Hey Reader,
I don’t believe in setting New Year’s resolutions. We’ve all seen the statistics about how 93% of people fail in theirs, so why would I think I’d be any different?
But still, I believe in the power of a new year to inspire us to reach for new goals and set new intentions for the future.
A few years ago, I started instead to set a theme for the year.
And frankly, it’s been transformative.
The practice helps me get clear not on the tangible things I want to own or achieve but something more than that.
- The way I want to feel.
- Who I want to become.
- How I want to evolve as a person.
My theme for 2024 was ‘Craftsmanship.’
I am really good at winging it. I’m scrappy AF, highly adaptable, and damn good at thinking on my feet. It’s an advantage. I’m not going ot lie about that.
But I had realized that I was using my fast-paced, nimble nature as a crutch.
I always told clients that you can’t improve a process that doesn’t exist, and yet, I was resisting building simple, effective, repeatable, and, most importantly, improvable processes in my business.
Everything was done at the last minute.
- Newsletters
- Training slides
- Social media content
And not only was it limiting my ability to improve my results, but it was also really freaking stressful.
I knew that ‘Craftsmanship’ would push me to focus on treating my work like a craft — something to be done with care, intention, and artistry.
And you know what?
I was right.
That theme changed everything for me.
- It’s pushed me to think deeply about the experience I create for my customers
- It’s helped me develop and continue to hone The Solo CEO approach
- It’s a big part of why I no longer have a business partner
- And it’s just made me a better entrepreneur & coach
A lot of these results weren’t really what I had in mind when I set the theme, which is part of why I find the practice so powerful.
It’s expansive in a way that helps me make big, foundational, transformational changes that I could never have predicted.
What’s my theme for 2025?
Over the last week or so, I have been going through my annual review process (like we talked about last week). Reflecting on the year, what I’m proud of, what I’m still mourning, and what I learned.
And the process helped me identify where I have room to grow, how I want to feel, and the way Future Me would coach me to evolve.
I realized that while I have made huge leaps and bounds this year and am damn proud of what I’ve built, I still have a tendency to move to quickly.
- I cut corners.
- I drop critical balls.
- I skip important steps.
My incessant need to move quickly not only creates stress and anxiety in my body but ultimately slows me (and my progress) down.
It is self-sabotage at its finest.
So, for 2025, I’ve decided that my Theme will be ‘Slow is smooth.’
This comes from the saying (usually attributed to Navy SEALS), “Slow is smooth. Smooth is fast.”
Basically, their thinking is that by taking the time to make sure you fully understand a situation and are taking the right steps to move ahead, you will save yourself the time, stress, and pain of avoidable errors.
Even making this decision made me feel relieved and has guided some of my decisions in the last few days.
- Pushing out a new marketing initiative to focus on The Solo CEO program content I’m redesigning.
- Rescheduling calls to give myself more grace as I have yet another dental surgery next week.
- Accepting that ‘good enough’ is totally okay for a personal side project I have going on
What is your theme for the year?
If you haven’t checked it out already, my Annual Review + Goal Setting templates can help. And I just updated them to include a whole section to help you set your Theme.
Step 1: Reflect on the Past Year
The first step is thinking about your past year. This is not an opportunity call on your inner-bully or be hyper critical, but to give yourself the time, space, and permission to simply reflect.
- What win are you still celebrating?
- What loss are you still mourning?
- What lessons have you learned?
- Have you noticed any patterns—good or bad?
Explore anything that comes up for you. Get curious about what memories arise. And try to give yourself the compassion, love, and grace that you would give to someone else. This is an opportunity to learn, not judge.
Step 2: Identify What You Want to Feel in the New Year
When you think about this upcoming year, what do you want more of in your life? Not possessions or things but feelings, ideas, and experiences.
- What kind of growth, mindset, or experience do you crave?
- Tie it back to an emotion or outcome.
Think about how you would need to evolve as a person to have these kinds of feelings or experiences.
What changes can you make in your approach or philosophy to life and your work that would enable this kind of growth?
Step 3: Craft Your Theme Statement
This can be as short as a single word — craftsmanship, intention, peace.
Or a phrase or statement—slow is smooth, reclaiming joy, love first.
But make sure that it’s something that doesn’t just sound nice but feels right to you and is aligned with the kind of life you want or the person you want to become.
Something that hits you in the gut and you can see as a guide for this future you want to create for yourself.
Step 4: Translate It Into Actions
Don’t overthink this next step, but spend some time imagining how you could integrate this theme or mantra into your life. Identify 2-3 areas where your theme can shape decisions (e.g., process improvement, health habits, delegation).
I think you’ll find that even just imagining the changes will help you start putting them into place.
I encourage you to take some time over the next few days to set this theme for yourself and see how it feels.
Again, if you want access to my Annual Review and Goal Setting Templates, I’ve added a process to help you set your theme, check in with it each month, and make sure you’re still aligned with it every week.
I’d love to hear what you come up with.
I’ve found that hearing other people’s themes can be inspiring and illuminating, so I’d love it if you’d share them with me and include any context of why you chose them.
I’ll share the best ones with all of you next week.
Your theme for the year is your compass. Let it guide you to new heights of success, growth, and alignment in 2025.
In love and growth,
Kasey
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