Hey Reader,
If you’re like me, you find the idea of a new year ahead motivating but also intimidating and maybe even a little exhausting.
Especially if you’ve got an onslaught of family events and obligations ahead.
But a little reflection and planning can change the trajectory of your life and business.
I know that sounds dramatic, but it’s true.
I learned this first hand in 2024.
Last year, my husband and I visited my family for the holidays. It was kind of awful. We both got sick, couldn’t be in the same room with my elderly parents, and flew home early.
Since I’d recently done a lot of travel for work, Alaska Airlines bumped me (and only me) up to first class. Sorry babe!
And I sat on that 6-hour flight mapping out my goals and financial projections for the year. That was when I realized this little side hustle cohort business could be a multi-million dollar business.
And that when I reflected on what I wanted, who I felt called to serve, and the kind of business that aligned with my vision for the future, it just felt right.
And so, I decided to go all in on what ultimately became The Solo CEO.
I am not exagerating. A few hours of reflection changed the trajectory of my business and life. And I am beyond grateful for it.
So, yeah, a little end-of-year reflection and planning for what lies ahead can change damn near everything for you—if you let it.
I want to show you the exact planning process I use myself, and I teach to my students in The Solo CEO program. Here’s what we’re going to cover:
- How Solopreneurs Approach Year-End Planning
- How CEOs Approach Year-End Planning
- How Solo CEOs Approach Year-End Planning
- A Proven Framework for Solo CEO Planning — and a template to help you do it all for yourself.
Let’s dive in, shall we?
The Solopreneur Approach to Year-End Reviews and Annual Goal Setting
Solopreneurs often wing it—or skip it entirely.
- Their “plan” is a reactive mix of last-minute hustling and hope.
- They’re so focused on keeping the lights on that they don’t stop to reflect on where their business is today—what’s actually working or where they can improve.
- Their goals are vague, scattered, and driven more by anxiety than strategy.
And so they launch into another year with no real plan to change their business or their life. It’s no surprise that they feel like they’re running in circles.
The CEO Approach to Year-End Reviews and Annual Goal Setting
CEOs, on the other hand, come to the table with a clear plan. But here’s the catch:
- Their focus is entirely external: What does the market demand? What will maximize revenue?
- The strategy often requires more—more investment, more hiring, more work.
- Their approach to growth is linear: “If you want more revenue, you have to do more things.”
This works for scaling, but it often leaves CEOs burnt out and disconnected from the very business they’re building.
The CEO Approach to Year-End Reviews and Annual Goal Setting
The Solo CEO’s approach is different.
It’s not about doing more—it’s about doing better. Better for your customers, for your business, for your life.
- Aligned Ambition: Solo CEOs blend external strategy (what the market wants) with internal alignment (what lights them up) to create a mutual win that is sustainable and scalable.
- Simplified Systems: Their plans aren’t about adding complexity; they’re about creating simple, repeatable systems that drive results.
- Purposeful Growth: They ask, “What’s enough?” and design their business to deliver freedom, joy, and impact—on their terms.
A Proven Framework for Solo CEO Planning
Let’s get real—year-end planning doesn’t have to be complicated or overwhelming. In fact, we want it to feel, dare I say it, healing, restorative, and nourishing.
It should have the right balance between an honest reflection on where you are and a positive view of where you want to go. So, putting together an actionable plan to help you cross that bridge feels simple and motivating, not tedious.
That’s why I created the Solo CEO Annual Review & Goal-Setting System.
This isn’t just a tool for reflection; it’s a roadmap to help you:
- Identify what’s working in your life and business (and what’s not).
- Dream bigger while staying aligned with what truly matters to you.
- Build a simple, actionable plan to crush your 2025 goals without burning out.
And since I know that planning for the year is kind of pointless if you don’t have the plans and systems in place to take consistent action toward them, I decided to include the daily agenda, weekly planning, and monthly check-in templates that I built for myself.
So here you go…this is the entire process I use to plan my entire life and business. And it truly has changed my life.
The Solo CEO Annual Review & Goal Setting System
I’ve shared bits and pieces of this with clients over the years, and the ones who use it regularly come back to me, months and even years later, to tell me how much it has helped them.
In the last few weeks, 3 people told me I should charge for it, so I’ve added it as a product on Kit, but you can choose what you pay, so feel free to put $0 and test it out.
If you use it, I’d love to hear what you think.
In love and growth,
Kasey
PS:
This template is packed with prompts to help you get clear, focused, and ready to tackle the new year with confidence. I can’t wait to hear how you use it to create your most badass year yet.
The Solo CEO Annual Review & Goal Setting System
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