Margaret Curtin talks about starting the new year off strong both professionally and personally by celebrating past success, developing positive relationships, evaluating long-term goals, and focusing on inner growth and transformation.
Did you know that according to the Chinese Zodiac, 2025 is the year of the Snake, which brings a time for growth, creativity, and introspection?
I read that the Snake is known for its ability to pause and evaluate before acting, which keeps it safe in dangerous situations. I recommend taking the Snake's approach and applying it to ourselves. This means slowing down, evaluating long-term goals, and focusing on inner growth and transformation. Following this approach in 2025 could provide you with opportunities for personal and professional reinvention.
For me, transitioning into a new year prompts reflection on the past year's successes and challenges. I think the key to starting the new year strong is to be proud of your accomplishments, big or small, and then craft meaningful goals for the future. I suggest asking yourself these questions when creating new goals:
- How do I want to grow professionally in the year ahead?
- How do I want to grow personally in the year ahead?
- How can I be supported in accomplishing my goals?
Asking yourself follow-up questions will allow you to explore your motivations more deeply. If you lead others, consider using these questions and the tips below to help guide and support your team in their goal development.
Tips for starting the new year strong
Celebrate success
Before setting goals for the upcoming year, use this time to celebrate success and growth from the past year. Acknowledge what was achieved and the learnings from challenges or failures. It is easy to forget the good things that have been accomplished. Use this reflection to empower your goal development for the new year.
Incorporate personal goals
When setting goals, don't focus solely on workplace goals or those that are too far into the future. Instead, focus on the year ahead and incorporate life outside of work into your goals. If you are a people leader, consider asking your team about work and personal goals to support them fully.
Develop positive relationships
You may benefit from enhancing your interpersonal communication skills. Here are several methods to build positive relationships:
- Begin or continue to develop meaningful connections with others
- Seek a mentor and network with colleagues
- Offer help when needed
- Volunteer for a committee or join a social gathering to get to know people beyond work roles
Embrace continuous learning
As the saying goes, "never stop learning." Continuous learning is essential as it allows you to gain knowledge and develop skills throughout life. Embracing continuous learning involves commitment to ongoing education and strengthening abilities. It can be a key to career growth, professional success, and personal growth. Ways to embrace continuous learning include:
- Being open to failure
- Asking questions with positive intent
- Learning from others
- Being adaptable and resilient to change
Focus on well-being
In the year of the Snake, you can focus on your well-being by staying calm and incorporating relaxation into your routines. A focus on health can be overlooked when identifying goals for the new year. People get into the habit of diving into work and creating professional goals. However, it is important to remember to take care of yourself to achieve those goals. Several self-care practices that can help are:
- Prioritizing sleep
- Being kind to yourself
- Practicing mindfulness, such as meditation or yoga
- Spending time with loved ones which can recharge your motivation for the year ahead
The Year of the Snake is an excellent time for self-discovery and inner growth. I encourage you to slow down, assess your long-term goals, and focus on personal development. Incorporating these tips for 2025 can help you start the new year successfully.
Special thanks to Curi Advisory Risk Consultant, Chelsea Boog, for her contributions to this piece.
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