How to Reflect on Performance and Set Yourself Up for a Stronger 2025

As the year draws to a close, I’ve been reflecting on my own performance throughout 2024—and if I’m honest, there are a few areas where I wasn’t exactly thrilled.

When I sat down to review the year, I found myself being quite harsh. It wasn’t just this year either. I looked back at my reflections from 2023, 2022, and even 2021—and the theme was consistent. While the focus areas shifted, the tone remained the same: not enough. Not productive enough, not present enough, not impactful enough.

Sound familiar?

If you're a clinic owner or business leader, you’ve probably felt that way too. We’re naturally driven, perfectionist types. And when we don’t have a clear benchmark for success, it’s all too easy to feel like we’re falling short—even when we’re working hard.

So I asked myself a critical question:
Why do I keep feeling this way year after year?

The answer, I realised, was simple.
I wasn’t defining success clearly enough.

Why Output Matters More Than Outcome (At First)

You see, I wasn’t setting measurable performance goals for myself—at least, not the right kind. I was often focused on the outcomes (how many clients, how much revenue, how much growth), without defining the outputs (the daily and weekly actions that lead to those results).

And when you only measure success by the outcome, anything less than hitting the mark can feel like failure. That’s a dangerous mindset to fall into.

For example, let’s say you're a clinic owner who wants to grow referrals.
The outcome might be 10 new referrals a month.
But the output—the part you actually control—might be:

• 10 meaningful outreach messages a week

• 4 face-to-face catchups with potential referrers per month

• Weekly nurture emails to 20 local partners

The outcome is your target.
The output is your responsibility.

How I’m Approaching 2025 (And How You Can Too)

So, for 2025, I’m doing things differently.

I’m mapping out clear output goals—the critical drivers that will lead to my outcomes. And I encourage you to do the same.

Here’s a simple framework to follow:

1. Pick a goal – Choose one business goal you want to achieve in 2025.

2. Define the outputs – What are the consistent actions or behaviours that will contribute to this goal?

3. Define the outcome – What’s the measurable result you’re aiming for?

4. Track it monthly or quarterly – If you miss your outcomes, revisit the outputs:

   • Were you doing the right things?

   • Did you do them consistently?

   • Or were you simply focusing on the wrong levers?

Remember, clarity equals confidence. When your performance measures are clear, you can actually feel proud of your progress—even if the final outcome takes a little longer to arrive.

Why This Matters for Clinic Owners

So many clinic owners I work with are incredibly hard on themselves.

They work tirelessly, but feel unfulfilled.
They hit big goals, but feel like they didn’t do enough.
They improve team culture, but still feel behind on growth.

It’s not because they aren’t good enough.
It’s because they haven’t defined “enough” in the first place.

If you want a business that’s:

• Profitable

• Low-stress

• Purpose-driven

• A thriving place for your team

• A meaningful contributor to your community

…then defining your output goals is the best way to align your effort with your ambition.

Your Next Step

As you plan for 2025, I encourage you to take some time out and reflect:

• What goals are you aiming for?

• What outputs will help you get there?

• And how will you measure your own performance, so that this time next year—you can look back and feel genuinely proud?

Let’s make 2025 the year where you don’t just work hard—you work smart, with purpose and clarity.