Welcome to 2025!
We’re several days into the year, so I’m curious about how energized you’re feeling for 2025.
I’m excited for the year ahead and what it might bring, though I have feelings of trepidation based on the number of unknowns facing our world. However, we need to continue to train and show up as our best selves for our leadership endurance journey.
One of the ways I do this is to use words or songs as my anchors for how I want to go through life and make decisions for the year.
➡️ In 2022, I picked a song - “This is Me,” from The Greatest Showman.
➡️ In 2023, I picked 3 words - Joy, Intentional, and Brave.
➡️ In 2024, my 3 words were Want, Fun, and Simple.
Most days, I write phrases about these words in my journal to describe what I need them to mean for me that day. Last week, I shared how the 2024 words served me throughout the year.
For 2025, I’m excited to share my 3 anchor words: Believe, Committed, and Energy. This year seemed a bit harder than in the past to finalize the choice because some words I was considering just felt like the wrong feeling but the right intention.
So here’s how I intend for these words to support me in 2025:
Believe: This is such a powerful word, and I was recently reminded about the power when we rewatched the full Ted Lasso series.
For me, “Believe” is about having confidence that the way I have chosen to focus on my business is the right way for me and my clients.
The coaching and advisory work I do to support my clients creates impact, and it doesn’t need to fit anyone else’s model of the “best way to do it.” I still want to keep learning and refining my approaches, but I believe I know what is best for my business, and I will trust my instincts.
Committed: For the goals I’m focused on achieving this year, personally and professionally, I am committing to do the work to make them real.
In some areas, this will look like discipline in honoring the habits I know need to be in place.
In other areas, this commitment will look like a mindset focus and will align to Believe.
Energy: Energy management is everything in today’s world, and I want to have the energy I need to thrive personally and professionally. For this to be true, I will focus on:
Ensuring that I recommit to healthy habits for my physical well-being: the choices of what I eat, how much wine I choose to include in my diet, a minimum of 3 days per week of strength work including mobility and flexibility work, more water and continuing my 3 days/week of running and sleep prioritization.
Ensuring the work I commit to is aligned with where I add the most value and what I love to do.
Confirming that the organizations I’m part of continue to be aligned with where I want to invest my time and energy.
Making time each week for reflection and planning to confirm if I’m still on track or where I need to course-correct.
Taking time away from work regularly - each week, month, and quarter - so that I can refill my fuel tank.
I use these three words to kick off the work outlined in the Success Reflections template that you can download here. In this template, you’ll also map out how you want to proactively map out what success looks like at the end of next year, including your personal and professional measures.
As you saw with one of my 2023 word choices, intentionality is key for us to live the lives we want. Intentionality requires us to consider what’s most important to us and what it will take to get there.
We can’t control many things that will occur in 2025, but we can be intentional about what we want in our lives and outline plans to make those real.
If you have a word of the year, a mantra, or a way of setting yourself up for the year ahead, I’d love you to share it by replying or sending me a message.
Wishing you a wonderful start to 2025! Remember - I’m here to support you on your leadership endurance journey, so reach out if it’s time to invest in coaching.
Melissa
The new year is a perfect time to map out your success factors for the year.
You can download the 2025 Success Measures template with this link.