A gighrly Guide to 2025 Goal Setting

What do you want to achieve in 2025?

As we enter the new year, now's the perfect time to dream big and get your plans in place. Whether you’re a seasoned HR consultant or just starting your exciting journey into HRpreneurship, setting goals doesn’t have to be scary and it can actually be quite motivating!

Here’s a friendly little guide to help you nail those 2025 goals and keep your HR biz sparkling.

1. Take a Break and Look Back Before You Move On

Before you dive into planning for 2025, take a moment to look back on 2024 and ask yourself:

What were your proudest moments or achievements?
What tricky bits tripped you up, and how did you tackle them?
What totally worked, and what needs a little tweaking?

Then be honest about what didn't go so well for you and how you responded - could you have been more objective or did you take it personally?

It's hard to be objective when you're emotionally invested in something, so in line with the final point, when something happens that isn't according to plan, take a deep breath, look down on the situation and ask 'what went well', and 'what could be even better if' (aka WWW/EBI) - no negative stuff in that language but a really helpful couple of questions to get you in the continuous improvement zone, without taking things personally... try it!

So, celebrate your wins and learn from your stumbles - they're all life lessons that will guide you on your journey forward and you've so got this! 💪

2. Create Goals You Can Actually Make Happen

When you're setting goals, they need to be SMART. Now, those people pros and people managers in this audience will likely have heard of this before but this handy little acronym stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound and is just as relevant for us solopreneurs.

Specific: Instead of 'grow my client base', why not try 'find five awesome new clients from small businesses in the tech sector by the end of Q2'.
Measurable: Instead of 'improve my skills', how about 'complete a certification in HR technology by the end of Q3 to enhance my service offering'.
Achievable: Instead of 'launch a viral marketing campaign', try 'run a £500 marketing campaign in January targeting businesses in need of HR consulting services, with the goal of gaining three new clients by the end of Q1'.
Relevant: Instead of 'work on personal development', perhaps you could say 'attend two HR networking events in 2025 to build relationships and gain insights into industry trends'.
Time-bound: Instead of 'work on personal branding', why not set a goal to 'update my LinkedIn profile and publish one article per month on HR topics to increase my visibility by March 2025'.

When your goals are SMART it's much easier to put action plans in place to achieve them and to check your progress! Hopefully we're preaching to the converted here, but sometimes we all need to be reminded to drink our own medicine! 😉

3. Be Kind to Yourself and Go with the Flow

The world of HR gigging (and gigging in general) can be a pretty squiggly journey, and you may not know where you'll end up despite your SMART goals and plans! So, be prepared to be flexible and go easy on yourself when you have curveballs thrown at you - be those personal or professional.

Think of it like navigating a river. Sometimes you steer the course, sometimes you let the current take you where you need to go, but most importantly you’re always moving forward.

Make sure you:

Check in with yourself every few months. What’s working? What’s not? Remember WWW/EBI?
Keep taking small steps towards your goal, so you’re always making progress.

4. Make New Friends and Reconnect with your Old but Good'uns

Networking for many can be a little daunting, especially if you're not the outgoing type! But as entrepreneur extraordinaire Porter Gale says in her book of the same title, "your network is your net worth", you've got to put some effort in to get something back. So, for 2025, go and push the boat out and set some social goals like:

Go to three events relevant to you or your business and meet at least one person that you’d grab a coffee with at each of them. Start researching these before the end of the year so you can take advantage of early bird offers.
Post something helpful or inspiring on LinkedIn every week - just showing up will help you to generate visibility and you never know who might see it! It's amazing just how many people you can reconnect with when you put yourself out there (and here's the thing: if you're a tad shy, it really doesn't have to all be about you at all!)
Join a network group (or create one like our Dotty is doing!) to share tips and laughs. There are loads of good networks - just drop Dotty a note if you want any recommendations.

Because, there's so much we can learn from each other when we grow together! 🌱 That's why #togetherisbest is one of our values at gighrly.

5. Take Care of You

Your business is important, but it can't function without you! Make self-care a non-negotiable in 2025.

