From Intention to Impact: The power of reflection

How have we embodied this theme this year? 

“We overestimate what we can accomplish in a year, but underestimate what we can accomplish in ten.” — Bill Gates 

I recently came across a LinkedIn post by an ex-colleague who begins setting her goals for the new year in November, giving herself a two-month head start. Inspired by this approach, I’m now revisiting my own goals and planning my impact for 2025. 

Whether it’s taking a mindful walk around the village with your morning coffee, implementing what you learned at a recent conference, or setting aside 30 minutes each week for professional development in the Knowledge Centre—small, consistent actions can lead to substantial progress. 

The LinkedIn post talked about starting the new year goals in November so that you have 1 normal month of working towards your goals, 1 silly season month to see if you can hang in there.  Then in January when everyone is planning their 2025 goals, you either have 2 months experience on them or 1 month experience and lessons learnt for when times got crazy. 

Why not use the rest of November and December to experiment? Pick one small goal to focus on with your team or within your own role. Track progress, learn from the inevitable distractions, and refine it so that when January arrives, you’re already primed for success. As Robert Collier says “Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out.”  

Together, let’s embrace the impact we can achieve over a decade, one intentional step at a time.