2024 Audit – The Simple “Yet Shockingly Powerful” process personal improvement experts swear by

It’s no secret most new year resolutions fail. I still haven’t published a book, learned to surf or tempered my chocolate consumption.  I’m not alone. By the time the bell rings on the first day back at school,  most people will have ‘watered down’ their dry January, neglected their step count, and fallen at the first hurdle with a rapidly filling swear jar and pile of unanswered emails.

There are many reasons resolutions fail (it’s easy to be blinded by the optimism that shines brightly from the couch of your holiday accommodation).  But what if there was a simple – yet powerful – process you could undertake to set yourself up for success in 2025?

Enter the “2024 Audit”, a simple 7 question process podcaster and self-improvement author Mel Robbins swears by. 

“The first questions someone asks when you’re lost”, she says, “is ‘where are you’ before they can give you directions”.  By answering these 7 questions to determine where you currently stand, you are then best placed to create the systems and directions to move to where you want to go. “It’s about creating a roadmap to get you there” Robbins explains.

 And it makes sense: how can we meaningfully determine how to get to where we want in 2025 without working out where we stand now. Use your own life as data to create a set of directions to live the best life for you in the next year.

So let’s take a moment, in the closing scenes of 2024, to geo-map our location and plot a course for 2025.

Q1:         What were the highlights this year?

Pull out your camera roll “and take your life in” Robbins suggests. Look for moments you may have forgotten,  things you want more of, and things you want less of. For example, I didn’t realise how many photos of sunrises I had taken and shared. I want to keep doing this.  I also noticed I didn’t have many photos of nights out - and I do need to remedy that. What does your camera roll show? Are you smiling allot or not at all? Was it all work and no play, or do you want to travel more and attend more events?

Q2.         What were the hardest parts of the year for you?

2024 wasn’t shy about dishing out some challenges learning opportunities for me on a personal and professional front. In each case I had no control over anything except my response to them.  Looking at each, I wish I was able to keep a better perspective and not allow them stop me in my tracks for as long as they did.  We didn’t need to put pens down entirely in order to pivot the business in the direction so many people clearly wanted.  I didn’t need to ghost my friends entirely when caring for a family member. I let go of friendships and business opportunities I will now have to work hard on to re-ignite.

Q3.         What did you learn about yourself over the last 12 months?

 This is a great question as there is no right or wrong answer.  Sometimes acknowledging the more negative aspects creates the greatest opportunity for growth.  It can also be something simple. Robbins realised how much she liked flowers – her camera roll was full of them.  So what can she do in 2025 as a result? Plant more flowers!

Q4 What are you going to STOP doing in the coming year?

Resolutions don’t always need to be adding.  Sometimes (especially as we mature) subtracting can be more powerful.  Do you have clients that take 60% of your time but only yield 20% of your profit?  Instead of adding more supplements could you simply subtract soft drink or alcohol? Look for opportunities to do less, not more.  

Q5.         What are you going to START doing in the coming year?

This is where most resolutions tend to start – blindly.  Looking at the highs and lows of your year, and what you feel you missed out on or want more of… what can you add in?  Do you need to finally embrace more AI in your work to improve your efficiency? Is there a mountain you want to climb or language you want to learn?

Q6.         What are you going to continue doing in the next year?

 This is another hack – what are things you adopted in your work or play that moved the needle this year? I will definitely go alcohol free again for most of the year.  North of 40, this has had the single greatest impact on my health, sleep and productivity.  I will also challenge myself to be brave and push myself to say “yes” to more opportunities – to take chances and put my hand up.  Not all had an enormous positive return in 2024, but none had a negative return which makes it a no-brainer.

Q7.         What can you do today to take that first step?  

 This is the fun part, Now that you have a set of directions, it there one thing on that list you can do today? Organise a night out with friends? Find a race or trek or event near you to try? Download Duolingo? Find the first small step that will move you in the direction of your best year yet. I am not putting the chocolate down yet, but I have said “yes” to an ice curling competition and sent an email to re-ignite a potential collaboration I hope to be able to share in 2025.

So…now that Christmas lunch, dinner AND drinks are finally settling, and before the New Years celebrations and resolutions start with fervour it’s time to sit back and digest the year that was.

Mel Robbins, Podcaster and self-improvement author.