FOR THE LOVE OF LEADERSHIP ARCHIVE
My Guiding Word for 2025
One of the very first emails I read this year said that anyone turning 45 in 2025 (✋) is going to have a very good year because 2025 is the perfect square of 45.
This felt like a ray of optimism to kick off a year that's sure to hold a lot of uncertainty, to say the least, so I'm soaking it up. 🔆
Now, about how to make that happen…
I’m not big on resolutions anymore, but I love having a word of the year to guide me along the way.
It took some time to find my word this year, but, after a very full week of client work, some time spent on marketing (including a new website - coming soon!), and a perfectly timed question from my brother, it came to me:
My word for 2025 is: Prioritize
I’m excited about this because if I’ve learned anything in the six years of running my business, it’s this:
The more I prioritize and align my time, energy, and investments with my strategic objectives, the more space and capacity I have to move the needle on what actually matters.
This is the first year I’ve chosen a verb as my word of the year and it feels fitting. I know I will actively have to choose to have my priorities guide my decision making, project planning, and time management.
My goal as a leader and business owner isn’t to be the best or most perfect prioritizer. My goals are to:
✅ Remember to press pause and check in with my priorities when I make decisions.
✅ Reflect on how I’m spending my time and energy and assess if it aligns with my priorities.
✅ Learn through the process - What gets in the way of priorities? What strategies keep me focused? What kind of support do I need?
This word is not just for me. Prioritizing has been a common theme with my clients as they implement strategic plans, move through re-organizations, work to improve employee engagement, and turn their attention to succession planning.
Every high-level initiative requires a solid amount of prioritization. It’s amazing how quickly time can get gobbled up with minor tasks, last-minute requests, and dead-end distractions. I’ll be the first to admit it!
Here’s to tending to priorities first before turning attention to everything else.
Over to you? What’s your focus for 2025?
I’d love to hear how you’re setting yourself up for a good year - perfect square or not 😀. Shoot me an email at laura@laurabuckleycoaching.com and let me know!
Much love,
Laura
PS - My strategic priorities include professional, personal, and community-based goals. I'll share more about how I choose them in another email - coming soon!
PPS - If you are a leader with big goals and would love some help with planning and prioritization, let's chat about how I could support you and/or your team through it! You can schedule a call here.