2025 is a chance to focus on what you can control, invest in your growth, and take on whatever challenges life might throw at you. Here are five specific ways to do that.
If you’re ready to leave 2024 behind and make the most of 2025, this episode is for you! We’ll share five powerful ways to take charge of your growth and well-being this year. From embracing new habits to thriving in complexity, this episode is packed with practical insights to help you find focus and inspiration, no matter the challenges ahead.
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Episode Transcription
Peter Green
Welcome back to The Humanizing Work Show, and Happy New Year! Whether you’re watching on YouTube or listening on the podcast, we’re glad you’ve joined us.
Richard Lawrence
It’s no secret—2024 was a tough year for many people. Politics, the economy, layoffs, uncertainty in the workplace left a lot of us feeling stressed or overwhelmed.
Peter
The Humanizing Work team was not immune. We faced some significant business challenges last year, some moments of existential uncertainty, sickness, the loss of a few people close to us. Despite the setbacks, we found ways to support one another, reassess our goals, and ultimately turn things around. Moments like that remind us of our resilience and the potential to find solutions even in tough times. So today, we want to kick off 2025 with a message of hope and, maybe more importantly, action.
Richard
That’s right, so today we’re sharing five reasons to be fired up going into the new year. These are things you can control—no matter what’s happening in the broader world—and these five things are designed to give you focus, energy, and optimism as you navigate the months ahead. Stick around because we’ve got some practical insights and real-world examples to inspire you.
Peter
But first—a quick reminder that the Humanizing Work Show is a free resource sponsored by the Humanizing Work company, where we help organizations improve their leadership, product management, and collaboration. Visit the contact page on our website, humanizingwork.com, and schedule a conversation with us if your organization wants to see stronger results in those areas.
Richard
If you want to support the show, the best thing you can do if you’re watching on YouTube is subscribe to the channel, like the episode, click the bell icon to get notified of new episodes. and while you’re here, drop us a comment with your thoughts on today’s topic.
Peter
And, if you’re listening to the podcast version, leaving a five-star review helps other people discover us. We appreciate you helping out however you can!
Now, the five reasons to be fired up going into 2025: Reason Number one, to feel excited is the ongoing shift toward human-centered work.
Richard
Flexibility, well-being, and purpose aren’t just buzzwords anymore—they’re becoming cornerstones of how organizations operate. This trend gives all of us the chance to advocate for and implement better practices at work.
Peter
One example is, we were recently working with a leadership team that was concerned that they were burning their people out. They had a purpose-driven goal, and everyone was committed to working hard to meet it, but the constant effort was beginning to show some early warning signs of overwork.
The executive team themselves were feeling it too. We were just about to wrap up a long session where we’d planned several ways to streamline processes and remove some of the stress people were feeling. I sensed a bit of overwhelm at the task at hand, and then an idea popped into my head–appreciations!
So, I said “Hey, to conclude the meeting today, I’d like to invite anyone who wants to share a specific appreciation for another person on the team. And there are three rules for appreciations. First, you can’t share an appreciation for a group or for the whole team. The appreciation has to be for an individual, and it’s most effective if it’s specific to a recent action or behavior, rather than a general character trait. So, that’s the first rule. Appreciate an individual for something specific. Second, simply address them by name, share what you appreciate, and then conclude. There is really no expectation that the person needs to reciprocate and say, “Ya, I also…” Third, not everyone needs to share appreciation, and not everyone needs to receive one. It’s not like we have to go around and everybody appreciate a different person. This only works if it’s genuine and not compelled.
And what happened next, I can only describe as an outpouring of love. I was close to tears as person after person shared deep appreciation for the hard, smart, caring work their teammates had been doing. It took less than five minutes, but that short, concentrated experience of human connection sustained that team for weeks to come.
Richard
Connectedness, or relatedness, is one of the three factors that lead to higher engagement, along with autonomy and mastery. When people are feeling those at work, they’re not just more engaged—they’re more innovative and resilient.
Peter
So, as you look ahead, think about how you can contribute to this shift. Whether it’s adjusting how your team operates, advocating for systemic change, or simply sharing appreciation to the people around you, you have a role to play in shaping the future of work.
