Today is our last post of the year. Yesterday, I published an article on my Substack, “Trying To Make an Honest Assessment of 2024,” in which I talked about why I am having difficulties processing last year. I began:

It’s that time of year when you take a look back and imagine yourself looking forward. It is prudent to think about the joys, successes, and challenges you experienced over the past 12 months – but it’s not easy.

First of all, you’ve probably forgotten a lot of the good things that happened and you remember in excruciating detail anything that was a challenge or abject failure. That’s because our brains are wired with a negativity bias, which from an evolutionary point of view, is advantageous. It kept us (and continues to keep us) alive. Hooray!

But what this negativity bias also can do is make you feel pretty crappy about your past year, especially if you didn’t achieve all of your goals.

(Of course you didn’t achieve all of your goals. It’s almost impossible to do that, unless you set them really low, and then it’s not much of an achievement now, is it?)

As you look back at what happened in 2024, I recommend using a combination of honesty and kindness. The initiatives you planned out and executed on may have been a smashing success, or a learning experience. 

Some things you didn’t plan may have worked out well, or may have created a hot mess. 

My guess is you experienced a mixed bag of great, good, bad, and ugly.

Please don’t forget to acknowledge and celebrate your wins. It’s really important for your mental health and helps to keep you moving forward.

Please don’t beat yourself up for what didn’t go as planned. Take note of what you learned and move on. What’s done is done. 

Planning for your business

If this isn’t your busy season, do take time to update your business plan and create a project plan for the big initiatives you have for 2025. You’d be surprised at how many businesses don’t do this. Consider the investments you want to make in sales, marketing, technology, operations, etc. Start at the big-picture level and then dive into the details. 

If you don’t have a formal or informal advisory board, make sure you run your plans by a trusted source who understands your business to confirm that you haven’t made unrealistic assumptions or missed a necessary detail. 

Also, remember to acknowledge and thank the key people who helped you this year. You may need their help again next year. 

Planning for yourself 

Many founders and small business owners forget to put support structures in place for themselves. This could be a personal trainer, nutritionist, therapist, business coach, consultant, or whatever trusted advisor you feel you need to keep yourself personally and professionally able to do the work you want to do. 

Schedule time into your calendar for whatever is important to you – exercise, hobby, volunteering, etc. Make it as important as any work activity. You’ll be a better person and professional if you prioritize taking good care of yourself. 

Wishing you a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2025. 

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash