11 Simple Ways to Reflect on 2024 Before Setting 2025 Goals

Reflecting on 2024 isn’t just about looking back; it’s about understanding where you’ve been to create a roadmap forward. For small business owners, every win, challenge, and pivot holds valuable lessons that can shape your future decisions. When you take the time to reflect, you gain clarity on what’s working in your business and what’s not. It’s like pulling back the curtain to see the strengths and weaknesses in your strategy.

By analyzing the past year, you can identify patterns that may have gone unnoticed in the day-to-day hustle. Reflection also creates space to celebrate your wins—big or small—and acknowledge the effort you’ve put in.

This process isn’t just practical; it’s empowering, boosting your confidence as you set new business goals. It allows you to align your actions with your long-term vision and values.

Without reflection, it’s easy to fall into the trap of repeating the same mistakes or staying stuck in ineffective habits. On the flip side, intentional reflection can reveal untapped opportunities for growth and improvement. It’s not about dwelling on what went wrong but learning from it to make better decisions.

By reflecting on 2024, you set the tone for a more focused and intentional start to 2025. After all, you can’t move forward without first understanding where you’ve been.

💡 Small Business Tip: Block out 30 minutes in your daily planner to reflect. Write down 3 things you’re proud of and 3 things you’d like to change.

Let’s be real—setting business goals can feel overwhelming, especially when you're running a small business. But here's the thing: clear, intentional goals are a roadmap for your business—they guide you, keep you on track, and help you avoid aimlessly spinning your wheels. Without them, it’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind, working hard but not necessarily working smart. 

When you are setting 2025 goals, you’re giving yourself permission to dream big while also creating a roadmap to get there. It’s not just about revenue targets; it’s about growth, efficiency, and creating a business you love. Think of your goals as a filter for decision-making. 

1. Does this project align with your goals? 
2. Does this task move the needle? 

If not, you know what to say no to. Setting goals also helps you prioritize what matters most. For small business owners, time is your most valuable resource, and goals ensure you’re using it wisely. Beyond that, goals give you something to celebrate. Every milestone you hit, no matter how small, reminds you that you’re moving closer to your vision. And let’s not forget accountability—writing down your goals and reviewing them regularly keeps you focused and motivated. 

When you approach goal-setting with intention, you’re not just creating a to-do list—you’re laying the foundation for long-term success. So as you step into 2025, remember this: your goals aren’t just about what you want to achieve—they’re about who you’re becoming in the process.

🎯 Action Step: Take a moment to celebrate your small wins—they matter just as much as the big ones! 

Dedicate a space in your office, planner, or even a digital document to your "Win Wall." Write down every achievement from 2024 that made you proud. It could be launching a product, landing a new client, hitting a revenue milestone, or even overcoming a challenge that felt impossible at the time. Add sticky notes, photos, or anything that visually reminds you of your accomplishments. 

Every time you glance at your Win Wall, you’ll feel a surge of motivation knowing that you’re capable of amazing things. This exercise will also set a positive tone for 2025 by helping you reflect on what’s already working—and inspire the goals you’ll set moving forward. Remember, every win counts! 🏆

Reflecting on your challenges isn’t about dwelling on what went wrong—it’s about discovering what they taught you and how they helped you grow. 

Every small business owner does and will face hurdles, whether it's a campaign that flopped, a product that didn’t sell as expected, or even days where motivation felt impossible to find. But here’s the secret: challenges are packed with lessons that shape your next move.

Ask yourself: What patterns can I see in the obstacles I faced this year? Did I struggle with time management, scaling my business, or balancing it all? Maybe it was an unexpected expense that threw off your finances or a marketing strategy that didn’t resonate with your audience. Write these down, but don’t stop there—list what you learned from each experience. 

For example, maybe you discovered that batching your content saved hours or that automating inventory management made a huge difference in your day-to-day.

Challenges are just roadmaps to better decisions. When you dig into the lessons, you’ll uncover new ways to do things smarter, faster, and more intentionally in 2025. Instead of avoiding those hard-to-look-at moments, lean into them. Think of it this way: if you had to give advice to a fellow business owner based on what you went through, what would you say? The answers you come up with are gold.

