Are you ready for a productive 2025?

As 2024 comes to a close, it's natural to feel like time is flying by before you've accomplished everything you set out to do. While you can't get back the time you've lost, there are steps you can take to ensure 2025 is your most productive year yet.

1. Reflecting on the past year

The first and perhaps most important step to starting 2025 off right is to reflect on how you spent the past year accomplishing tasks. Ask yourself the following questions:

1. What went wrong this year?
2. What has been stopping you from achieving all the great things you originally planned?
3. Is there anything you wish you had done differently at the start of 2024?

These questions will help you figure out what went wrong, teaching you exactly what to avoid next year. Take a moment to evaluate your current life by asking yourself:

1. If you could change anything about your life today, what would it be?
2. Are you pursuing the career or lifestyle you truly desire?
3. Does your current path allow you to grow personally and professionally?

These questions will help you identify areas for improvement and adjust your goals for the coming year. The key to reflecting on what happened is not just focusing on what went wrong, but also acknowledging your accomplishments, no matter how small they may seem. To do this, think about:

1. What achievements are you proud of, big or small?
2. What habits or actions have helped you stay motivated and focused?
3. What moments brought you joy or fulfillment this year?

These questions not only encourage you to acknowledge your accomplishments, but also give you the motivation to implement these positive habits in the new year.

Tip : Write them down somewhere, like in the Notes app on your iPhone!

2. Set meaningful goals

After reflecting on the failures you faced in 2024, the direction of your life, and the successes you witnessed this year, you will have a clearer and more balanced vision for the coming year.

Don't be afraid to set challenging goals that will get you closer to the life you want, but don't get too excited about them. Be realistic and take into account what you've struggled with this year.

Note : Use the answers to the above questions to set meaningful and achievable goals that align with what you want to achieve in the coming year.

For example, one of your personal goals for the coming year is to become more active. Telling yourself, 'I'm going to walk 20,000+ steps every day after school' is unrealistic given your busy schedule. Instead, a more achievable goal would be to walk 10,000 steps every day, including school. Setting an extreme goal that you know you can't meet every day of the year will only discourage you!

Your goals don't always have to be focused solely on productivity. For example, this year you may have noticed that you have a bad habit of working too hard and not taking enough breaks. While taking more breaks will hurt your productivity in the long run, it will also improve your overall health. So one of your goals for next year is to take more intentional breaks throughout the day!

To make sure you don't forget about your goals, it's important to write them down somewhere. While there are plenty of goal tracking apps out there, many people like to use Notion to set and track their goals. It doesn't matter which system you choose to use, as long as it works for you and helps you stay consistent.

3. Review how to budget and track finances

If getting your finances under control has been on your to-do list for a while, the new year is the perfect opportunity to start fresh. It's a clean slate, and there's no better time than now to get your finances under control.

Start by reflecting on your current financial habits and asking yourself:

1. Do you stick to a budget or spend whenever you want?
2. Are there any unnecessary expenses you can cut?
3. How effectively are you saving and investing for your future goals?

The answers to these questions will help you better understand your current spending and saving patterns. Now, look for ways to improve the way you budget and track your finances. For example, if you've been overspending, consider using a budgeting app to track your income and expenses. This way, you'll always know exactly where your money is going.

This is also a good time to review and manage your subscriptions. Sometimes you can accidentally sign up for services you never use, especially if you sign up for a free trial and forget to cancel.

Remember, even small expenses add up, so take the opportunity to cancel any unused subscriptions and free up your budget for what really matters.

4. Create a digital vision board

One of the best ways to make your goals and desires a reality is to visualize them. A vision board is essentially a combination of your wildest dreams and the goals you want to achieve. If you keep your vision board somewhere visible every day, it will train your mind to focus on what you are working toward.

While you can collect materials like photos and post them on a physical board, an easier option is to create a digital vision board using a tool like Canva. People's favorite place to find images is Pinterest, and you can even set it as your computer or phone wallpaper to make sure you see it every day.

Whenever you feel down, take a glance at your vision board and it will inspire you to make your dreams come true.

By taking the steps mentioned above, you will be able to realize everything you want to achieve in 2025 and be fully prepared for a productive year.

Marvin Fry

Update 26 December 2024