Embark on a 2025 Planning Journey with Me

A Quick Working Mom’s Guide to Purposeful Planning

It’s a wrap, y’all! Well, almost. 2024 is quickly coming to an end. I’ll be the last one to try and rush past Christmas, my absolute FAVORITE holiday. However, I’m a fan of planning ahead and level-setting the incoming year’s activities in advance. There’s something magical about the season, from decorating to gift-giving to savoring those precious family moments. I want to soak in every bit of holiday cheer, but as a planner at heart, I also know the value of setting ourselves up for a great year ahead.

The end of the year is the perfect time to start praying, planning, and preparing for 2025. While I’m enjoying every festive moment with my family, I’m also setting aside time to reflect on the past year and level-set for the new year. As working moms, we’re always balancing a hundred moving pieces, and getting a head start on next year’s planning makes everything feel more manageable. For me, I’m already gathering my thoughts, organizing my goals, and laying the foundation for an amazing year ahead.

So, as we wrap up this year, I’m inviting you to join me in looking back with gratitude and looking forward with purpose. We’ll reflect, set clear goals, and organize those key events and family commitments so that when January rolls around, we’re grounded in purpose along with goals as a guide. After all, being intentional with our time and energy is the best gift we can give ourselves (and our families). Here’s to ending 2024 on a high note and making 2025 the year we step into our best selves—without rushing through the holiday cheer!

Reflect on 2024 Holistically

I am a firm advocate of holistic planning. Please avoid planning the various aspects of your life in a box. Consider all aspects of your life when you plan your days, weeks, months, and so forth. With that being said, let’s start with a powerful exercise: reflecting on 2024. It’s not just about looking at your calendar of events but reflecting on your lessons, memories, and growth. Take some time to look back on the past year with these questions in mind:

• What went well, and what would I like to repeat in 2025?
• What challenges did I face, and how did I overcome them?
• Which moments brought me the most joy, and what would I want to carry forward?
• How did I do with finances, self-care, family, and work?

Reflecting on each area—personal, family, financial, and professional—will give us a realistic perspective on where we’re starting from and what we’d like to improve. This reflection is the foundation of our 2025 plan, helping us stay connected to what truly matters.

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Reflecting on my own personal experience, here are a few top of mind reflections points:

• What went well, and what would I like to repeat in 2025? My academic journey in pursuing my doctorate has been extremely rigorous; however, I am thankful that I have been able to keep up with my assignments.
• What challenges did I face, and how did I overcome them? I faced a few challenges navigating my career journey. Prayer was my ultimate source of strength to keep pushing.
• Which moments brought me the most joy, and what would I want to carry forward? All three of my children performed extremely well in Track & Field. I look forward to another successful Spring and Summer.
• How did I do with finances, self-care, family, and work? Finances were flop (actually a complete fail) and I need to refocus so that I can improve in 2025.

Brain Dump All the Key Events for 2025

Now it’s time to get all those important dates and events out of your head and onto paper (or a digital calendar). Start with a “brain dump” of everything you already know about the year, including:

• Family Milestones: Birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, and any big moments you know are coming.
• Travel Plans: Family trips, holiday travel, or any special excursions you hope to take.
• Work Commitments: Conferences, project deadlines, or other important career events.
• School Events and Extracurricular Activities: Important dates for your kids, from school breaks to sports and recitals.

Brain Dumps provides the big-picture view of the year so we can avoid surprises and align our goals with our family’s needs and desires.

Set Purposeful SMART Goals

Next up, let’s make some magic happen with SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. These goals are more likely to come to life because they’re anchored in a clear vision on your 2025 planning journey.

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Break Goals Down with Milestones

Once you have a brain dump and your goals, it’s time to break those goals into manageable chunks for your 2025 Planning Journey. This is where quarterly and monthly milestones come in. Here’s how:

Monthly Goals: Next, break those down further into monthly actions. Monthly goals help you stay on track without getting overwhelmed. You can even set up a quick monthly review at the beginning of each month to check your progress. This breakdown gives you a chance to re-calibrate throughout the year, adjusting as you go and celebrating small wins along the way.

Quarterly Goals: Divide your big goals into four quarters. This could look like “Complete three family trips by the end of Q3” or “Achieve my fitness goal by steadily increasing my activity level each quarter.”

Create a 2025 Planning Journey Overview

To make this plan actionable, we’ll finish by creating a 2025 overview. Congrats, Y’all this is your Purposeful Plan. This is the central tool that brings everything together, showing you at a glance what’s coming up each month:

• Monthly Calendar Layout: Use a calendar to record birthdays, family events, vacations, school breaks, and work deadlines.
• Quarterly Reviews: Set reminders each quarter to check in with your goals, assess what’s working, and make adjustments.
• Budget and Financial Planning: Don’t forget to plan out any big expenses, from vacations to holiday budgets, so you can spread out costs and avoid financial stress. This overview serves as a holistic snapshot of the year, helping you see all your commitments and goals in one place so you’re prepared for whatever comes.

To Wrap it Up

Planning for the year ahead doesn’t have to be overwhelming—in fact, when done intentionally, it can bring so much clarity and peace of mind. By reflecting on 2024 and setting meaningful goals, you’re setting yourself up for an intentional year. The process may take a little time, but remember that each moment you invest in planning is a gift to yourself and your family. With each goal and commitment laid out, you’re creating room for growth, joy, and more time with the ones you love. Trust that your efforts will pay off, and know that even small steps forward make a difference.

So grab your favorite planner or digital tool, and let’s embark on this 2025 planning journey together. Here’s to a year of achieving goals, creating memories, and finding joy in the balance. Let’s do this, moms!

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” – Jeremiah 29:11

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