Pre-pandemic when I had a gym membership I hated January.

The place was packed with strangers working on their New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, get fit, etc., causing me to wait for the equipment I needed for my workout. Workouts took longer.

The first time it happened a friend said, “Be patient. By February most will be gone.”

He was right. By February it was business as usual.

Lynnda and I are reviewing last year’s goals, in the process of setting goals for 2025. When I teach leadership, I tell people to have high goals. I believe it is better to have a high goal and fall short than to have low goals that are consistently easy to hit because we never learn what we are capable of. If our goal for 2025 is to lose one pound or do one pushup in a year we can achieve our goal and do very little. If we change the goal to a losing a pound a week or doing one more pushup every week, everything changes.

As a corporate sales manager, my boss the VP of sales and marketing in Houston didn’t like failure which he defined as not hitting a goal, even if we were successful overall. To keep him happy, every month I sent in low easy to hit goals. My sales team wasn’t aware of what I sent to Houston. They set high challenging goals. They didn’t always achieve their sales goals, but even when they failed they beat the other sales teams. Houston never did figure out the secret to our success.

Sticking to an exercise regimen was hard until it became a habit. Then I felt bad when I missed a workout. Many times, people set a high goal, which is fine but get frustrated and give up when it doesn’t happen after a few workouts or a few weeks of dieting. When we gain weight, it happens over a period of years. Why do we expect to lose it in a month or two and get frustrated when it doesn’t happen?

When my daughter, Dannielle set up the training schedule for my first half-marathon in 2008 she started me out with a win. My first long run in December was 3 miles. I knew I could run that successfully, so did she.

I felt good about hitting the first training goal and Dannielle praised me in the weekly check in call. In January I ran 5 miles then 7 miles. Starting with what Dannielle knew would be wins, she built my belief to complete the first of now 46 half-marathons.

The dream of our high school seniors was to win the 2024 West Virginia State Boys Soccer Championship. After our first seven games, we had one win. Doubt crept in. The leaders, (senior captains and coaches) never gave up. We desperately needed wins to build belief.

Coach Joe structured practices to create wins if the boys worked. One challenge we had was scoring goals. Joe set up 6 vs 6 games on a 40-yard field with full size goals and our varsity goalkeepers. The drill created a lot of goal scoring opportunities. The boys got better at scoring. The goalkeepers also got better. Joe designed practices to sharpen skills, build fitness and belief in the boys and their team. We began scoring goals and getting wins, finishing the season with seven wins scoring 31 goals and giving up only one. Ultimately achieving the dream of a State Championship. It started with small successes creating small wins and then big wins. Like my half-marathon training, Dannielle built my belief. The boys had ability that could be developed. They started with hope then needed belief.

In business small wins to build belief are important to the organization and especially people. In 2017 Shale Crescent did its first major study. IHSMARKIT was hired to compare the cost and profitability of an ethane cracker built on the Gulf Coast versus one built in the Shale Crescent USA. The VP of IHSMARKIT called to say, “We thought the Shale Crescent USA region might have a small advantage. We didn’t realize it would be this great.”

Mark, the Shale Crescent USA chairman, asked, “Greg, with this information can you get us (Shale Crescent USA) on the main stage at the World Petrochemical Conference in March?” I responded, “Mark, the WPC main stage is for CEOs and expert thought leaders. It can’t be bought. We are just a small nonprofit from Marietta, Ohio.” Mark responded, “I believe in you.” His comment changed my thinking from “No way” to “What if?” And “How can we?”

In March 2018 the VP of IHSMARKIT presented the Shale Crescent USA/ IHSMARKIT study on the main stage at WPC in Houston followed by a panel discussion that included Shell and Bechtel. The success of Shale Crescent USA started with that first win.

I share these stories with you only to help you believe your personal & business goals and dreams are possible. What kind of year do you want 2025 to be for you and your organization?

∫ Aim high. Have big dreams.

∫ Have hope in the future. This will give you power in the present.

∫ Do the work. Build belief by starting with small wins and celebrate them. The big wins will come.

∫ It helps to have an accountability partner who can keep you on track, like Dannielle did.

∫ Coaching and managing people taught me, praise and encouragement are far better motivators than criticism and fear.

Anything is possible. Decide to make 2025 a Great Year. This isn’t just about receiving, it is about giving. Dannielle and Mark believed in me and encouraged me. We need to believe in others, give them hope, encouragement and praise when deserved. Celebrate their successes no matter how small. The World is looking to leaders like us. We can empower others creating success and prosperity. Have a Happy Healthy Safe and Successful 2025!

Greg Kozera, gkozera@shalecrescentusa.com, is the director of marketing and sales for Shale Crescent USA, www.shalecrescentusa.com. He is a professional engineer with a master’s in environmental engineering and over 40 years’ experience in the energy industry. He is a professional speaker and author of four books and numerous published articles.