By owning your challenges, you turn them into tools. You’ll approach 2025 equipped with solutions rather than carrying over the same frustrations. This is how growth happens: not by perfection, but by mastering the art of learning as you go. Take this time to journal about one challenge you faced in 2024 and outline one step you’ll take to avoid or overcome it in the future. This simple exercise transforms your “failures” into fuel for your success.

📌 Step-by-Step Process:

1. Write down your top 3 challenges.
2. Identify why they were challenging.
3. Brainstorm solutions or systems to avoid similar obstacles in 2025.

One of the simplest but most powerful ways to reflect is by celebrating your wins—big or small. As solopreneurs, it’s easy to focus on what didn’t get done, but taking the time to acknowledge your achievements is critical for staying motivated and confident heading into 2025. Reflection isn’t just about evaluating what went wrong; it’s equally important to recognize what went right.

Start by listing all the goals you hit this year, whether personal or professional.

• Did you successfully launch a product?
• Grow your email list?
• Finally figure out how to batch-create social media content?

These wins may seem small when compared to your bigger vision, but they’re proof that progress is happening.

Don’t forget to include personal milestones in your list. Maybe you spent more time with family, established better work-life boundaries, or invested in your health. Wins don’t always have to be tied to revenue or growth—they can reflect how you’ve created a more balanced and fulfilling life.

This reflection helps you see how far you’ve come, which is especially important when the day-to-day grind often hides the bigger picture. By celebrating your successes, you’re training your brain to focus on progress rather than perfection. This mindset will set a positive tone for planning your goals in the year ahead.

💬 Action Step: Write down not only what you accomplished but how you did it. What habits, tools, or strategies helped you succeed? Understanding what worked well will help you double down on those methods in the future.

If you're struggling to identify your wins, go back through your calendar, journal, or planner.

Reviewing your past activities can help jog your memory and remind you of the small victories you might have overlooked. You might discover that you actually achieved more than you thought!

Once you’ve completed your list, take a moment to celebrate these wins. That could mean treating yourself to something special, sharing your success in a group, or simply reflecting on how far you’ve come. Celebrating doesn’t have to be extravagant—it just needs to be intentional.

Finally, use Your Brand Planner’s Quarterly Review section to document your wins. This creates a tangible record of your progress that you can revisit when you need a confidence boost. Seeing all the ways you’ve succeeded will fuel your excitement and energy for setting your 2025 goals.

Your customers are one of your greatest resources for growth and improvement. Reflecting on the reviews, testimonials, and feedback you’ve received in 2024 will give you valuable insights into what’s working and what’s not. What trends or themes do you notice in their comments? Are there specific areas where you consistently receive praise, like fast shipping or great customer service? Alternatively, are there common complaints, such as a difficult checkout process or lack of product options?

Start by identifying patterns from your customer’s feedback, and you’ll know where to focus your energy in 2025. For instance, if customers rave about your shipping speed, consider emphasizing it in your marketing. If they’ve pointed out issues with your website, prioritize improving its functionality.

💬 Action Step: Create a list of common themes from your customer feedback. Organize them into two categories:

• What to celebrate

• What to improve.

This will help you set priorities for your business in the new year. Remember, customer feedback is a gift—it’s the free roadmap to better serve your audience. Commit to acting on at least one major piece of feedback this quarter. Implement changes and communicate those improvements to your customers. Showing that you listen to their input builds trust and loyalty, which are essential for long-term growth.

Your vision is the guiding light and roadmap for everything you want to achieve in 2025. Think of it as your personal and business compass—it is to keep you focused and motivated when things get busy or challenging. A vision board is one of and my favorite ways to bring your 2025 goals to life visually. It’s not just about creating something pretty; it’s about building clarity and intention around what you want your life and business to look like.

Start by gathering images, words, and quotes that align with your goals.

For example, if one of your business goals is to reach six figures, find images that represent success and abundance. If work-life balance is important to you, include visuals that remind you to prioritize self-care and family time. Once you’ve collected these, arrange them into a vision board using a corkboard, poster, or digital tool.