Richard
Reason number two, to be fired up going into 2025, skill mastery is always in your hands.
Peter
No matter what’s going on in the world, you can always choose to grow. The idea of the 4% growth edge—pushing yourself slightly outside your comfort zone—is a powerful way to build mastery over time.
Richard
This could mean deepening a technical skill, refining your leadership approach, pursuing a specific, measurable goal that stretches you. The key is deliberate practice: focusing on areas where you can improve, getting feedback, and adjusting your efforts.
Peter
One example that comes to mind is an executive we’ve worked with for several years who, over the past few months, has initiated a 360 feedback process. This will help that executive identify a focused development goal going into 2025, and they will begin taking measurable steps to grow as a leader. By setting specific targets and tracking progress, they will sharpen the saw and build momentum for sustained improvement.
OK; Reason number three: complexity is your playground.
Richard
We all know that the workplace can feel uncertain and overwhelming sometimes. But what if we reframed that complexity and uncertainty as an opportunity to experiment and grow?
Peter
Tools like the Cynefin framework can help here. It’s a way to make sense of complexity, identify areas where experimentation is valuable, and guide your team through uncertain situations with curiosity instead of fear.
Richard
We have been working with a payment company’s managers, and after introducing the Cynefin framework to them, they really took it and ran with it. They started reframing several of their detailed plans through the lens of complexity, picking experiments to help them learn and adapt rapidly.
Tackling complex problems, whether as an individual or an organization, can be a competitive advantage. Because there’s not an easy recipe or plan in that space, you’re not just racing after the same goals with the same steps as everyone else. You’re carving out your own space.
So, in 2025, look for chances to do the same. Whether it’s running small experiments or involving your team in hypothesis-driven approaches to work, embracing complexity can lead to breakthroughs you didn’t expect.
Peter
All right. Onto Reason number four: which is you have the power to create habits that energize you.
Richard
Habits are about creating a foundation for daily resilience and energy. So, start this year by building small, energizing habits that improve your focus, well-being, or productivity. This might include committing to a morning walk a few days a week, practicing mindfulness, or setting aside time for journaling.
Peter
Let me share a personal example: One that I’ve shared on the show before, which is I’ve really transformed my focus and energy by committing to a regular running routine. It’s not just about fitness; it’s really about creating mental space, staying grounded, and starting my day with clarity or working on a hard problem. Small changes like this can lead to significant impacts over time.
Richard
I’ve done something similar. Due to an injury, I haven’t been able to run or walk much distance, but I’ve built a habit of: I make my coffee and go out and I get some sun in the morning. Like, just being out in the sun starts my day differently and I show up with more energy.
Foundational habits like that might seem simple, but they compound over time, creating a ripple effect that influences your energy, mindset, and productivity. And it influences the people around you as you show up differently.
Peter
And finally, reason number five: you can find your people.
Richard
The right community can make a huge difference. Being connected to a community is a huge part of being human. Seek out groups, meetups, or networks that align with your values and goals. Whether online or in-person, finding your people can bring inspiration, collaboration, and a sense of belonging.
Peter
Ya, we recently reconnected with some longtime members of the Humanizing Work Community, and it was wonderful to catch up and see the ideas starting to flow again, even though this was just a short chat. So, find others that share a common interest, learn from them, and contribute to each others’ collective progress.
Richard
Change isn’t always easy, but it’s necessary for growth. And when you connect with others who share your mindset, you’re reminded that you’re not alone as you do it.
Peter
So, there you have it—five reasons to be fired up going into 2025:
- The future of work is human-centered.
- Skill mastery is always in your hands.
- Complexity is your playground.
- You have the power to create habits that energize you and those around you.
- You can find your people.
Richard
This year, focus on what you can control, invest in your own growth and collaboration, and approach the coming year ready to take on whatever challenges life might throw at you.
Peter
Thanks for joining us today. Don’t forget to like, comment on how you’re going to make 2025 a great year, subscribe, and then leave a review if you found this helpful. Here’s to an exciting and empowering 2025!
Richard
Thanks for tuning in. See you next time on The Humanizing Work Show.
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