How to Start the Year with Purpose and Impact: Lessons from the PM Growth Zone Webinar
My first engagement of the year was the PM Growth Zone webinar, themed “Start Strong, Run Smart, and Achieve More.” It was billed as a fresh start to the new year. The webinar therefore offered an opportunity to reboot, refocus, and reignite our passion for growth, significance, and impact. The session was not only enlightening and interactive but also thought-provoking.
I am grateful to have been invited by Mr. Tajudeen Alabede, the moderator, to serve as a facilitator alongside Prof. Tajudeen Olalekan Yusuf, the other distinguished facilitator. The importance of starting the year with purpose, direction, and optimism cannot be overstated. The new year is a gift. How wisely are we using it? It’s a new chapter—not just another year. The start of a new year presents an opportunity to begin afresh, venturing into the unknown with choices that can make all the difference—if we are bold and intentional.
Our focus began with embracing the theme: “Start Strong. Run Smart. Achieve More.” This theme underscores the importance of making the most of the year by laying a solid foundation, making consistent progress, overcoming challenges wisely, and maximizing potential. Together with the participants, we shared insights and strategies to make this theme a reality for all of us. Our aim was to ensure the session was not just an exchange of ideas but also a launchpad for meaningful action. Indeed, the way we start sets the tone for how we finish. I will highlight some of my takeaways.
Starting Strong – How to Start the Year with Purpose and Impact
Starting strong isn’t about perfection—it’s about beginning with clarity, purpose, and a commitment to action. Begin with the end in mind. Have goals for the year. Focus on having a vision and setting goals that align with the Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound (SMART) framework.
There is nothing as miserable as someone who has sight but no vision. Set clear goals. Ask yourself: What goals make sense to me? What does success look like for me? Remember, what makes sense to you may not resonate with others, and that’s okay.
The importance of planning cannot be overstated. Plan. Have a roadmap for achieving your goals. Planning provides direction. Ask yourself:
- Where am I?
- Where am I going?
- How do I get there?
- What must I do to reach my destination?
If we simply take whatever comes our way, we may end up anywhere. Prioritize, allocate time, and deploy resources. Be organized in your planning.
Success is a journey, not a sprint. The essence of starting strong is to build momentum. However, planning alone isn’t enough—there must be follow-through. Without execution, plans are meaningless.
Running Smart – How to Start the Year with Purpose and Impact
While planning is crucial, running smart is essential to achieving your goals. A plan is not an end in itself. Good intentions alone create nothing. For example, your actions must align with your goals. Taking actions that feel good but are unrelated to your priorities is wasteful and counterproductive. Focus on substance: Is what you’re doing aligned with your priorities? How well are you investing in yourself to achieve these goals?
Running smart means staying focused and strategic. This is despite distractions, unpredictability, uncertainties, and the unexpected challenges that will inevitably arise. It certainly requires consistency—sticking to your plans and routines. As they say, “The big shot is the small shot who keeps on shooting.” Consistency helps maintain momentum.
In addition to discipline and focus, adaptability is crucial. Regularly reflect, reassess, and review your progress. Be willing to adjust and change what isn’t working instead of wasting time and resources. Embrace creativity and experiment with alternatives. Don’t be scared of change. Embracing change is integral to the journey.
Achieve More – How to Start the Year with Purpose and Impact
Achieving more requires a mindset that approaches this journey not just to achieve set goals but to surpass them. Set stretch goals—a desire to go beyond the average or the standard. A desire to excel. Achieving more than planned leads to a surplus. When we achieve more, we create impact—not just for ourselves but for those around us. Again, this is achieved through consistent, intentional effort.
We must avoid distractions, outgrow complacency, and embrace growth. Certainly, resilience and adaptability must be invited to the “Achieve More” party. In this regard, we must push boundaries by committing to lifelong learning. Continuously seek opportunities to learn new things and grow, even from the unplanned and uncommon.
