“Taking personal accountability is a beautiful thing because it gives us complete control of our destinies.” – Heather Schuck
In just few winks, we are now on the second month of the year 2025. Are you happy and satisfied on how things are going in your career and personal life? Is your 2025 headed to where you want it to be? Or are you still grasping and groping for what you want to happen and should do this year?
While you can blame others on what will or may happen to you this year, at the end of the day, only you can take charge of your life and move in the direction that you wish. How do you then ensure that you master and control your 2025?
Uncover the strongest driving force in your life – What or who is your biggest why? What is the purpose why you do what you do? What’s keeping you awake at night? What’s driving you to get off your bed every morning, rain or shine? No one can dictate your purpose. It has to come from deep within. And since not everything goes according to your plans, your purpose should be bigger than the challenges and obstacles. Unless you are fully aware of your strongest driving force, giving up is an option.
Have clarity on what you want to achieve this 2025 – Do you also have so many plans in life? So many goals you want to achieve? Are you aware that some of them may be achieved in a year, some in 3 years, some in 5 years and some may even take longer? Now, working on them all at the same time can be daunting and overwhelming. At times, leaving us in a state of paralysis or inactivity. Still with your long-term goals in mind, be clear first with what you want to accomplish for 2025 alone. Remember the rule of 3: work on a max of 3 goals at any given time. You can even break them down per quarter or per month. This way, they become more manageable, doable and achievable. This leads to a more motivated and confident you.
Identify the action steps to help achieve your goals – How clear are you with what you have to do to make it this 2025? Have you laid out all the details of your action plans? Can you visualize or picture yourself doing each step? No matter how good your goals are but if you have poor execution plans, your goals will just remain as goals. As they say, the devil is in the details. Many goals are not achieved because of poorly executed action plans. Not only should you work on the how, but also the when, where, who and what if. The more specific and detailed the action steps are, the better and the higher the chance of getting them done and achieving your goals.
Focus on what you have control over. Do your plans always turn out the way they should? Or are there unexpected hiccups and bumps along the way? Are you able to influence all these obstacles? Chances are, no matter how good your execution plans are, there will always be things that can happen which you have co control over. Instead of fretting and wasting time and effort on things which you really cannot influence, focus on those that you can. Instead of making these “uncontrollables” as excuses, already anticipate them and create Plan B, in case. You may not be able to control everything around you but you have 100% control over how you will react and respond to the unexpected scenarios that may come along.
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Filter noise and distractions. Are you easily affected by the opinions and comments of other people? How do you manage the different distractions surrounding you? You now live in a society where everyone has opinion on everything and anything. Social media even allow people you don’t know to comment on you. Some can be helpful and inspiring while some can be hurtful and demotivating. Again, these are things we cannot control. But you have the choice on what you will allow to affect you. First of all, take in comments only from people who know you. Strangers don’t have the right to have opinions on you. Don’t waste your time on them. Take in those positive feedbacks and validation to boost your confidence. In case of negative feedbacks, take in those that were given out of concern. If they were given to demean and derail you, discard them. Don’t let these noise stop you from pursuing your goals.
Your 2025 journey has just begun. It is completely yours. But it will not be a walk in the park. Some people may try to dictate how you go through it, or direct you as it fits them. Now, if you’re not mindful, you may get lost along the way. Remember that no one can own it for you. You are the master of your journey. It’s yours and yours alone.
