With 2025 just around the corner, now is the perfect time to reflect on the past year, dream big, and set impactful goals for the year ahead. Whether you’re a photographer, planner, or another creative entrepreneur, creating a clear action plan will help you stay focused on what matters most and make 2025 your best year yet!

I absolutely love sitting down with a fresh planner, highlighters in hand, and a cup of my favorite drink—this time, I’m sipping on a cozy chai latte—ready to dream big and set goals! I’ve shared my goal-setting process for years, and I can tell you, creating an annual plan is truly one of the most exciting and rewarding things you can do for your business.

So, let’s dive in! Here’s a breakdown of how I plan for the year ahead and how you can too!

Step 1: Reflect on the Past Year

Before setting new goals, it’s essential to reflect on what worked (and what didn’t) in 2024. This gives you the foundation for setting smart, actionable goals for 2025. Take some time to jot down your thoughts. Here’s how I like to start:

1. What worked last year? Write down the wins—big and small. Did you hit your revenue goals? Launch a new product? Celebrate client success stories?
2. What didn’t work? Maybe there were marketing strategies that didn’t quite land, or things that just didn’t feel right. This is your opportunity to identify areas for improvement.
3. What were your biggest challenges? Recognizing these will help you avoid repeating mistakes and help you strategize for success this year.
4. What are your financials? Review your profit and loss statement, assess your expenses and revenue streams, and see where you can improve.
5. What do you want to achieve in 2025? Now that you have the full picture, start thinking about the year ahead. What are the goals that excite you most?

Step 2: Dream & Create a Vision for 2025

I know the temptation to jump right into planning, but this step is where the magic happens! Take some time to dream big. Imagine that 2025 is your best year yet. What does that look like for you?

Ask yourself these questions:

• If 2025 was better than I could imagine, what would I look back and see has happened?
• What do I want to feel by the end of the year?
• What do I want to experience personally and professionally?

Take time to visualize your ideal life and business. Do you want more time off? Bigger income goals? More creative projects? Identifying your vision will help guide you in making clear, focused decisions throughout the year.

Step 3: Set Specific Goals for 2025

This is where things get exciting! Now that you’ve reflected on the past year and envisioned your dream future, it’s time to get practical. Start by defining the core goals you want to achieve in 2025. Here’s how I break it down:

Mission, Vision, Values (MVV)

Before setting your specific goals, take a moment to re-define your mission, vision, and values:

• Mission: Why do you do what you do? What’s the core purpose of your business?
• Vision: What does success look like in the future?
• Values: What are the principles and beliefs that guide your work? These are essential to make sure your goals align with your true purpose.

Big Picture Goals

Start by defining your top 3-5 big-picture goals for 2025. Here are some examples of goals you might want to set:

• Increase revenue by X% (be specific with numbers!)
• Launch a new product or service
• Book X number of weddings/sessions per month
• Grow social media following by X%
• Streamline your workflow with new software or systems

Quarterly Goals

Once you have your big-picture goals, break them down into smaller, more manageable quarterly goals. This will make the process less overwhelming and easier to track. If one of your goals is to launch a new service, for example, break it down into steps like:

• Q1: Research and finalize service offering
• Q2: Develop marketing plan
• Q3: Launch service to clients
• Q4: Evaluate and tweak based on client feedback

Financial Goals

It’s not just about the “big dreams”—make sure you also set clear financial goals for the year. Whether it’s a certain income amount or cost savings target, be realistic about what you can achieve and the strategies you’ll implement to hit those numbers.

Step 4: Create Your Action Plan

Now, it’s time to get specific! Setting goals is great, but turning those goals into action is where you’ll see real progress. Here’s how I break my goals down into actionable steps:

1. Identify the goal – Clearly state what you’re trying to accomplish.
2. Understand the “Why” – Why is this goal important to you? How will it impact your business and personal life?
3. List the resources you need – Time, money, expertise, people—what do you need to achieve this goal?
4. Break it into steps – What are the specific actions you need to take to reach this goal?
5. Set a timeline – When do you want to achieve this by? Make it measurable!

Let’s look at an example of an action plan for a goal. Maybe you want to increase your revenue by 20% in 2025.

• Goal: Increase revenue by 20% by the end of 2025.
• Why: More revenue will help grow my team, expand my services, and invest in new equipment.
• Resources Needed: Time for marketing, new products/services to offer, a better client onboarding process.
• Steps to Achieve:
  • Review past year’s sales data and identify top revenue streams
  • Launch new product or service in Q2
  • Increase marketing efforts (social media, email marketing, collaborations)
  • Upsell to existing clients (e.g., prints, albums)
  • Hire a part-time assistant to help with admin work, freeing me up for more client work.
• Timeline: Monthly check-ins to track progress.

Step 5: Review and Adjust Regularly

Don’t forget to review your goals and action plan regularly—at least quarterly! This ensures you stay on track and allows you to adjust if needed. Sometimes life happens, and things change, and that’s okay! Be flexible and willing to adapt your plans as necessary.

Bonus Tip: Use a Planner to Stay Organized

If you’re looking for a tool to help you stay on top of your annual plan, I highly recommend the Cultivate What Matters Planner! I’ve been using it for years, and it’s been a game-changer for keeping me organized and focused. The planner helps break down big goals into actionable steps and includes space for monthly and weekly check-ins. I’m not affiliated with them—I just love it!

Conclusion

2025 is full of potential and possibilities! With a clear vision, well-defined goals, and a solid action plan, you’ll be able to tackle the year with confidence and excitement. Take the time to reflect, dream big, set specific goals, and map out your action plan. I promise you—2025 will be your best year yet!

If you’re ever looking for additional support in planning or need help refining your business goals, don’t hesitate to reach out. Here’s to a successful and fulfilling 2025!

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