I'm pretty sure I missed my window to say “Happy New Year” because 2025 is already well underway. If you're anything like me, it already feels like a whole year has passed. So far, I've been sick three times, celebrated my birthday, enjoyed some snow, had my busiest month in the studio, AND traveled to Hong Kong to visit family for three weeks. And yet, it’s only February. I feel like I’m on unsure footing—with almost a whole year still ahead of me!
My instinct is to fret, to freak out that I don’t have an annual plan yet. I feel like I don’t know what I’m doing this year. But as I reflect, I realize time is a strange construct. Our optimization culture demands that we track every metric, measure every step, and make sure we’re maximizing every moment. The minute the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, we’re expected to be off and running—to make this year the best year.
But what if a happy year isn’t about KPIs and metrics? What if it’s more about whether our daily actions align with where we ultimately want to go?
I once heard that a plane is off course 90% of the time due to turbulence, weather, etc. I spent a lot of time on airplane the past few weeks and if I focus on a plane being off course, it can be terrifying. However, a plane almost always arrives at its destination right on time. The only way that happens is because the pilot knows their destination, has a plan, and makes constant adjustments along the way. They don’t panic when they hit turbulence, and they don’t abandon the flight plan when conditions change. They correct, recalibrate, and keep moving forward.
So maybe I don't have an annual plan yet, and I don't have a perfect course. However, I do know my destination —not the “I can see into my future” destination. I have no idea if I'll have another kid. I don’t know if my business will thrive. But what I do know is the kind of person I want to be and am called to be—a faithful and diligent wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. And if that’s my destination, then the question becomes: how do I stay on course? How do I adjust when life throws me off track? The answer isn’t a rigid five-year plan, but rather small, daily course corrections—aligning my habits so that I show up well in the roles I’ve been given. And based on past experience, I truly believe that when you consistently align yourself with where you want to go, you flourish.
And if you’re someone who loves metrics? Well, document how your numbers reflect the way you’re showing up—because they will.
