Has Your Year Slipped By? You Can Still Finish Strong!

You can still finish strong and it’s easier than you might think!

Do you feel like most of 2025 has slipped by? Has this speedy little year evaded you grasp? It contains the usual 365 days, what happened?

I think we all feel that way at least a bit. I know I do. So, what can we do about it? I’ve come up with some semi-unique strategies, so your year won’t finish with a bust.

And here’s my promise—I won’t propose anything so big that will only add more stress to the holidays and the year-end push at work. Deal? Good.

First, let’s take a quick, feel-good inventory.

The first thing to remind yourself about that big blob of grey matter residing in that skull of yours is this—wait for it… We forget stuff. Such as most of the things we accomplished this year. Hey, we can’t even remember what we had for lunch.

So that’s the reason for the inventory—to remember that your year wasn’t really total bust. Take as much time as what works for you. (I’m talking more than a few minutes but less than a couple of hours). The point of this exploration is simply to remind you that you did have notable accomplishments this year. That’s all.

How do you do this?

I find using memory prompts proves to be most useful and you’ll get better results, faster than just sitting down with a blank sheet of paper.

I went to our good friend Google and asked, “what are some questions to help remember what I did this year?” And I hit pay dirt big time. And that’s a small problem because therein lie great questions hidden among pure overwhelm.

So don’t let yourself become overwhelmed.

When you try this, give yourself permission to answer only the questions that resonate. If some sound lame—skip ‘em!

What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?
What was the biggest risk you took this year, and what did you learn from it?
What was difficult for you at the beginning of the year that is easy now?
What new experiences did you have or new skills did you learn?
What energized you, and what drained you?
Who made a positive impact on your life, and how did they help you?
What do you wish you’d done more of, and what do you wish you’d done less of?
What date or event will remain etched in your memory, and why?
What was your favorite book, movie, or song this year?
What are you most grateful for this year?

Once you have your list of notable accomplishments, you then have two assignments.

First, give yourself credit for a job well done and do something to celebrate. And then, decide what you’re going to do with the remaining weeks of the year and pick one of the approaches below.

Now that we have that taken care of, we can move to three simple strategies that will help you to still finish strong.

The “Just One Simple Goal” strategy.

Here’s how you do this one:

Pick one simple goal that can easily be completed yet this year. Not two, not five, just one.
Chunk it down into manageable pieces based on available time.
Schedule some time each week keeping in mind work and holiday commitments. This isn’t about adding stress—it’s about identifying time for you.
Track your progress. Use your planner or a sticky note. It doesn’t matter. Just track how you’re doing. Progress leads to motivation.
Be accountable. Team up with a friend. Accountability keeps you going.

The “Let Go of Something and Create Some Space” strategy.

None of us can make or buy time. Time is either available, or it’s already taken up. Do a quick scan of your typical daily or weekly activities and look for time robbers that just take up space in your life.

The goal is to identify the commitments, clutter, and habits that are taking up time or space but not providing you with a return. As you identify them, get rid of them. Purge them from your world.

Bow out of obligations that no longer serve you (or others). Jettison unnecessary stuff that eat up time. Streamline your routines. Break those unproductive habits.

What could you let go of to create some space in your life for something that matters more to you—like friends, family, or a quick year-end project?

The “Start with the End of the Year in Mind” strategy.

This approach is an adaptation of Stephen R. Covey’s Habit #2, “Start with the end in mind,” from his influential book “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”

Starting most any endeavor with the end in mind helps you in multiple ways. Most importantly, by defining the end in advance you’ll know exactly when to claim victory. Keeping your end goal in mind, you’ll avoid wandering aimlessly by maintaining a clear sense of direction.

So, with your year-end goal defined, you can start with the end of the year in mind and construct a simple plan that will enable you to keep your effort within realistic limits and take only the necessary steps to tackle your goal.

Any one of these strategies will help you to still finish strong in 2025.

Don’t wait for January 1st. That’s just another Monday with better marketing.” —Javier Lorie, productivity expert and founder of Finisher Secrets

You have enough time to: read a few books, take an online course, launch a bigger project, start an exercise habit, create a new routine, declutter a room, create a budget for next year, invite some friends to have coffee. The important thing is to make it realistic and doable.

Start today. Stay focused.

Be untucked.

p.s. Oh… one last thing, would you take a sec and share this post with a friend or on social media. Thanks, I really appreciate it!