By Bunmi Saidi

Sounds counterintuitive, I know.

Saying don’t plan for 2025 sounds almost sacrilegious, doesn’t it? Especially in these early days of the new year when everyone seems obsessed with showcasing their grand plan for 2025. Ah, the ever-elusive new year’s resolution!

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Okay, let me backtrack a little. I don’t mean don’t plan at all. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a plan for 2025 — in fact, I encourage it. What I don’t encourage is creating a rushed hollow plan simply to appear as someone who “has it all figured out”. Planning should never be about ticking a box or trying to fit in with the cool kids.

Experience shows that any plan made mainly for the sake of external validation is destined to fail. I’ve seen it countless times: people talking endlessly about their plans but never actually doing anything. They bask briefly in the admiration of their peers, but when the results fail to materialise, their failure is just as public as their proclamations.

So yes, don’t plan for 2025 if your motivation is external validation. You’d be better off picking stones out of beans — it’s a humble task, but at least you’d end up with something useful.

If you must plan, craft one that is meaningful, personal and rooted in your values. A plan that genuinely sets you on the path to becoming your best self. Let it be one whose significance remains undiminished even if seen and valued by you alone. After all, true value doesn’t need an audience to shine.

Why Plans Fail — and Why That’s Okay

So, what is a plan? Simply put, a plan is a map — a guide for the path you hope to follow to reach your destination.

Even the most well-thought-out plans can falter. Why? because life is unpredictable, and you can’t anticipate every possible contingency. But faltering isn’t failing. We all stumble, we all make mistakes. It’s the lessons we learn and how we adapt that counts. It is your resilience and willingness to refine your plan that makes the difference.

A good plan isn’t a hasty list you scribble on 31st December, destined to be forgotten by the end of February. It is not a trophy for others to admire. A meaningful plan comes from continuous reflection, adaptation and effort. It is the culmination of the small intentional actions you took throughout the preceding year. It’s the next step.

Moving Towards Your Destination

To start a journey, your destination must be clear. A good plan begins by identifying the key areas of your life (family, finances, career, spirituality, etc.) and articulates where you’d like to see yourself in each of those areas. These are your goals — your what.

Goals need to be broken down into actionable steps. These steps become your objectives — your how. For example, if your goal is to save more money in 2025, think about the specific actions you need to take to achieve that goal. Perhaps you could reduce dining out or curb impulsive online shopping (especially on Black Fridays).

Clear objectives keep you in check throughout the year. They guide your decision-making and help you recognise when you’ve gone off track. Without a clear plan, you could find yourself on the wrong path for months, wasting precious time, resources and energy.

Imagine heading from Wuse II to Asokoro without a map. Without a sense of direction, you could find yourself all the way in Nasarawa State before realising your mistake.

Planning Takes Time and Commitment

Developing a good plan cannot be rushed. It takes time, self-awareness and deliberate effort. It can take as long as a couple of weeks to come up with a plan that captures your aspirations for the new year. And as I mentioned earlier, don’t plan in isolation of the events of the previous year.

I do not claim to have all the answers, but I am sharing what has worked for me over the years — what has helped me stay focused and driven. This process often requires periods of isolation and quiet reflection, and I know not everyone has the inclination for such, but with practice, you can develop the discipline needed for effective planning.

Bringing Your Plan to Life

The real work begins after the plan has been made. Remember that a plan is a living document. Regular reviews are essential to keep it fresh, relevant and aligned with your evolving circumstances. To succeed, you must review your plan at least once every month.

And if you falter? Congratulations! You’ve confirmed that you’re human. The key is to dust yourself off and try again. Over time, planning, executing and adjusting will become second nature to you.

My Final Thoughts

You have two options — keep your plan short with three or four clearly articulated goals and their objectives or list out all your goals (and turn it into a storybook — why not?). But if you go for the longer list, be sure to prioritise the goals so you know where to focus on first.

If this is your first time developing a personal plan, keep it short, keep it simple. Baby steps.

Till I write again, here’s wishing you a purposeful and fulfilling 2025.

Bunmi Saidi, an organisational development and governance specialist, wrote from Abuja

Vanguard News