Start as you mean to go on: How to thrive in 2025

The start of a new year is the perfect time to set the tone for the months ahead. By approaching 2025 with clarity, focus, and a proactive mindset, you can ensure that your business goals are not just aspirations but tangible achievements. Here’s how to drive your year with intention and purpose:

1. Make a plan

Planning is always going to be the foundation of success. Start by writing down everything you need to accomplish and then prioritise tasks based on their potential impact on your business. 

Micro-planning is equally important; by breaking down larger tasks into actionable to-do lists, you can ensure that every day is productive and aligned with your bigger objectives.

Here at Disruptive, we use Asana to organise our priorities and track progress - there are obviously lots of other project management tools out there, but we’ve found this to be a good one (plus you get a little surprise animation every time you complete a task). While planning provides structure, it’s obviously essential to stay flexible and open to new opportunities or challenges that may arise along the way.

2. Set your targets

Having a clear vision can act as a good driving force behind any meaningful action. Define your goals for the year and create targeted strategies to achieve them. Make sure to actually write them down - committing them to paper can also help give you some accountability. 

Identify your dream clients, create a list of them and build tailored campaigns around how you might target and nurture them. Think about what content and expertise you might be able to offer them, and then look at tools you might use to approach them. We’re currently using Apollo for outbound campaigns and lead generation, and then HubSpot workflows for lead nurturing. 

Focus your outreach efforts on crafting messages that resonate with your target audience, emphasising how your services align with their specific needs and values. With this targeted approach, you can quickly make meaningful connections and help drive your business forward. 

3. Protect your time

Time is one of your most valuable resources, so managing it effectively is crucial. Leveraging technology can help streamline your efforts; for example, we use integrations like Fireflies, HubSpot, and Asana to take meeting notes, action them immediately, and delegate tasks where necessary. Getting this linked up has been a game changer in optimising our efficiency. 

Delegation is a key component of protecting your time, as sharing the workload with your team ensures that no one is overwhelmed and that projects continue to move forward efficiently. By being intentional about how you allocate your time, you can focus on what truly matters.

4. Align your team

Success isn’t a solo effort; it requires a unified team working towards shared goals. Take the time to reaffirm your team’s commitment to your company’s mission, ensuring everyone understands how their roles contribute to the bigger picture. 

Alignment around shared values and goals creates a cohesive and motivated team. We’re currently working on a collaboration with Subio (who optimise workforce contribution) and exploring launching a product that promotes measuring success in sales and marketing and tracking progress to foster a sense of collective achievement. Stay tuned for updates on that. When your team is aligned, you can achieve more together than you ever could alone.

5. Reframe and revisit your three-year vision

Every now and then, it’s essential to take a step back and reassess where you’re heading. Revisit your long-term vision and consider where you want your business to be in three years. Thinking big and focusing on your "north star" can help you recalibrate your actions and stay on course. 

Identify your Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) and prioritise the objectives that will have the most significant impact on your progress. Engage in macro planning to develop broader strategies that support sustained growth. Sometimes, stepping outside your usual environment can provide fresh perspectives and renewed inspiration for your vision.

By using these five key areas as a way of focusing yourself and your efforts, and reminding yourself what’s important to achieve success, you’ll start 2025 with intention which will drive you to do just that.