Thanksgiving Reflection for Business Owners: 3 Simple Exercises to Prepare for 2025

A business owner and colleagues sit around a table reflecting, celebrating, and expressing gratitude.

As a business owner, carving out time for year-end reflection and future planning can be difficult. We know how much is on your plates, but we also know the benefits of taking this intentional time. Instead of waiting until you’re slammed at the end of the year or simply in too great a need of a well-deserved break, as we approach Thanksgiving, now is a perfect time to pause, look back on the year, reflect on what worked, plan for the future, and show gratitude to those who made it possible.

We recommend that every business owner and leader complete 3 simple exercises this Thanksgiving season to guide their businesses into the new year with a refreshed mindset. If you’re worried about how you’ll find the time—don’t! These exercises are designed to be simple and easily digestible yet highly effective. Let’s get started!

Exercise One: Reflect On the Year

The end of the year is a great time to take a step back and reflect. We encourage you to take some intentional time to look at the year as a whole to help inform and guide your steps leading into 2025. Some questions to consider during your reflection session are:

  • What are you grateful for? 
  • What went well? 
  • Did your team achieve any major milestones? 
  • Were there key projects that surpassed expectations? 
  • What didn’t go as planned? 

In this exercise, we also encourage you to identify the positive aspects of your business, such as loyal clients, a dedicated team, or new opportunities that arose over the year.

However, as you identify the positives, the challenges are just as important to reflect upon. Acknowledging any setbacks, challenges, or negative circumstances that occurred over the year can provide valuable insights as you plan for the next year.

This exercise can be done independently, with your management team, or even with your employees. By reflecting on the highs and lows, you can better understand your business’s growth and areas for improvement.

Exercise Two: Make a Plan Using “Start, Stop, Continue”

One of our favorite planning tools is the “Start, Stop, Continue” exercise. This simple exercise is an incredibly helpful reflective and planning tool that can be used at any point in the year but is particularly helpful at year-end. To conduct this exercise, you only need to ask 3 simple questions.

  1. Start: What new initiatives or strategies do you want to implement next year?
    This could be anything! Whether you’d like to finally adopt that new software you’ve been talking about or want to try a new employee engagement initiative, this is the time to dream and plan how to bring these ideas into reality.
  2. Stop: Are there processes or habits that no longer serve your business?
    Though this kind of reflection can be a bit more uncomfortable, your organizational success often depends on looking at what is no longer working and making adjustments. Identifying what’s holding you back can free up time and resources for what truly matters.
  3. Continue: What’s already working well that should be maintained—or even expanded?
    It’s important to identify your organization’s strengths. Recognizing your strengths will allow you to build on them for even greater success in the new year and beyond.

The “Start, Stop, Continue” exercise encourages intentional decision-making and provides a clear and actionable list of the next steps to move your business forward and drive organizational success.

Exercise 3: Show Your Gratitude Through Recognition

Thanksgiving is the perfect time to outwardly show gratitude and appreciation to those who make your business a success. In this exercise, we recommend finding intentional ways to recognize your employees, clients, contractors—or anyone else who has contributed to your business during the year. A few ways you can recognize their efforts are:

  • A team outing, such as a meal or team-building event
  • A client appreciation event, such as a happy hour or luncheon
  • A token of appreciation, such as a holiday gift or financial bonus
  • A simple, heartfelt message expressing your gratitude

Your team’s hard work and dedication are the backbone of your business, and your clients are the reason it thrives. Taking the time to express your appreciation can strengthen relationships and boost morale going into the new year.

Plus, this recognition is also a great retention tool. People often just want to hear someone say “thank you” for all their hard work—and taking this time to express your thanks can make all the difference when building long-term business relationships. 

Closing Thoughts

This Thanksgiving, remember the power of gratitude and reflection. By embracing the lessons of the past year and showing appreciation for those who support your business, you can set the stage for a successful 2025.

As you reflect on the year, if you have questions about how to enact your business’s next steps or if you have questions about how your business can show gratitude meaningfully, please contact us at info@bergerhrsolutions or (410) 695-9888. Berger HR Solutions is here to help!

 

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