Setting yourself up for success in 2025

By infusing clarity, purpose and focus in everything you do

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There are two approaches to life:

• Reacting to what happens – Waiting for opportunities or problems to happen then taking action based on that.

• Creating what happens – Being intentional about what you want and taking deliberate steps to make it real.

I’ve tried both of them, and I can tell you – the former doesn’t feel good. It feels disempowering, especially if the opportunities and problems are not aligned with your desires. You stay busy, but something’s missing. It can feel like you’re on autopilot.

Being intentional, though? It brings energy and passion. The most successful people I know take this path. They align their work with what excites and challenges them. Intentionality is the foundation of a thriving career—and life.

This is why I love stepping into a new year because it feels like a fresh canvas on which I can paint whatever I want. I get to set my intentions about the direction I want my year to go.

To set myself up for a fantastic new year, I need to get my mind in the right place. For that, I need 3 things: clarity, purpose, and focus.

The advice I mention in today’s article is comprised of things I’ve been religiously doing for the past 3 years, that have benefitted me tremendously. Before we dive, a word from today’s sponsor JellyFish.

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… now back to today’s article.

Getting clear about what drives you

The key to clarity is reflection, and the key to finding what drives you is reconnecting with what makes you come alive and what got you started in the first place . A one-hour clarity session can work wonders in helping you figure these things out.

Block an hour in early January. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb. Take your laptop or a notebook and start writing things down.

Have you ever asked yourself: What are your core life pillars? These are foundational areas or aspects of one’s life, each playing a critical role in building a meaningful life.

For example, my 4 core pillars are:

• Health & Fitness

• Relationships

• Career & Business

• Personal Growth

I define a successful life for myself if each year I am able to nurture and progress each of these core pillars. So start by figuring out what your pillars are —they might be different than mine.

Then, for each of these pillars, I first look back at the previous year. This simple exercise can reveal patterns I haven’t noticed.

• What gave me energy? What projects or tasks made time fly?

• What drained me? Where did I feel exhausted or unmotivated?

• Where did I grow? And where did I feel stuck or stagnant?

Then, I look at the year ahead.

• What do I want to keep from 2024? And what am I ready to change?

• How can I do more of what gave me energy? And how can I do less of what drains me?

• What am I curious about learning this year?

While doing this exploration, I pay attention to how I’m feeling as I’m writing things down. If fear or anxiety come up, that’s a signal to me that I have to dig deeper. The feelings I’m looking for are joy and peace; that’s when I know I’m on the right track.

Once you get clarity on some of these questions, a vision starts to emerge.

Define your vision and your anti-vision

It is important to approach this process of reflection with curiosity. Sometimes an hour might not be enough. Sometimes you might need to split it into multiple sessions. And other times you simply might not know how to answer some of these questions.

If defining the vision for the year ahead is too daunting, consider starting with an anti-vision. Most people who find it challenging to articulate what they want find it easier to talk about what they don’t want. Then it’s easier to reverse it into what you do want.

For example:

• Anti-vision: I don’t want to feel overwhelmed and burnt out by the end of the year.

• Vision: I want to feel calm, organized, and in control of my schedule.

• Anti-vision: I don’t want to be stuck doing work that feels meaningless.

• Vision: I want to work on projects that align with my values and contribute to something bigger.

• Anti-vision: I don’t want to have health problems and be lonely.

• Vision: I want to prioritize my well-being and spend quality time with people I care about.

Starting with the anti-vision makes the process less intimidating and it’s a good starting point.

Protect your focus at all costs

Distractions are the biggest enemy of making intentions reality and getting what you want. Once you’re clear on your vision and have a good idea of what needs to be done, focus becomes critical.

Here are some things that have helped me say no to distractions:

• Create a vision board: Because I’m a visual person, each year I create a vision board and have it front and center near my desk. It’s been an incredible tool for helping me stay clear and focused on my goals.

• Read Indistractable by Nir Eyal: I read this book a few years ago and it felt very refreshing. Nir has a lot of practical advice for how to increase focus, reduce distractions, and become “indistractable.”

• Say no to autopilot: Once you’re in the mode of just going through the motions, it’s hard to get out of it. What has helped me most with this is developing mindfulness through meditation. It’s like a workout for your brain. If meditation is something you’ve been curious about, I highly recommend the Headspace app to start.

• Commit to using a time management/productivity system: I currently use a combination of Notion and a physical planner. I created my own Notion template that seems to do the job. Find whatever works for you and stick to it.

Conclusion

Being intentional about stepping is more than just setting goals. Your goal should be aligning your year with what truly matters to you. By gaining clarity, defining your vision (or anti-vision), and fiercely protecting your focus, you can create a year that feels meaningful and fulfilling. Here’s to a year of living on purpose!

Until next time,

Irina - Your Caring Techie

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Do you need support finding your clarity & purpose again? Here are 3 ways I can help:

1. Book a one-hour call where we can tackle your most pressing issues.

2. Private coaching - I am opening a handful of coaching spots to work with me 1-1, email me at thecaringtechie@gmail.com or DM me to learn more!

3. Join the next cohort of my course “Impact through Influence in Engineering Teams” where in 2 weeks of live classes you learn the mindsets, frameworks, and tools you need to build your personal brand, build relationships, get buy-in and become influential at work.

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