Review your year: Building an action plan for 2025

This is final episode of the ‘Review your Year’ series.

If you’ve missed the previous episodes, I recommend you read this article outlining the entire process.

Now that you have your vision and goals set, it’s time to turn them into actional steps.

This phase focuses on breaking down your big goals into smaller, manageable chunks, ensuring you build habits and systems to sustain progress throughout the year.

A well-crafted action plan is your roadmap to success. By breaking down your goals, establishing measurable milestones, and reinforcing your progress with habits and accountability systems, you ensure that your vision for 2025 becomes achievable.

Remember, success doesn’t happen overnight.

It’s the result of consistent effort, reflection, and adaptability.

Stay committed to the process, celebrate your wins along the way, and use every challenge as an opportunity to learn and grow.

All the best!

Steps to build your Action Plan

1 - Break down goals by quarters and months

Divide your yearly goals into quarterly milestones. For the first quarter (January to March), go a step further by defining monthly objectives.

Remember, progress takes time, so don’t expect to achieve everything perfectly in the first few months. Allow room to adjust and learn.

Do this for EACH goal. I know it is tedious, but a bit more effort now will set you up for success further down the road

2 - Define how you will track progress

Identify the metrics and tools to measure success. How often will you track these?

Set up accountability systems. This could be a trusted partner, tool or process.

3 - Establish supporting habits

What daily or weekly routines will help you move closer to your goals

Make these habits achievable and track them regularly. Regularly evaluate them to ensure they remain effective.

4 - Identify key milestones and rewards

Break your goals into significant milestones across the year.

Decide how you will celebrate each milestone to stay motivated.

5 - Don’t forget the basics

Your plan must be flexible. Review it frequently and make changes whenever you feel things aren’t working as they should.

Example Action Plan

I have a passion for writing in my free time. So, in addition to my solo business goals, I have set a stretch goal to try and monetise my fiction writing.

Vision 

2025 is the year that I launch six online products and earn at least $100,000 in side income

Goal #5

Publish a collection of 6 sci-fi short stories basis this timeline:

January: Complete 1st draft of Story #1.

February: Share Story #1 with trusted readers; complete the outline of Story #2.

March: Complete final editing of Story #1; complete 1st draft of Story #2

April — June: Complete Story #1–3; Start work on Story #4.

July — September: Complete Story #4–6; plan marketing strategy; commission design process.

October — December: Finalise the entire collection; publish and launch the marketing plan.

Accountability Process

Notify early readers of expected drafts and outlines for feedback. Send them calendar invitations so they can hold you accountable.

Review overall progress weekly using the “2025 goals” page on Notion.

Habit Systems

Dedicate the first hour of each day to writing or planning a short story. The reward for completing this is my first cup of coffee.

I outline my writing focus for the next day each night and close all apps and tabs on my computer except for Ulysses.

The reward for completing each story 

Dinner with one of my early readers as a token of appreciation.

I’d love your feedback.

What was your favourite prompt of the day? Is there any specific challenge you want prompts for? How can I improve the content of the newsletter? Reply to this mail and let me know!