The holidays are in full swing, and with just a couple of short weeks left in the year, I find myself desperately trying to avoid a free fall into January. You know the kind—where you hit the bottom of the cliff completely wrecked, scrambling to pull yourself together.
Despite my best efforts to build a bridge and cross into the new year with intention, I’ve struggled to define success, set goals, and map out how I’m going to get there. Initially, I told myself I was being intentional and taking my time, but let’s be honest: that was a bold-faced lie. The truth? I’m afraid to fail. And here’s the thing: you can’t fail at a goal you never actually set. While that’s a tempting kind of safety, I already know it doesn’t lead anywhere worth going.
So then what?
Turn Clarity into Actionable Steps
Vision without action is just wishful thinking. I can define success in my business, my relationships, my health, or my personal growth all day long, but I’ll keep free-falling through the year if I don’t start mapping out the steps to get there.
I’m a big fan of breaking things down into bite-sized pieces. When I look at the year ahead as one giant marathon, it’s overwhelming. But when I start thinking of it in smaller chunks—quarters, months, even weeks—it feels doable. The bridge I’m building suddenly has planks and ropes instead of just empty space.
For example, let’s take a specific area I’m working on: my business. I know what success looks like—I defined it. Now, I’m reverse-engineering the process:
- What do I need to accomplish this quarter to hit those goals?
- What does that mean for this month?
- What are the weekly steps I can commit to?
- And what do I need to be doing daily to move the needle?
The same concept applies to relationships, health, finances—anything. Once I have the vision, it’s about turning it into practical, measurable steps. It’s not glamorous, and it’s definitely not groundbreaking. But it works.
Give Yourself Permission to Adapt
Here’s where it gets real: I’m also giving myself permission to adapt. I think part of the reason so many of us feel burned out by February is because we set goals in January that are way too rigid. Life happens.
If I’ve learned anything from the last 11 months, it’s that I need to hold myself accountable while holding space for flexibility. But here’s the warning: flexibility means adjusting priorities or shifting my steps—not flexibility in execution (or lack thereof). The plan may change, the steps may shift, but the bridge still gets built, and still gets crossed.
So here’s the plan: as I step into 2025, I’m bringing my vision of success, my action plan, and a mindset that allows for growth. I’m breaking things down, adjusting as I go, and celebrating progress—even the small wins. Because small wins compound into big results.
If you’re standing at the edge of your own cliff right now, wondering how the heck you’re going to cross into the new year, I’ll leave you with this: clarity is step one. Action is step two. And step three? Trust the process.
Here’s to turning the free fall into building bridges, taking small steps, and making 2025 the year we move with intention.
Greta Rottler COO. Integrator. Co-Owner Lincoln Select Real Estate Group at Nebraska Realty