some out-loud thinking about the mindset around goals and setting them.
The shift in thinking about resolutions
I don’t know how many people are serious about making resolutions anymore. Everyone I asked this year has said they don’t make resolutions, as if it’s no longer fashionable. Sometimes it’s because they are already working toward something and don’t need more goals. Many times, though, I got the impression that people have lost their taste for setting goals because they have fallen short in the past and it’s easier not to try. (Not to mention that the noisy, chaotic nature of “now” fights us when we try to focus on the future.)
A goal without a plan is just talk
There is currently a TV commercial that shows a guy talking to everyone around him about how “this year” he and his partner are going to “remodel the kitchen!” Scenes of him rambling about the merits of various countertop materials and recessed lighting play out over and over as he ages, has children, gets gray hairs … Eventually he is telling his financial advisor where the breakfast nook will be in this imaginary new kitchen when the advisor suggests they could work together to create a plan to make the kitchen happen for real. The protagonist of this 30-second story reacts as if planning is some wonderful new idea that had just been invented.
This TV ad makes a clear point: a goal without a plan is just talk. (Credit: Chase Bank)
We’ve all been there: having aspirations without a plan and listening to ourselves talk about them week after week, month after month, year after year with others, without making any progress or even taking the first step. So, we should stop having aspirations, right? We should stop making resolutions. Stop dreaming about making changes?
Of course not.
First, the commercial is on point. What we need is a plan: any plan. I’m sure you’ve heard the mantra “If you fail to plan, plan to fail.” (This quote has a dubious history, by the way. It is often attributed to Ben Franklin without evidence. Certainly, the stellar coach John Wooden used it frequently, so even though he didn’t originate it, he is a better source to name.) Plans help us visualize a path, and our own desire sets us in motion. Ambitions without some kind of roadmap die in talk, those with a map result in first steps.
Success isn’t the only measure
But a plan isn’t all we need. We also need to stop over-valuing success and start placing more value on the process, the struggle, and progress. Working toward a goal gives us purpose, which results in better mental health. Taking steps results in change, which can be good even if it falls short of the goal. Maybe you don’t lose 50 pounds, but you make friends at the gym and find out that cycling is a way to quiet all the noise in your head a few times a week. Great! That is real value. Wanting to lose 50 pounds, making a plan, and taking steps created that value even if you “failed” to reach the goal.
I realize I’m at risk here of delivering one of those old tired feel-good aphorisms like “it’s not the destination, it’s the journey.” But the truth is the destination isn’t even always possible. Sometimes we reach too far or circumstances change. Not attaining the ideal we envisioned shouldn’t turn all the progress we make into ashes.
Near our offices in California is the Palomar Observatory. An absolutely beautiful giant telescope that was revolutionary in its time and, even today, is still contributing to science virtually every night-time hour of the year. It was designed by George Ellery Hale who built a number of observatories and famously said, “Make no small plans, dream no small dreams.” I have jokingly inverted this quote at times and said “Dream no big dreams” when trying to get people to look at meaningful milestones and aim not just at the long-term goal, but at all the little goals in between “here” and “there” as well.
Conceived almost a hundred years ago, the Palomar Observatory is still a heavy hitter in the world of astronomical research.
I have also been a fan of the saying “Perfect is the enemy of done.” I believe in incremental progress. You should come into work each day and try to do at least one thing to move the ball forward. No zero days! If you want to be a writer, make sure you write at least one good sentence every day. If you want to be a person who works out and missed a day, do a single pushup before going to bed. If you want to be a better communicator, write one necessary email or give one bit of needed encouragement to another person who is struggling. If you want to strengthen your relationships, pick up the phone and call your Mom, if you are lucky enough to still have her.
Set a goal, take aim, and start moving.
Which brings us to the CollegeSource part of this pep talk.
How CollegeSource turns goals into progress
We got more serious and more formal about goal setting as a company a few years back and each year since then we have improved at the process of setting goals, which has led to increased engagement, focus, achievement, and self-worth. (Sometimes you achieve a lot in a year but fail to recognize it because it was unplanned and undocumented!)
Our process is a fairly tedious one. I’m not sure there is a clean and easy way to hear everyone’s ideas and then refine, prioritize, and document them without a bit of mess. We have used giant Post-it notes and “gallery talks” where we walk around and ask questions and comment on goals in the past. This year we are using a form that tries to better enforce SMART (Specific, Meaningful, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound) goal setting. This is the collection phase.
Afterward, we try to combine them and revise them to be workable within the current year. Sometimes this means breaking them up into steps and, while keeping an idea on the destination, figuring out how far we can get by December. Then we mark high-priority goals, distribute them in document form, and do quarterly checkups.
At last count we hit over 80% of our goals for 2025, but the real win isn’t putting a check mark next to a goal (though that feels incredible). The win is in making real change that matters in a long-term way and moves us toward a more perfect future. I’m always surprised at how a singular, small and useful improvement in our software can make so many people happy. Often, it’s something we almost overlooked because we were focused down the road at some grander, larger change and not on that step.
We are excited about going through the process again. It’s not always fun or easy, but it’s important and meaningful. It is our way to make sure that the company heartbeat is strong and in sync. It’s one way that we ensure everyone’s voice is heard.
Don’t give up on setting goals
I encourage you to not give up on setting goals. Make goals for yourself and for/with your family. If you have never gone through a goal-setting process at work, try it! If you want to talk more about a process, you know where to find me: tr**@***********ce.com.
Welcome to 2026. Goals are dead, long live goals!
Dr. Troy Holaday
President
CollegeSource
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