As 2024 came to an end, many Kenyans took time to reflect on their achievements and challenges, setting resolutions for personal growth in areas like fitness, finances, relationships, and career development.
While some reached their goals, others faced setbacks or changing priorities. For those still on track, the journey continues with renewed determination.
Julian Rowa, an organisational leadership mentor, highlights the connection between year-end reflections and New Year’s resolutions. He believes this period of introspection and goal-setting is key for recalibration, a process of fine-tuning one’s approach to life.
Rowa defines recalibration as adjusting strategies and actions to align with long-term goals, focusing on three dimensions: strategic, tactical, and operational thinking.
Strategic thinking involves envisioning a desired future and working backward to create actionable steps. Rowa advises setting a long-term goal—like owning a home by 2030—and outlining intermediate milestones. By aligning short-term actions with this vision, one can overcome challenges and stay focused on the bigger picture.
Tactical thinking addresses uncertainties and obstacles along the way. While strategic thinking sets the overall direction, tactical thinking prepares individuals to navigate unexpected changes.
Rowa suggests anticipating potential challenges and planning ahead to ensure resilience. For example, creating budgets and saving toward financial independence requires tactical adjustments to stay on track.
Operational thinking emphasises daily actions that support long-term objectives. Rowa stresses the importance of consistency in routines, such as managing finances and sticking to a plan. Without operational recalibration—ensuring habits align with strategies—even the best plans remain unfulfilled.
The five pillars
This holistic approach mirrors a product lifecycle: introduction, growth, peak, and decline. Rowa emphasises that self-renewal is essential for maintaining momentum. If 2024 marks a peak, 2025 should focus on identifying new growth opportunities.
Self-audits are crucial for realigning efforts and learning from past experiences. Reflection, application, and internalisation help drive continuous improvement.
Rowa also outlines five pillars for personal growth in 2025: economic, intellectual, physical, emotional, and spiritual growth.
Economic growth involves strategic financial planning, while intellectual growth requires continuous learning. Physical well-being is the foundation for all pursuits, and emotional growth involves cultivating healthy relationships.
Spiritual growth provides a sense of purpose and accountability, ensuring a balanced approach to personal development.
In preparing for the new year, Rowa suggests beginning with an audit of the past year. Identify successes, setbacks, and lessons learned.
Define your desired state for 2025, assess where you stand, and create an action plan to close the gap. Tangible goals, like buying a house or advancing in your career, should align with broader objectives such as enhancing family well-being or achieving personal fulfillment.
“The end of the year isn’t just about reflecting,” Rowa concludes. “It’s a chance to recalibrate, aligning strategy, tactics, and operations to move forward with clarity and purpose. Progress, not perfection, is the ultimate goal.”