Schedule time to chill, whether it’s yoga, Netflix, or a walk with your dog (or cat!)
Set boundaries so you’re not answering emails at midnight.
Go out with your friends.
Check in with yourself often. Feeling good? Need a break? Listen to your body and heart. ❤️

Let's Make 2025 Your Best Year Yet!

Setting goals doesn’t have to feel like homework, and if you do need some support or want to know you don’t have to do this alone, our friendly gighrly community will be on hand to help whenever and wherever you need it.

Now go grab a cuppa, pull out your notebook, and start dreaming big. You’ve got this! 💫

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A Beginners Guide to Time Optimisation

7 March 2025

Time: it’s the one thing we all wish we had more of! Whether you’re running a business, juggling multiple gigs, or just trying to stay on top of life, making the most of your time is a game-changer. But optimising your time shouldn't be about cramming in more tasks, it should be about working smarter. So let's explore some practical ways to boost productivity, cut out time-wasters, and create space for what truly matters. 1. Focus on What Actually Matters Not everything on your to-do list is a must -do! Some tasks drive real results, while others just keep you busy. The key to becoming a time-optimisation master is to prioritise high-impact activities and stop sweating the small stuff. Start by identifying your big wins - i.e., the tasks that directly contribute to your goals. If something doesn’t move the needle, ask yourself: does this really need my time and energy? If not, delegate or drop it. 🎇Pro Tip : Use the 80/20 rule: spend 80% of your time on the 20% of tasks that create the biggest impact . 2. Boss it at Planning Winging can get you so far, until you realise you’ve spent the day putting out fires instead of making progress. A simple plan can help you stay ahead and stress less. Try setting daily intentions rather than just a to-do list. What are the top three things you need to accomplish today? This keeps you focused and prevents you from drowning in endless tasks. 📝 Pro Tip : Before logging off, jot down tomorrow’s top three priorities . Your future self will thank you! 3. Cut Out time-sucking Gremlins We all have ‘em… those sneaky little distractions that steal our time. Social media scrolling, back-to-back meetings, email black holes, and before you know it, another day’s over! The trick is to identify your biggest time-wasters and actively manage them . Batch-check emails instead of reacting to them all day - removing notifications will help. Set no-meeting hours. Use website blockers if social media is your kryptonite. Small changes make a huge difference - you’ve got this! 🚫 Pro Tip : Try the Pomodoro technique: Work for 25 minutes, then take a 5-minute break . It keeps you sharp and focused! 4. Delegate, Automate, and Free Yourself! Here’s the truth: you don’t have to do everything yourself . Whether it’s outsourcing admin work, using scheduling tools, or setting up automations, finding ways to take tasks off your plate will free up valuable time. Start small and pick just one thing to delegate or automate this week . Maybe it’s using a calendar booking system instead of manually scheduling meetings or hiring a virtual assistant for repetitive tasks. The more you offload, the more time you gain. ⚡ Pro Tip : If a task doesn’t require your unique skill set, it’s a prime candidate for delegation! 5. Set Boundaries Like a Pro Can’t stop saying yes to everything? That’s a fast track to burnout. Protecting your time means learning to say 'no', setting clear boundaries , and making sure your schedule works for you , not against you. Start by blocking out focus time in your calendar (some AI based calendars will do this for you nowadays), setting email response hours , and politely declining tasks that don’t align with your goals . Remember, every ‘yes’ to something unimportant is a ‘no’ to something that matters. 🙅‍♀️ Pro Tip : Try this magic phrase: "I’d love to, but I don’t have the bandwidth right now." It’s polite but firm. Final Thought: Work Smarter, Not Harder Time optimisation isn’t about packing in more , it’s about making what you do count . Prioritise what matters , plan ahead , cut distractions , and delegate wherever possible . The more intentional you are with your time, the more you’ll get done without the stress. Ready to take control of your time and become an optimisation pro? Start small, build momentum, and watch the magic happen! 🚀 Now go and make the most of your time! 💚