What are your intentions for 2025?

What are your intentions for 2025?

This is usually the time of year when business owners are being urged to make plans and set goals for next year.

Over many years of working with small businesses I’ve realised this is mostly a waste of time. There are just too many factors that aren’t in our control and people end up feeling pressure and guilt because they didn’t do all the things they promised themselves they’d do.

Before we get carried away, I’m not suggesting that just taking every day as it comes and not having a clear idea of where you want to get to is a good idea. The alternative to having very specific goals is to work with intent to create the sort of business and lifestyle you really want.

One way of doing this is to list all the things you’d like to START doing – like working fewer hours, spending more time on a hobby or saving for special holiday.

Then look at the things you’d like to KEEP doing – the things that bring you most satisfaction.

Finally, (and it’s important to do things in this order) note the things you really want to STOP doing – maybe worrying, stressing, trying to control things that aren’t yours to control.

Most people start their own business to have more control over their lives and working with intent to create that life is sometimes forgotten in the clamour to “grow and scale” or to follow the latest trend, and the result can be the loss of all the fun and sense of achievement because of the overwhelming feeling that you’re never quite doing enough.

I’d love to know what you intend to START, KEEP and STOP doing – let me know and if you want any help in sticking to what you decide, I’ll be happy to be your accountability buddy!