Preparing for a Great 2024

Cathie Leimbach • December 26, 2023

The New Year is quickly approaching. Now is the time to think about how you are going to make it a great one.

Let’s start by briefly reflecting on 2023. What experiences contributed to your happiness and joy this year? What achievements helped you feel successful? What are your disappointments with 2023? What would you like more or less of in the coming year? Jot down what you would like to Continue doing, Stop doing, and Start doing in 2024. 

Then, set goals for the 3 most important things you wish to Continue and/or Start. Rather than having a goal to Stop something, it is best for the goal to be what you are going to Start doing to overcome the behavior that you wish to Stop. It is okay to set more than 3 goals, but it is important to work on just 3 or fewer change goals at once. Humans have limited will power so if we spread it thin over more than 3 change goals we may not achieve any of them.

Make your goals clear and vivid. Clear goals are SMART goals. They state Specifically what you want to achieve. If your goal is to improve your health, are you going to do it by eating better or being more physically active. Be sure the goal is Measurable such as working out for 1 hour per day, 5 days per week? Ask yourself if these things are Achievable for you. If your schedule is tight and you haven’t been exercising at all, maybe 20 minutes per day is a better goal for the first month. R is for Relevant. Does improving your health even matter to you? If you aren’t bought into being healthier you aren’t going to make exercise a priority. And set Time boundaries on your goal? Perhaps you will start on January 1 and be consistent at this goal every day of the month.

Also, making your goals vivid increases the chances of success. What will it look like and feel like on January 31 if you exercise every day? Jot down your answers and read them every day. Reminding yourself regularly that the reason you are going to the gym daily is to look trimmer and feel more energetic will increase your motivation to stick to your plan!

What are 3 goals you have for 2024? Is at least one of them a change goal – something you are going to start doing differently to improve at least one aspect of your life? Write your 3 priority goals down and post them where you will see them every day to keep you on track. Best wishes for 2024.

The Performance Gap: Why Half Your Team is Burning Out

By Cathie Leimbach • September 30, 2025
Based on insights from James Hewitt's "Regenerative Performance" Something's not adding up in today's workplace. While companies demand more from their teams, the results tell a concerning story. Research shows that 50% of employees now show clear signs of burnout, and an alarming 73% feel disconnected from their work. James Hewitt, performance expert and author of "Regenerative Performance," points to a critical mismatch. We're asking people to perform at peak levels without giving them what they need to recover and recharge. Think of it like a smartphone. You can't expect your phone to run at full power all day without plugging it in. Yet that's exactly what we're doing to our workforce. We pile on meetings, deadlines, and pressure while cutting back on the very things that restore energy: breaks, development time, and meaningful connection. The solution isn't working less—it's working smarter. Hewitt's research reveals that sustainable high performance comes from balancing intense effort with intentional recovery. Teams that build in time to recharge actually outperform those that push through exhaustion. Smart leaders are already making the shift. They're protecting their people's energy as carefully as they manage their budgets. Because burned-out employees don't just hurt themselves—they hurt the bottom line too. Want to dive deeper into this issue? View The Burnout Crisis to understand the full scope of this workplace challenge. "Sustainable high performance comes from the rhythm of oscillation—not from the intensity of effort alone." —James Hewitt

Why Boring Beats Brilliant

By Cathie Leimbach • September 23, 2025
Craig Groeschel's Blueprint for Real Leadership