Why Black Friday is the Perfect Time to Plan Your 2025
Black Friday — America’s unofficial holiday of capitalistic excess. The day we collectively line up for the privilege of elbowing strangers for a marginally discounted toaster. But what if, instead of sprinting toward the latest gadget, you turned Black Friday into a starting block for something far more valuable: your 2025?
There’s a genius in using the chaos of Black Friday as the counterpoint for clarity. When the world is busy chasing deals, you have a golden opportunity to chase something more enduring: growth. Personal, professional, maybe even existential. The next 31 days can be your springboard, not your slippery slope into another year of same-old, same-old. Here’s why now is the time — and how to get started.
The Problem with Waiting for January 1
Let’s talk about the New Year. It’s an arbitrary milestone we’ve all agreed to inflate with meaning. The gym memberships, the diets, the “this year will be different” declarations. But here’s the rub: January 1 is already too late. The world doesn’t pause to let you catch up; it accelerates. By the time you’ve set up your vision board, the competition has already sprinted out of the gate.
Black Friday, on the other hand, is early enough to catch you off-guard but close enough to the new year to feel urgent. It’s the perfect window to ask, “What do I want my life to look like in 2025?” and start reverse-engineering your way there. This is the time to steal a march on the herd while they’re distracted by flash sales.
Step 1: Reflect with Ruthless Honesty
First things first: put down the pumpkin spice latte and take stock of 2024. Be brutal. Where did you crush it? Where did you crater? Reflection isn’t about basking in wins or wallowing in losses — it’s about extracting the lessons.
- Did your goals for 2024 actually move the needle, or were they just busywork in disguise?
- Are you better, smarter, healthier, and happier than you were 12 months ago?
- What do you regret not doing? Why didn’t you do it?
The key is not to make excuses. Your career didn’t stagnate because of “market conditions”; it stalled because you didn’t pivot fast enough. You didn’t skip that marathon because you were “too busy”; you skipped it because Netflix won. Own it. Growth begins when the rationalizations end.
Step 2: Prioritize the Big Rocks
Stephen Covey’s “big rocks” analogy still holds: if you fill your jar with pebbles (small, trivial tasks), there’s no room for the big rocks (the things that matter). So, what are your big rocks for 2025? Here’s a hint: they probably involve health, wealth, relationships, and impact.
Write down three priorities for each. Not ten. Three. Focus is your secret weapon. If you want to run a marathon, write a book, or land that promotion, you’ll need to say no — a lot. Black Friday planning is the art of subtraction, not addition.
Step 3: Hack the Next 31 Days
The final 31 days of the year are a microcosm of what’s possible. They’re also where most people mentally check out, coasting on eggnog and holiday parties. Use this time to build momentum instead.
1. Start a Daily Discipline
Pick one habit that will compound over time. Meditate for 10 minutes. Write 500 words a day. Lift weights. It doesn’t matter what you choose as long as you do it every day. The point isn’t perfection — it’s consistency.
2. Declare Your Goals
Accountability changes everything. Tell three people what you plan to accomplish by December 31. Be specific. “I’ll lose weight” is weak. “I’ll lose five pounds by eating clean six days a week” is bulletproof. Now those people will expect results — and you won’t want to disappoint.
3. Invest in Yourself
Skip the sales at Best Buy and invest in your brain. Buy the course, the book, the coaching session. Growth isn’t free, but the ROI is infinite. Treat personal development as seriously as you’d treat a business investment — because your life is your most important startup.
4. Reimagine Your Morning Routine
Win the morning, win the day. Use these 31 days to design a morning routine that sets the tone for 2025. Get up earlier, move your body, and start your day with intention. Momentum isn’t found; it’s created.
Why Change Feels Hard
Change is scary because it’s uncertain. The human brain hates uncertainty — it’s the psychological equivalent of being stuck in a Black Friday crowd at Walmart. But here’s the thing: growth is impossible without change, and change is impossible without discomfort.
The good news? Discomfort is a muscle. The more you flex it, the stronger you become. Use the next 31 days to embrace small, manageable discomforts. Skip the dessert. Make the tough phone call. Take the cold shower. The harder it feels now, the easier it’ll feel later.
Focus on 2025, Not 2024
It’s tempting to finish the year strong, to cram in last-minute wins to make 2024 look better on paper. But this isn’t about optics; it’s about outcomes. The real game is 2025. How you spend the next month will dictate how you spend the next year — and beyond.
- Want to get healthier? Use December to establish a baseline.
- Want to grow professionally? Build relationships now that will bear fruit later.
- Want more time with family? Set boundaries now so they’re second nature next year.
This isn’t about sprinting to the finish line; it’s about setting yourself up for the next race.
The Power of Small Wins
Momentum doesn’t come from grand gestures. It comes from small wins stacked like bricks. Each good decision you make in the next 31 days builds confidence. Confidence builds action. Action builds results. And results build a better you.
Start with one win today. Skip the Black Friday frenzy and spend 30 minutes planning your 2025. Go for a walk instead of diving into leftovers. Choose water over wine. These aren’t life-changing decisions on their own — but they’re the seeds of life-changing habits.
Black Friday as a Metaphor
Black Friday isn’t just about cheap TVs; it’s about choices. You can choose to be part of the madness or part of the revolution. You can choose consumption or creation, distraction or discipline, comfort or growth.
In 2025, you won’t remember the deals you snagged on a whim. But you’ll remember the decisions you made now that set the stage for a year of transformation.
So while the world is busy shopping, get busy designing. When the clock strikes midnight on January 1, you won’t just be celebrating a new year — you’ll be celebrating a new you.
And that’s a deal you can’t put a price on.
Hi there, I’m Brian, and in addition to this Medium, I wrote The Main Thing is The Main Thing. Pick up your copy today.
