6 Easy Ways to Reflect on 2024 and Gently Plan for 2025
It’s that time of year, friends – to look back on 2024 and plan ahead for 2025!
The internet is bursting with advice on what to do and how to do it, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But I’m here to cut through the noise with simple, doable practices to help you reflect, set intentions, and step into 2025 feeling ready and excited - WITHOUT it taking days, weeks or months to make happen.
💫 Easy Way 1: A ‘Dear Future Me’ letter
I’ve taken an hour or two every January 1st to flex my dream muscle and imagine how the year ahead will go - and then tell that to my present self in a letter.
First: pour yourself your favorite cuppa, wrap yourself up with your coziest blanket, light your best-smelling candle, and become your own fortune teller.
Now: Take out your favorite notebook and date the next blank page with today’s date - but a year from now! Start the letter “Dear Future [YourName]” and write what happened in 2025 as if it already came true. This could include:
Business wins you’re celebrating
Big and little life milestones
Fun surprises along the way
But really, there’s no limitations on what you can talk about in your letter, so let your Future Self tell you whatever you feel is important to hear. And then? Send your letter to yourself via futureme.org for a delightful surprise when it lands in your inbox next year.
👏 Easy Way 2: A Word/Phrase/Mantra of the Year
Your Word/Phrase/Mantra of the Year acts as your compass for 2025. Past ones of mine include Care, Good Energy, and CEO. To find yours, ask:
What do you want your overall intention(s) to be this year?
What do you want the year to contain?
What do you need to be attuned to in 2025?
What do you want in abundance?
Jot down the ones that pop into your head over the next few days - or weeks! - and then go to thesaurus.com, really nailing down the meanings and seeing what resonates most.
Once you land on your word/phrase/mantra, make it visible—set it as your screensaver, jot it in your planner, or make a bracelet to keep it front and center!
🎉 Easy Way 3: Reflect, Release and Celebrate
Write down everything you want to eliminate in your life in 2025. It could take any form you want: an essay, a drawing, lyrics to a song, a letter to someone who hurt you, or just a bulletpointed list…but get everything down. Examples include “not prioritizing my own needs” to “putting up with [name of positivity-sucking friend]” and “people pleasing”!
Then? Burn it! Or take a pen or knife or scissors & slash it up. Or spit on it & stomp it. Either way, get it out of your life in whatever violent way feels good for you.
Once you’re done, shift gears and make a list of all of your accomplishments this year! How fun is that? And yes, give yourself the space to brag & embellish on how awesome you are. If this is a tough one, think of what you've done that you received thanks for, or got a compliment on. Even if it's something as simple as "Got a new haircut I love!" it totally counts!
📆 Easy Way 4: Follow - and schedule! - your interests and values
Interested in a belly dancing class, NaNoWriMo, or political activism (I’m personally psyched about volunteering with the Working Families Party!)?
Google it up to see what’s available that resonates with you, and then literally schedule it in - even if it won't happen for months! It’ll help you step out of your comfort zone and give you something to look forward to, not to mention making you a happier person overall.
🏆 Easy Way 5: Pick one thing (and break it down)
It’s not about Goals, or Plans, or Resolutions.
Instead, it’s about Writing My Book. Launching My Course. Getting 1,000 Instagram Followers.
I know it’s hard to prioritize all of the things that you want to do in 2025, and picking just one can be excruciating. If that’s the case for you, do a brain dump and get out everything you think you wanna work on next year, and go with the one that seems to be pulling at you.
What’ll give you the most growth, or impact, in your business? What best reflects your Word/Phrase/Mantra of the Year? Don’t let your head talk your heart/gut over what it is you wanna do.
And don’t forget that only picking one thing for now doesn’t mean you aren’t going to do the other things - it just means you’re not going to work on it now. Big difference.
📒 Easy Way 6: Grab the YAY! Biz Planner + Pajama Planning Day bundle
This is the easiest and most nourishing way to reflect on 2024 and set yourself up for success in 2025. With impactful prompts in the planner and the magic of Pajama Planning Day (already on your calendar, and facilitated by someone else—aka me!), you’ll have all the structure and accountability you need.
No overthinking, no overwhelm—just focused time to plan, dream, and step into the new year with clarity. Ready to go? Grab it here!
Here’s to Your Best Year Yet!
Pick one way or pick ‘em all. No matter what, if you get intentional with what you want 2025 to look like and make both pro-active and responsive decisions based on it, you’re going to have a wildly successful year - whatever that means for you. Cheers!