🎨 How-To Tip: Place your vision board somewhere you’ll see it daily—your workspace, planner, or even your phone’s home screen. The more you see it, the more you’ll stay aligned with your goals.

Don’t forget to revisit it throughout the year to track your progress and adjust as needed. (I like to revisit quarterly). Your vision board is more than a collection of images; it’s a powerful tool to keep your dreams top of mind and your actions purposeful.

Your vision for 2025 is inspiring, but turning it into reality requires a clear plan. This is where SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-Bound) come in. Vague goals like “I want more customers” don’t provide direction, but a SMART goal like “Increase revenue by 20% in Q1 by launching a new product and running a targeted ad campaign” gives you a roadmap.

Start by identifying one big business goal for 2025. Next, break it down into quarterly milestones. For example, if your goal is to grow your email list by 5,000 subscribers, aim for 1,250 new subscribers each quarter. From there, outline weekly tasks like creating lead magnets, promoting them through social media, and running ads.

📌 Step-by-Step Process:

1. Write down your primary goal for 2025.

2. Divide it into quarterly objectives.

3. Break those into weekly tasks.

4. Use Your Brand Planner to track your daily steps toward achieving them.

With SMART goals, you’ll know exactly what to do, when to do it, and how to measure success. This clarity helps you stay focused and motivated throughout the year.

Setting big yearly business goals can feel overwhelming, but breaking them into quarterly chunks makes them much more manageable, we operate in 90 Day Sprints. Each quarter becomes a stepping stone to your larger vision, allowing you to stay on track while maintaining focus.

For example, if your yearly goal is to grow your social media following by 10,000, you can break it down into gaining 2,500 followers per quarter. Then, create actionable steps for each quarter, such as posting consistently, running giveaways, or collaborating with influencers. These smaller goals are easier to tackle and give you measurable results to celebrate along the way.

📌 Example:
Yearly Goal: Increase revenue by $50,000.
Q1 Goal: Generate $12,500 in sales.
Weekly Task: Launch a new product, run a social media campaign, and send three promotional emails.

At the end of each quarter, review your progress and adjust your plan as needed. Use Your Brand Planner to map out these quarterly goals and break them into actionable weekly tasks. This system ensures that every step you take is aligned with your big-picture vision.

Your business will only grow as much as you do. That’s why prioritizing personal and professional development is essential for long-term success. Reflect on the skills you’ve mastered in 2024 and identify areas where you want to improve in 2025. Whether it’s learning a new marketing strategy, improving your leadership skills, or developing a healthy work-life balance, these growth areas should align with your goals.

📌 Action Step: Choose one skill or habit to focus on each quarter. For example:

• Q1: Master email marketing.

• Q2: Develop public speaking confidence.

• Q3: Learn advanced social media strategies.

• Q4: Improve financial literacy.

Invest in books, courses, or coaching programs to support your growth. Block time in your planner for learning and practicing these skills. By committing to consistent personal development, you’ll see both your confidence and your business flourish.

As a solopreneur, it’s easy to put your business above everything else, but neglecting self-care leads to burnout. Reflect on how you managed work-life balance in 2024. Did you take enough breaks? Spend time with loved ones? Prioritize your health? If the answer is no, make it a goal to prioritize balance in 2025.

📌 Small Business Tip: Use Your Brand Planner to schedule “non-negotiable” self-care time, like workouts, family dinners, or downtime. Treat these appointments as seriously as business meetings. Consider planning mini-retreats or vacations each quarter to recharge. Balance isn’t about perfection; it’s about intentionally making time for what matters most.

Starting the year with intention sets the tone for everything that follows. Before January arrives, plan your first month in detail. This means setting goals, creating content plans, and blocking time in your planner for execution.

📌 Step-by-Step Process:

1. Write down your goals for January.

2. Outline your content and promotional calendar.

3. Use Your Brand Planner to block out time for each task.

A strong start builds momentum and helps you hit the ground running. By planning ahead, you’ll enter 2025 with clarity, focus, and the confidence to crush your goals.