How a Personal Planning Retreat Can Help You Achieve Your Goals for 2025

Jan 16

Happy New Year, everyone!

As we kick off 2025, I wanted to share an experience that’s already had a profound impact on my year—my personal planning retreat. I recently took a full day to focus entirely on setting my intentions and goals for 2025, and I can already feel the momentum building. So, let’s dive into the details and talk about why I believe these focus days are essential for both personal and business growth.

The Importance of a Personal Planning Retreat

We all know that life can get chaotic—especially when you're juggling family, work, and the dream of building a business. For me, 2024 was a year filled with both incredible highs and tough challenges. Nolan, my son, was born at the end of 2023, and between his NICU stay, a big move across the country, and the ups and downs of family life, it felt like three years rolled into one.

But here’s the thing: the end of a challenging year is often the perfect time to reflect, reset, and make a fresh start. That's why I decided to take a day to focus on planning. This wasn’t just about setting business goals—it was about setting intentions for my entire life, from finances to health to family and everything in between.

My Planning Day: Setting Intentions and Organizing Goals

I knew that for my personal retreat to be successful, I needed to get out of my regular environment. Staying at home with all of its distractions wasn’t going to cut it. So, I decided to spend the day at Panera. It was conveniently located, had all the essentials (coffee, food, comfy seating, and free Wi-Fi), and allowed me to dive deep into my work without feeling guilty about the laundry or dishes.

Preparation Was Key

When planning your own personal retreat, preparation is everything. I had a detailed list of everything I needed to bring to stay focused and productive. Here’s what I packed:

Laptop and Travel Monitor: I’m someone who thrives with dual screens, so I made sure to bring my travel monitor to help me stay organized.
Colored Pens: A little fun and creativity can go a long way in organizing your thoughts. I used these to highlight key points and organize my brainstorming.
My Morning Routine Binder: This binder is my secret weapon for starting each day strong, and I’ll be doing a full episode on this in the future. It’s essential for keeping me on track throughout the year.
Planning Tools: One of my favorites is the Unravel Workbook—a free download that helps you reflect on the past year and set intentions for the next one. I’ve been using it for years, and it’s invaluable.

Step 1: Reflecting on 2024

The first step I took during my retreat was to reflect on 2024. What worked well? What didn’t? What were my accomplishments? Reflecting on my family life, business, and personal growth helped me really appreciate how far I’ve come and also helped me identify areas for improvement. This is such a powerful step because sometimes, especially as a military spouse, it’s easy to feel like we just “get through” things without really acknowledging the growth and success we’ve experienced.

Step 2: Setting My 2025 Intentions

After reflecting on 2024, I moved on to setting intentions for 2025. I asked myself:

What do I want to focus on this year?
What do I want to learn or grow in?
How do I want to evolve as a mom, partner, and entrepreneur?

This step was all about aligning my goals with my core values. I chose the word thrive for 2025 because, after years of feeling like I was just surviving, I’m ready to thrive in every aspect of my life. Now, it’s all about creating a plan that reflects this intention.

Breaking Down My Goals

Once I had my intentions set, I turned to setting specific goals for the year. I didn’t just focus on my business—I broke down my goals into categories that mattered to me. Here's a look at the key areas:

Fitness: I’m focusing on improving my hormone health and establishing a daily routine to stay active.
Finance: After moving across the country, it was time to revisit our budget, review debts, and plan for financial security while managing new expenses.
Family Fun: My husband and I are committed to exploring Washington State and creating new memories with our son.
Home: Our new home is beautiful but needs work, so we’re prioritizing getting it organized and decorated in a way that feels functional and welcoming.
Faith: Strengthening my relationship with God is a key goal for me, so I’ve outlined the steps I’ll take to nurture this aspect of my life.
Business: I’m excited to build on the work I’ve done in 2024, but 2025 is going to be the year I really ramp things up. I’m leaning into my S.P.E.A.K. framework and setting clear, actionable goals that will help me achieve bigger business milestones.

Breaking Goals into Actionable Steps: The Power of Process Goals

One of the biggest takeaways from my retreat was how to break down big goals into smaller, actionable steps. For example, instead of setting a goal to “pay off all our debt,” I turned it into a process goal: save $100 a week towards our debt repayment.

By focusing on process goals, I’m able to take action every week, build momentum, and track my progress. For my business, one goal is to increase my visibility by collaborating with others. The process goal for that is to apply for seven collaborations or podcast guest opportunities each month. Breaking things down like this keeps me focused and avoids overwhelm.

Quarter One Focus: Staying on Track

Instead of trying to map out the whole year, I decided to focus only on Quarter One. It’s easy to get distracted by the larger picture, so I kept my eyes on the next three months and what I needed to do to move forward. Each quarter, I’ll revisit my goals and adjust accordingly. By focusing on manageable chunks, I avoid getting stuck in planning paralysis and instead keep moving forward.

The Power of Accountability

Once my planning day was complete, I shared my goals with my husband. This wasn’t just about showing him what I had planned—it was about ensuring we were aligned on the bigger family goals, especially those that affected both of us. Having his support and feedback is invaluable, and I recommend involving a trusted person in your goal-setting process to keep you accountable.

Conclusion: A Gift to Yourself

Taking a personal planning retreat was one of the best gifts I could give myself. It’s not just about setting goals—it’s about creating a plan that’s aligned with your values and priorities. Whether you can carve out a full day or just a few hours, stepping out of your normal environment to focus on your dreams can make all the difference.

I encourage you to plan your own personal retreat, reflect on your year, and break down your goals into actionable steps.

Happy planning, and I can’t wait to see what you accomplish this year!