And just like that, another year begins!

Every January, I like to step away from my regular monthly marketing blogs to get a little more personal — and, yes, a little vulnerable with you. I find that the start of a new year is the perfect opportunity to hit pause, reflect on the past twelve months, and set intentions for what lies ahead. It’s more than just setting goals; it’s about taking stock, learning from my mistakes, and having honest conversations with myself about what I want the next year of my life to look like.

This year, as I took that time to reflect, I came face-to-face with a bit of a harsh truth — I’ve got some bad work habits to leave behind.

Now, don’t worry — I’m not here to beat myself up or dwell on everything that’s “wrong.” But I do believe that growth starts with self-awareness, and in sharing these reflections with you, I can better hold myself accountable as I step into 2025 — and maybe inspire you to take a closer look at your own habits, too.

So let’s get vulnerable! Here are the habits I’m committing to leaving behind this year.

Overloading My To-Do List

Every Monday morning, I sit down to plan my week. I pull up my Google Calendar, Sprout, deadlines list, and begin compiling everything into a checklist on my Notes app — meetings, when to post content natively, deadlines, and other tasks I need to focus on. It’s a great way to ease into the week and set my goals. Not a bad habit, right? Well, here’s the thing: I have a tendency to not set realistic daily goals.

The result? I end up feeling overwhelmed; trying to tackle everything at once instead of focusing on what truly matters. It’s easy to get caught in the trap of creating overly ambitious lists and feeling like I need to do all the things right now.

This year, I’ll keep using Notes to plan my weeks, but I’m adding a new strategy: including estimated completion times next to each task. This simple adjustment will help me prioritize better, set achievable goals, and avoid the overwhelm that comes with an overstuffed to-do list. 

Waiting for Inspiration to Strike

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always believed that creativity should feel natural — that inspiration just hits you when you least expect it. So, when it comes to brainstorming new ideas for content, I often wait for that magical moment of clarity to strike. It’s easy to tell yourself that great ideas come when you aren’t looking for them, right? Well, here’s the truth: relying solely on random inspiration is a pretty unreliable strategy.

I’ve realized that I don’t want to settle for the first “good enough” concept anymore. This year, I’m making a shift in how I approach creativity.

I’ll be incorporating structured brainstorming into my workflow by setting aside dedicated time each month to actively explore ideas for the months ahead. This will give me space to consume creative inspiration without the pressure of looming deadlines while also tapping into my greatest resource, my incredibly talented coworkers. 

By choosing purposeful creativity over waiting for “inspiration,” I’ll give myself the freedom to dig deeper into ideas, explore new angles, and bring more thoughtful, well-executed concepts to the table for my clients. Creativity, after all, isn’t about waiting — it’s about building a practice!

Relying on Old Routines

It’s easy to find comfort in routines that work well enough — after all, if it’s not broken, why fix it? But when I rely on old routines, I risk missing opportunities to find even better solutions to my problems.

This year, I’m actively challenging myself to step out of that mindset and embrace change — especially when it means being open to new approaches that better align with the unique needs of my clients.

A great example of this came recently with a paid ads client. We were working on reporting, and I noticed their needs and preferences didn’t align perfectly with our traditional reporting template. While sticking with our standard approach would have been the easy path, I knew this client deserved something more tailored to their goals. So, our team took the time to create a new report template. The result? A system that felt much more intuitive to them and allowed us to better connect data to their specific business goals.

Prioritizing Busyness Over Impact

Raise your hand if feeling busy makes you feel successful. That’s me raising my hand! It’s a bad habit, I know, but there’s something about a long to-do list and a full 8-hour workday that signals to my brain that we’re doing it right.

The issue is, that mindset isn’t sustainable — and it doesn’t always mean I’m actually achieving progress. Too often, I fall into the trap of filling my plate with small, low-impact tasks that give me the illusion of productivity but don’t actually align with my goals or make a meaningful difference in the bigger picture.

This year, I’m making a shift. Instead of glorifying busyness, I’m learning to prioritize impact over the sheer volume of tasks. That means asking myself harder questions:

• Which tasks are moving the needle?

• What brings the most value to my clients, my team, and myself?

• What can I let go of to focus on the priorities that matter most?

It’s time to shift the focus from activity to outcomes. Being busy isn’t the end goal — the end goal is creating meaningful impact.

Not Tracking Small Wins

I used to think that celebrating only the major achievements mattered — the big campaign launches, the impressive client wins. While those moments are exciting and absolutely worth celebrating, focusing solely on them meant I was overlooking the smaller, quieter victories that truly make an impact over time.

So, in 2024, I decided to shift that mindset by starting a simple new process. I call it my Monthly Punch List, and it’s been a game-changer. It’s an ongoing Google Doc with a section for each month of the year and on the last day of every month, I take time to reflect and update it with:

• Major Tasks & Milestones

• Content Shoots

• My Favorite Content Pieces & Posts

• Client Priorities

• Blogs

• Professional Development

This simple habit allows me to track all my accomplishments — both big and small — and end each month with a moment of self-reflection and gratitude. Taking the time to look back and say, “These are all my accomplishments this month, and they are great!” This helps me stay motivated and gives me the perspective that progress is always happening.

Multitasking Too Much

Multitasking is such a hot topic in the marketing world. In every interview when they ask “what is your strength” you're supposed to say multi-tasking. It shows you're resilient and focused. But can these be too much of a good thing? 

Every time I switch gears mid-task, I lose time readjusting, which leads to lower-quality work and more stress. After all, feeling busy doesn’t always mean you’re productive. That’s why this year, I’m making a commitment to prioritize focus instead of juggling.

In 2025, I’ll be experimenting with the Pomodoro Timer Technique to build more intentional work habits. Let me explain how it works. You set a timer for 25 minutes to focus on just one task without distractions. When the timer goes off, you take a 5-minute break. After completing four of these focused intervals, you reward yourself with a longer 15-30 minute break to recharge.

This strategy helps create a steady rhythm of productivity and rest, allowing you to stay energized while ensuring you're fully present for each task. So far, it’s been a game changer during my trial runs — giving me clarity, focus, and peace of mind.

If you’re curious, you can check out this website to try the Pomodoro Timer Technique for yourself.