Happy New Year to all my readers and I hope that the festive season offered you the opportunity to take some time with friends and loved ones and get some rest and recuperation. I had a lovely couple of weeks off, enjoying the company of family and catching up with friends who I've not seen in a while. I also got out for a few long walks and enjoyed the Scottish countryside and some fresh air, to give me a breather in between mainlining Celebrations and pigs in blankets!
Driving along the road on Monday night after picking my daughter up from her grandparents, she asked me the same question that many of you will have asked or been asked over the last week - 'Have you got a new year's resolution?' Well, in truth I don't, I told her. It's not something I often do, but I do have a few things I want to wrk on or achieve this year to make it even better than 2024 and we spoke about those for a little while. Then I asked her whether she had one and she shared with me something lovely; the kind of thing that little people say which both surprises you and warms your heart. In 2025, she wants to be braver and 'put herself out there' more - volunteering for things that take her out of her comfort zone and finding ways to grow.
Since then she's already signed up to take part in her dance show, which is something that she'd avoided for the last couple of years and today she came home from school with a little certificate from her teacher which congratulated her for volunteering to demonstrate something which she's never done in front of the class. It might not last for a full twelve months, but the steps that she's taken this week already are things which should change the trajectory of her year, even if only a little. That new trajectory will be very interesting to follow and I hope that it's the start of something special for her.
For me, however, simply stating something I'm going to do is very seldom successful. those with good memories will remember that this time last year I said I'd finish my book in 2024. Long story short, I did NOT finish my book in 2024. In fact, some critics might suggest that I barely even started my book in 2024, so there's room for growth there! What does work for me, typically, is taking a slightly more holistic approach and I wanted to share with you some ideas of activities which might help you at this time of year, to make 2025 the best it can be, whether that be professionally or personally.
Now to be clear, this is not a checklist where you need to go through every single one in order - it's more of a menu of ideas to consider and perhaps pick one or two which you think might be useful. I've split it into two parts; the diagnostics (some tools you might use to reflect and review) and the directions (some actions you might take in order to progress things). It's not exhaustive, nor is it prescriptive, it's just some ideas to get you thinking, so without further ado, let's get into it!
The Diagnostics
Try the Wheel of Life
You might remember I covered this in a blog way back, as have many other bloggers but a classic coaching tool I've used lots of times is called the Wheel of Life. I ran a large group session with a client just before Christmas using this and it once again reminded me how deep a conversation it can generate. In short, draw a circle split into segments (roughly 8 but the total is up to you) and label each segment with an area of focus in your life (physical health, mental health, relationships, friendships, finance, whatever works for you). Then, for each segment, mark it out of ten. 0 = shambles, 10 = perfect. Then once you've done them all, go round each in turn and reflect on the score. Why is it a 3? Why is it not a 1? What would a 10 look like? What would a 4 look like? This can give some great insight into where you might need to apply some focus in 2025.
Audit 2024
Spend some time looking back over the 12 months we've just had. Chart it out like a rollercoaster over a horizontal axis. Highs and lows. What were you doing at the highs? What was working? How did you feel? What about the lows? What were you doing? What was missing? What could have made last year better/more fulfilling/more productive/more joyful? What does that all tell you about what you need to do in 2025?
Get a coach
Find someone in your life you can use in the way that people use an executive coach. Someone who can hold space, question, reflect back and and prompt you to explore whatever's on your mind, with no judgement and in total confidence. Maybe a professional coach who you pay and have structure with. Maybe someone who you know personally and who can offer that. Invest in yourself and it'll help you do some of the deep work that can lead to real insight and growth. If you're struggling for someone, give me a shout!
The Directions
Make a Plan
This is a simple and very broad one, but for anything that's come to you either through using one of the diagnostic tools above, or as an area of your life which you've identified has room for growth, one of the first things that you can do to generate that progress is to write down a plan. Want to lose weight? How much? What will you do to monitor and improve your nutrition? What will you do to monitor and improve your activity? How will you measure success? What targets do you have? All of these little things need to be considered if you want to build a roadmap for success, so get a pad and pen and get scribbling!
Get a Mentor
Why is coaching listed a diagnostic tool, whereas mentoring is a directive one? Well a coach is someone who helps you reflect and consider where you want to get to and holds the space to allow you to identify how you might want to get there. A mentor is there to offer suggestions. They can share their ideas, wisdom, experience and contacts to help you achieve something you've already decided you want to achieve. Once you have a goal, consider someone who might be able to help you achieve it and ask them to be your mentor.
Find a Way to Give Back
I talk about service a lot in my blogs, but that's because I believe it has a unique power to make us less self-centred, less the star of our own movie and more at peace. Thing about a skill you have or a thing you love doing and find an individual or a group who would benefit from that thing. Get out there, there are a million ways in which you can volunteer some time and expertise, from light touch to intensive and you'll be amazed at the sense of wellbeing it brings you!
Travel and Explore Locally
You don't need to go to the other side of the world to have your horizons broadened - there will be things happening two streets away from you which you don't know about. Beautiful things to see within a mile of your house which you didn't know were there. Get out, wrap up if it's cold and use whatever means of transport is most suitable to your situation and see what you can find! One of my favourite activities of the festive period is going around our little village with my daughter looking for the best Christmas lights display! She likes to assign ratings out of ten to the houses we pass and we both get a sense of joy as we turn a corner in the darkness and come across a house adorned with lights and decorations. We do it every year, it costs nothing and takes us nowhere but it punches well above its weight!
Take on a personal challenge
A friend of mine used to have a list of 100 things to do in Scotland before you die, which he'd clipped from a newspaper. Every year he'd tick a few more things off. It took him to the fireballs in Stonehaven and the world stone skimming championships in Easdale Island. Maybe you have a bucket list. Pick something you haven't done, make a plan and get the actions in the diary to make it happen. Last year I walked the West Highland Way. This year we're walking the Great Glen Way and I'm very excited about it! Find something that makes you proud!
Learn Something New
This is really an extension of number 6, but maybe instead of physically doing something, you mentally do something new. Learn a language or an instrument, teach yourself to code or to cook or tie knots. We've never had more access to knowledge and self development can really change the way you feel about yourself.
Get some things in diary to look forward to!
Little moments of joy keep us going through tough times. A social event, a holiday, a day off, a visit from a friend or family member. Don't sit around hoping that joy will find you - plan it in now! First day off I book every year is the Monday after the SuperBowl. Then I'll need a little weekend away with the boys. Hiking trip in September. Family holiday maybe in the autumn holidays? Already the year has high points splitting things up. Build the year you want!
Write
I'm a huge believer in the power of writing, by hand, on paper. Start a journal, getting ideas out of your head and onto paper. Use this to reflect and get clarity. Start a gratitude diary or jar where you capture 3 things every day which you're grateful for. Little acts like these can bring order to your thoughts and perspective when it's absent. Try it and see how you get on!
There are many more things I could have shared here, but I didn't want a blog post that took a week to read and left you feeling overwhelmed! I sketched out a list over a cuppa in the Balerno Inn while Harper was at dancing one evening and even some of those didn't make the cut, but hopefully it'll give you some food for thought and a few things to consider.
As I said above, sometimes just having someone to talk things through with can bring you clarity and structure, so if you think that'd be helpful, that's what I do for a living, every day of the week - don't be shy about reaching out.
It's not all about starting billion dollar valuation businesses and climbing Everest - just remember that your year and what it looks like is in your hands. A little time now to reflect and plan can help you make it a great one!