Lessons from Successful People on Starting a New Year
Begin 2025 with gratitude, purpose, and a winning Routine
Congratulations! Smile :). You are in 2025.
Another promising year is here. But before you go all out and start working on your dreams. Here is something to acknowledge how lucky and privileged you are to be able to enter 2025.
In 2024, over 62 million people died around the world. The most shocking was the plane crash in South Korea that killed 179 passengers on 29 Dec.
If you are reading this, you are lucky and so am I to be able to work on this newsletter towards the fag end of 2024. If you have not done what you should on 1st Jan, you still have time.
Every New Year and new day should start with gratitude.
Let’s be thankful to witness yet another sunrise. Be grateful that we have been blessed with the gift of life in 2025.
Sometimes in pursuit of bigger dreams, we forget the kindness and compassion that God showered on us. We take life for granted until life is taken away. So, if there is anything that is central to life—it is our existence.
The world begins and ends with us. It is only when we exist, we get to enjoy life.
So, start with gratitude.
And that’s how most successful people start their New Year.
You can’t have a bad day if you are in a state of gratitude. The morning routine of Tony Robins, the motivational guru, includes a segment that involves saying out loud the things he is grateful for.
Start afresh.
Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of Eat, Pray, Love has an interesting New Year’s Eve ritual. She wrote, “I write down what I want to shed from the old year, and what I want to welcome into the new year. Then I burn the paper, and bring the ashes to the nearest body of water, and let it go.
This is a day to return to the elements—fire, water, earth—and to set yourself free from what was, while opening your heart wide to what is to come. It's worth the trouble to invent a little ceremony at this moment of transition, because it's a big moment.”
Start earlier.
Robin Sharma in his book, The 5 AM Club - Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life, writes, “Take excellent care of the front end of your day, and the rest of your day will pretty much take care of itself. Own your morning. Elevate your life.
Richard Branson, the founder of the Virgin Group likes to get up early in the morning. He writes, “The reason I like to wake up early, is so that I can work through my emails before most of the world logs on.”
Have a routine.
We are the product of our routine. Look at a world class athlete, dancer, singer, or anyone who leaves you awestruck either by the way they look or perform. It is not because they are born that way but because of the routine they followed to hone their craft.
Most successful people are successful because they follow a routine.
Jean Paul DeJoria, founder of Paul Mitchell line of hair products and philanthropist says that no matter where he is or what his day entails, he starts it out the same way every time. “I don’t think about my schedule, agendas, or phone calls I need to make. I simply open my eyes and let myself be completely and truly present. I try not to think of all the outside noise, the thoughts in my head, or the time I don’t have to do many other things. I do, at times, reflect on what I have in life and for what I am grateful. I also take the time to think of my family’s wellbeing,” he shared with Business Insider.
Happy New Year! Your time starts now.
What works for Tony Robbins or Elizabeth Gilbert might not work for you but find your own rhythm and start with gratitude to set the tone for success.
Actionable Steps
Here’s what you can try:
Write down 3 things you're grateful for every morning.
Design a simple morning routine for the first week of 2025.
Set one achievable goal for January and commit to it.
The success is not about what you do but how consistently you do it.
Even if the past year wasn’t easy, you’re here. Celebrate your resilience and take small steps toward a brighter 2025.
Something new I read:
Bhutan banned plastic bags in 1999. The country is so rich in flora and fauna that it absorbs more carbon dioxide than it emits, making Bhutan the first–and currently the only carbon-negative nation in the world. Source
Quote of the Week
You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream. – C. S. Lewis
Thank you for reading. If you found this valuable, please like and share. See you next Friday!
If you’ve found value in my writing—whether it made you think, smile, or see things from a new perspective—I’d love your support. You can buy me a coffee (or two!). Every little tip fuels my passion and keeps me motivated to create more insightful, engaging content for you. Thanks for being here, for reading, and for your support—it truly means the world!
Past Editions
27 Dec. | 2025 – The Year to Break Barriers
20 Dec. | Break Free: Stop Letting Distractions Steal Your Life
13 Dec. | Don’t Die Before Your Death