We fall back tonight. We are in the last quarter of the year. There are 60 days left in 2024. What are you going to do with them?

My Plan? To prepare for 2025. But in a silky smooth, ease into my Saturday with a cup of coffee and relaxing music in the background kind of way. 

The issue is most people have an idea of what they want. They say things like, “In 2025 I’m going to . . . quit my job . . . apply for a new job . . . reboot my life. This next year is going to be the best year of my life!”

And they wait . . . 

Until 2025 arrives.

We project a special energy onto transitions like the beginning of a new year to motivate us. We tell ourselves that there is something about 2025 that is different from 2024 (besides the last number) that has the power to move us forward.

“This time is different!”

But it isn’t different. A year is a year, and there is no magic that occurs between December 31 and January 1. Live life in the present. You don’t need a certain day to make things happen for you. You can just start them. 

But maybe you just aren’t feeling it. If you are currently wired to feel motivated by a transition into the new year, fine. Leverage that feeling to prepare. What simple steps can you take to bring closure to this year while excitedly anticipating the next?

My approach is to ease into 2025 with a Saturday morning coffee vibe. I have clear plans, but nothing is unforgivably rigid. Below I share my top tips to close out this year by preparing for the next.

Release the Past

Woulda, Coulda, and Shoulda are brilliant, aren’t they? They have the insight that sitting in the present looking at the past provides. Don’t allow them to sabotage what you want to accomplish now by reminding you what you haven’t accomplished so far. 

Release them. I like to burn them. Really! If you’ve attended one of my workshops you may have participated in my Burning Blocks activity. I have participants write down any block that is keeping them from moving forward, drop them in a brass bowl, and we light them up!

You get to choose whether you ruminate on things that happened (or didn’t happen) over the past year. If it doesn’t serve you, if it doesn’t support the direction you are headed, let it go.

Start with Gratitude

Celebrate how far you’ve come over the past 305 days. You have changed. You have grown. Be grateful for that growth. Don’t judge it. Don’t worry about not reaching a certain goal fully. If you’ve moved toward it, you’ve made progress. Keep moving forward.

What growth have you experienced that you are grateful for? Did you start a journey that you had previously only dreamed of?

I’m grateful for my growth and lessons I’ve learned. Experience is indeed the best teacher. And, sometimes, growing experiences are messy.

Earlier this year I changed direction with CONNECT to focus more on business content. While I love business, and I don’t plan on abandoning that side of CONNECT, I have settled comfortably in personal development with the subtopics of burnout recovery and starting small businesses sprinkled throughout.

I start each day with gratitude. I don’t rattle off the same list each day, but I mindfully CONNECT to things and people I’m grateful to have in my life. Yes, many of them are the same, but I never let my gratitude grow stale. I keep my it fresh by engaging with them regularly. 

For example, I have been working on my mini food forest for some time, but there have been endless interruptions. This spring and summer I was finally getting a handle on my prep. Then, an emergency came up, and I had to leave for a couple of months. When I returned my yard looked like The Secret Garden when Mary first discovered it - overgrown and lifeless. 

As of today, it’s not providing a bounty of food, but it has things growing. And, if I compare my yard with what it was when I moved in it is a totally different place. It hasn’t reached my ideal, but it is filled with plants that provide food for my family and health to the soil. I am thankful for what I have today.

Prepare for 2025 Today

If there is one thing experience has taught me well it’s to prepare, but be flexible. I will prepare for 2025 now, based on what I know now. However, I’m flexible enough to change what I’m doing based on new information I gather. You don’t have to pivot or shift. I love the words shift, pivot, and transition, but they feel drastic. Don’t overhaul your plans. You usually only need to make small adjustments. 

Be True to You

No matter what you are planning to do, align it to your values. What do you value in life? Check in with your values to make sure they are supported and not in competition with your goals. 

For example, if your plans take an exceptional time commitment and that commitment has a negative affect on relationships you value, make adjustments. You don’t have to abandon your plan, but consider giving yourself more time to accomplish it. You’re seeking harmony, flow.

What do I value? I value spending time with my husband, family, and friends. I value meaningful work that positively impacts others. I value being my own boss. I value good physical and mental health.

If something is going to move me away from what I value or impede my dedication to those things, I’m not gonna play. Not worth it. I’ve learned that lesson via my good ‘ole teacher, Burnout.

Act Now!

Fear is composed when we sit inactive, and it reaches its resolution with action. My approach anticipates being in full swing by the time the new year arrives. I’ll fiddle with the bits and pieces now, falling into the current cycle’s end, so I show up fully for the next cycle’s beginning.

Remember, the majority of people don’t follow through on their New Year commitments (or most commitments requiring any meaningful change). The reason being that they strongly desire something, but they want it to arrive effortlessly. 

Gently redirect your thoughts, words, and actions to align to a new beginning, a new direction, to set yourself up for success. 

I tackle two things to set myself up for success - gaps and blocks. Gaps are things that are missing, like a new skill that needs to be learned. Blocks are ingrained thought patterns that are in opposition to my goals. Fear of failure is a recurrent theme for many people, and it is not a complete stranger to me.

You are going to leverage your gaps to overcome your blocks. When you are engrossed in learning a new skill and experimenting with it, your mind has less time to conjure scary thoughts about why you are incapable of living life on your terms. Lies, y’all. Lies. Bury them with action.

Here is what I know: If you start now and stay focused, you will succeed in 2025. Not because 2025 is your “best year yet,” but because you didn’t wait on 2025’s arrival to start. 

Sending you all Peace, Love, & Harmony!

Do You Need Help Tapping Into Your Potential?

Are you struggling to meet your goals and wish you had support? Have you ever considered working with a coach? You may not know what a coach does.

One-on-One Coaching:

• You and I develop an individualized plan targeting your specific goals

• You receive individualized support from me

• Answers to your specific questions

• Guidance on your specific issues and blocks

• Accessibility to me outside coaching sessions for added support (individual texts and emails to check in)

• Your plan leads to learning how your personal growth is in your control

Are you ready to take action but are at a loss on what step to take next? 

I can teach you how to get started and accelerate your growth by using repeatable methods. Need the tools? I’ve got them. The goal is always to make you independent. I should be working myself out of a job. Once you take off, you may want to have a session from time to time, especially if you are scaling your goals. A good coach teaches you how to stand on your own two feet. Contact me today. Are you ready to CONNECT?