It’s a good idea for any business owner to have goals for 2025 and make plans to achieve them. But it’s equally important to look at the past year to get perspective on your accomplishments, and to see what worked and what didn’t.

I believe it’s actually more beneficial to focus on successes rather than failures. There’s a great book titled, “The Gap and the Gain,” written by best selling authors Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy that examines this approach.

In this introspective tome the authors describe how most successful, driven people tend to be unhappy because they measure successes based on goals that are always just out of reach.

While it’s important to look forward, if we continually measure ourselves against a future “ideal,” we are always in the Gap.
When we take the time to look at where we are and what we have accomplished, both in the short and long term, we’re in the Gain.”

The authors further explain that our mental well-being can greatly benefit from being in the Gain, and celebrating our successes on a regular basis.

Take Some Time to Reflect

As you look back at 2024, be sure to recognize and celebrate your successes. Don’t just think about them in a passing moment or two. Set aside some time to think deeply about what really worked, how it benefited you and your company, and how it made you feel.

It might sound corny, but if you take ample time to reflect and savor your wins, it is good for you psychologically. It can also put you in a more productive state of mind later on when you switch gears and spend time looking forward at the tasks and projects ahead.

Expand Your Thinking

As a leader in your organization, consider extending these concepts beyond yourself. Imagine what it could do for your team’s morale and state of mind when you share the company’s “Gains” with everyone!

What if you listed specific successes your business experienced in 2024, and used this list to set up companywide recognition highlighting each of these measurable Gains?

This could be done in a number of different ways, ranging from a formal letter to your team, to an all-out party that recognizes both team and individual wins.

Stay in the Gain

A word of caution: When you’re celebrating your company’s Gain, don’t talk about future goals in the same venue. Save that for another meeting or communication.

Allow your team to savor the moment, just as you hopefully have done yourself as you reflected on your Gain. Think about memorializing the biggest gains. Maybe create some posters displayed around the office, or screensavers on company computers.

For example, if your Gain was a 20% increase in revenues, showcase that increase along with the reasons you experienced the growth.

If your Gain is related to a significant reduction in installation callbacks, create a chart showing year-over-year comparisons, and maybe the top three crews with the fewest number of installs that needed a return visit.

If you decide to try this, maybe at your holiday party, we would love to hear about it. I wish you and yours a very happy and safe holiday season, and a joyful and successful 2025!