January 2025
Happy New Year! I’m sure many of you have been pondering resolutions and goals lately. Some of you may have set some you’ve already abandoned and others may have protested the age-old tradition altogether. I want to present an idea that will apply no matter where you land on this goal/resolution-setting spectrum.
Let’s complement our goals with meaningful intentions this year. Don’t get me wrong—I still set goals, but I’ve learned not to put so much pressure on them. Intentions are a win already because you want to do them. Goals carry so much weight, and they’re often black and white. You accomplish them or you don’t.
There was a time when I put a lot of pressure on myself to accomplish big goals, but I’ve learned that’s not a productive process for me. You may be feeling that this is nuance and simply word choice, but I’d argue that intentions provide far less pressure and are more likely to last.
Some intentions are small – organize the junk drawer. Some are larger (maybe looking and feeling more like a goal) but still carrying the flexibility of an intention. Since 2018, I’ve been making a list of intentions per Gretchen Rubin – 18 for 2018, 19 for 2019, you get the idea. I’ve made a 25 for 2025 list, and the intentions are varied.
Making this list may feel like a big task, but remember, these are intentions. If you don’t do something on the list, that’s ok! If you reprioritize during the year or come up with new ones, that’s ok, too! We should let our priorities evolve as our lives do.
Sometimes a priority is taking a break - I’ve set an intention this year to have down time, to let myself rest, to practice what I preach. Ultimately, I’ll end up being more productive!
And I have to tell you this: Last year I put my intention to create a Notebooks with Ronna workshop on my list. I did it, and I’m proud of it! If you’ve already done the workshop with me, thank you! I hope you’ll make a 2025 intention to use it, work the process, make it work for you, and free up time in your life for things and people you love.
Will some of you put learning the Notebooks with Ronna process on your list this year? I have workshops scheduled, so you’re in luck! Past participants describe their experiences as:
a game changer
liberating
calming
cathartic
empowering
motivating
in control
Those sure sound like adjectives I’d like to attach to my own intentions this year!
Don’t miss your chance to do the workshop with me: there’s one coming up this Sunday, and there’s room for you! Register here.
- Ronna
My Favorite Things
Weekly planning for my personal and professional lives is, for sure, one of my favorite things. It’s a habit I have created that benefits me in so many ways, most importantly with my mental health and my overall productivity.
Weekly, I take a half hour-ish to think carefully about my week ahead, I look at my calendar, I block time for my Notebook to-dos, and this year, given one of my intentions, I will try to block some empty space.
Like most strategies and processes I teach, you have to make this work for you. Some people approach weekly planning on Fridays in anticipation of the next week of work. Others prefer Monday mornings. The philosophy there is that you’ve cleared your head and you don’t have to think about it over the weekend or when you get to work on Monday.
I tried that once, but I realized that I like Sundays better. Friday just doesn’t work for me. It took some experimentation, as I’m sure it will for you, too.
To help you, here’s a strategy:
1. Look at your calendar to make your to-do lists.
2. If you have a busy day of meetings and phone calls, plan an appropriate number of to-dos, or none at all that day.
3. Plan your week with intention, and set yourself up for success!
If this feels daunting, talk to me! I’ll help you plan an ideal week that is paced and balanced.
The Notebooks with Ronna process helps a lot with personal weekly planning, too. Consider grabbing a spot in a workshop and learning how to take all your personal to-dos out of your mind, into a Notebook, and paced across the weeks each month. After you learn the process, you and I may share a favorite thing and look forward to weekly planning each Sunday (or your day of choice).
Another reminder to register for the workshop—here’s the link:
What I’m Thinking About
I’m reframing my attitude about the weather!
For those of you with me in the Midwest, you may relate the most because the winter can feel long here.
In previous years, I’ve complained about how cold it is. So, I promised myself this winter that I’d appreciate the cold. I’d approach it as an opportunity for rest and quiet, an excuse to hibernate. I’m thinking the winter will help me with my intention of minimizing the pressure to do so many things. Give yourself the gift of some sun on your face. It will quiet the world around you.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to do the things I’m excited about this winter! I hope you took a look at the email I sent out January 3rd about my next Business Boost workshop on January 30th from 10am-1pm in Highland Park, IL.
In collaboration with other amazing experts, we’re offering a chance to learn a lot of ways to improve the way you do business this year. It’s limited to 12 spots, so grab yours quickly.
After the success of our last event, we're thrilled to offer another opportunity to help you take your business to the next level.t
Grab your spot!
Are you ready to explore how to avoid burnout, relieve stress and be more productive with customized time-management tools?
Fill out my contact form to set up a free 30-minute consultation.