Develop and enhance your communication skills, not just technical skills. Most importantly, good communication means being a good listener. Continuous learning is critical to achieving objectives that push our limits. For example, we may explore online courses, attend workshops, or read industry books or magazines. Lifelong learning keeps you ahead of the curve. There is no full stop in learning. Challenge assumptions, starting with your own.
Learn, unlearn, relearn—and then change yourself.
Moderating
The excellent moderator, Mr. Alabede, set an inspiring, focused, and engaging tone for the session, encouraging contributions not just from facilitators but also from participants. He therefore urged us all to reflect, participate, and commit to the session’s goals. Participants were encouraged to stay present, ask questions, and take actionable insights with them.
A matter he raised was the external environment versus our internal motivations and convictions. The external is no doubt important, but our focus shouldn’t be on complaining about an unfavorable external environment. It should rather on focusing on the things we can change. Our choices matter—focusing on what we can change and not dwelling on things outside our control.
This is where flexibility and adaptability come in, as well as having an entrepreneurial mindset. Our strength comes from within, not from external validation. Building resilience is critical. Indeed, challenges will be part of the journey. Falling is not the end of the road. Interestingly, it could be a fast track to innovation. We should see setbacks as learning and growth opportunities. This may require innovative and uncommon approaches.
He further raised questions about the issue of location in achieving our goals for the year. While location is indeed important, we should do what we can wherever we find ourselves. If we find ourselves in an unfavorable location, rather than giving up and lamenting, we should choose to stand up and do what we can within that location.
Networking: Start Early
We agreed that networking is extremely important for career growth and that it exposes us to even more opportunities than formal career growth routes. The key emphasis was on starting networking early because starting early enables us to maximize our networking potential. “Dig your well before you are thirsty.” Starting from our different levels of education to various work experiences can offer us richer networking experiences.
In this light, the session explored what Communities of Practice (COPs) have to offer. It can help to be active in communities or groups where you can contribute, share goals, and gain encouragement. “If you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together.”
Sharing my example as a member of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), it is clear that COPs don’t just have a responsibility for advocacy but also to raise the level of professionalism and cater to the growth and career needs of members. To use it as a growth and networking tool in the year, pure self-interest won’t work. You must be active in contributing to the goals of the COP. Show an interest in the concerns of others and the shared goals of the COP, and leverage the power of collective wisdom, shared experiences, and fresh perspectives in these networks.
Additionally, in terms of “going far” with others, consider having a support system of friends, colleagues, and mentors who can encourage you and keep you on track. Such a network can provide valuable insights, feedback, and constructive criticism. You can use their insights to refine your skills and approaches. Having outside perspectives that can reveal blind spots is emphatically a blessing.
Your Humanity
Furthermore, be human in the process, in the journey. While your knowledge, hard work, and creativity are fundamental, don’t forget to be human. In pressing towards your goals, be friendly and peaceful.
Let compassion, empathy, sincerity, fairness, and other values reflect in your work and interactions. Listen and judge less. You don’t need perfectionism, elitism, or bullying to get to your destination. Remember, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. People will never forget how you made them feel.”
Your achievements are one thing. However, how you treat people ultimately reflects your humanity.
A Call to Action
The theme, “Start Strong. Run Smart. Achieve More,” is a call to action. The session was more than just a conversation. It undeniably challenges our commitment. How committed are we to ourselves, to our goals, and to the journey of becoming better versions of who we are?
It is hoped that we commit to both learning and applying these principles in our lives and professions. Our routes and ambitions are personal and different. It’s up to you to decide how you will apply these principles—not just in your goals, but in your mindset, habits, and everyday choices. The session was not a guarantee but a guide that hopefully helps us achieve more. The idea is to undertake our journeys with confidence and strategy.
Let’s make 2025 a year of purpose, impact, and growth.
Author: Jide Awe
Science, Technology and Innovation policy advisor.
Nigeria’s Inaugural Tech Mentor of the Year
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