2025 Keys to Success
John Gallagher
Employee Benefits Consultant - Helping business leaders transform employee benefits from a financial risk to a strategic advantage.
Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to read this. HR is managing a heavier workload than ever before and the pressure is on to be an expert in every discipline in the workforce. I hope to equip you with some tools to manage with confidence what I believe to be HR's #1 priority - Employee Benefits. Each week I will give you..
In light of the holiday week I'm taking a break from the benefit specific topics and sharing some thoughts on goals/ resolutions and planning for 2025. Next week I'll be sharing some thoughts on benefit planning for 2025.
New Year - New You
There is something about the start of a new year that brings hope, excitement and an opportunity for a fresh start.
Maybe you had a wildly successful 2024 or maybe it was a total bust. Either way that year is behind us and we all have an opportunity to create the reality we want in 2025.
Do you believe that?
2025 will be defined by the decisions we make, the dreams we chase, the goals we set and the habits that we create to get us there. Yes, there will also be obstacles we don't see yet, stresses out of our control and events that we didn't initiate but too often we play victim to our circumstances instead of focusing on the unbelievable amount of agency we have to change our reality.
Let 2025 be the year that YOU define instead of allowing it to define you.
We all define success differently so I won't try and define what a successful 2025 looks like for you. I do however, want to share some things that have been effective for me.
Take a step back first
Before we charge in to setting goals and attacking the new year, it's important to have some perspective. There is a lot of ways to do this. A practice I have had over the past few years is to re-read Michael Hyatt's book Living Forward. It's a road map of reflection to ensure you are looking at your life holistically and spending your time, energy, money and talents in the right places. A couple of other things I do:
Who you want to become in 2025 is as important as what you want to do
I've spent a lot of time thinking about this and will continue to do so. It does us no good to knock out a bunch of accomplishments and hate the person we've become. Who you are becoming is more important than what you are accomplishing.
I heard this recently - "what emotions did you most experience last year?" - In contrast - "what emotions do you most want to experience in 2025?" Reflecting on this could change your goal setting process.
Another way to look at this is "how would those around you describe you today?" "How would you like those around you to describe you as of 12/31/2025?"
Focus on connection in 2025
Here is my hope for all of you in 2025 - That you connect!
Connect with yourself in 2025. Your mental, physical and emotional health should be your top priority always. You are no good to anyone else if you aren't taking care of yourself. Everyone should have a goal or goal(s) in this area for 2025. Not sure where to start? Move! Physical activity is the one thing you can do that can positively impact all other areas of your life. Incorporating even 15 minutes of movement in to your days in 2025 could have a massive impact.
We live life with others and who we connect with regularly can drastically change our quality of life for the better or worse. The more intentional we are with this, the more our quality of life will improve. I'm reflecting not only on who I want to be spending more time with in 2025 but also the quality of those connections.
If you've not thought much about your purpose than maybe 2025 is the year for you to really explore that. I am a firm believer that we are all here for a purpose and that we are the only one that can live out our specific purpose. You matter. The Living Forward book gets in to this a little bit and I would suggest reading that. I have found the Bible to be the fastest track to exploring your purpose. Another read that can help you in this area is Victor Frankl's - Mans Search for Meaning.
Focus on daily and weekly habits more than large achievements
Good habits are what will bring lasting success in the different areas of your life. If you have never read the book Atomic Habits - that should be your first goal in 2025!
I'm hoping 2025 is your best year yet! I would love to hear what works for you in reflecting, planning and goal setting.
Here's your homework assignment:
领英推荐
Some content I found useful this week-
Tim Ferris Show with Dr. Becky Kennedy — Parenting Strategies for Raising Resilient Kids, Plus Word-for-Word Scripts for Repairing Relationships, Setting Boundaries, and More This is a must listen for parents. Dr. Kennedy breaks down some of the themes from her new book Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be. There is so many nuggets in there. I'm already reading the book..
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tim-ferriss-show/id863897795?i=1000681789573
The Next Big Idea Show: James Clear’s Ultimate Guide to Building Good Habits - James Clear is the author of Atomic Habits and basically the guru of everything habits. If you are trying to make changes in your life in 2025, follow him, read the book and dig in to his approach on habits. Show description: Forming a new habit is tough. Sticking with it is even tougher. That’s probably why someone buys a copy of James Clear’s 2018 book “Atomic Habits” every 11 seconds. James breaks down the science of habit formation into simple, actionable steps anyone can take — even you. Today on the show, he talks Rufus through the four laws of behavior change, explains how small improvements compound over time to produce remarkable results, and offers easy tips you can use now to kick bad habits and adopt good ones.
Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-next-big-idea/id1482067226?i=1000682390778
Webinars
1/16/2025 11:00a.m. HR Technology Trends in 2025: Impact, Options and Navigation
Stay ahead of the curve and explore 2025 HR Technology Trends. Join Jenny Noel-Brandt, Employee Benefits Practice Leader and technology expert Holly Larson, USI Senior HR Technology Consultant?for guidance on understanding and navigating the evolving technology landscape in HR.
Topics will include:
Register now: https://bit.ly/3ZPtk1s
Events - I hope to see you there!
Thursday, January 16, 2025 8:00 AM - 10:30AM HR Leadership Group of NEO In-Person MTG
Wednesday January 22 11:30am - 1pm Cleveland SHRM- The State of Cleveland SHRM
Thursday February 27 3pm-6pm Cleveland SHRM - Networking Like a Boss
PLEASE CHECK OUT MY CONTACTS WHO ARE LOOKING FOR THEIR NEXT ROLE - LET'S GET THEM PLACED!
Lisa Matson - Looking for her next HR leadership role!
Vicky DePiore - looking for VP of HR, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Senior Executive Human Resources roles.
Tracy Smeejkal - Looking for full time HR roles and/ or consulting work (NEO)