As we step into 2025, it’s time to reflect on the wisdom of the great minds who have shaped the landscape of personal growth, success, and leadership.
From the timeless teachings of Napoleon Hill and Dale Carnegie to the groundbreaking ideas of modern productivity experts, we find a rich framework of insights that can guide us toward a year of profound transformation and mastery.
As a wealth management law professor, I always promote to others that we need to take some time to create a plan for 2025 as this is the year to embrace the principles that empower us to become the best versions of ourselves.
Think about who you want to be, where you want to travel, what you want to create, and how you want to enjoy your family, friends, and relationships. Even think about where you want to be in 3, 5 or 10 years.
1. Embrace the Power of Thought and Intention
Napoleon Hill’s seminal work, Think and Grow Rich, is a timeless reminder that our thoughts shape our reality. As Dr. Hill wisely asserts, the power of desire, combined with a clear plan and persistence, can turn any dream into a tangible success. In 2025, let us channel our energy into cultivating a mindset of abundance and possibility. Our thoughts are the blueprint for the future we desire, and this year, let us build those dreams with intention and unwavering belief.
2. Cultivate Habits that Lead to Success
Dr. Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People offers a framework for success built on the principles of proactivity, vision, and personal integrity. As we enter the new year, it’s the perfect time to adopt these habits in our own lives. Begin by focusing on what you can control, setting clear goals, and working consistently toward them. By integrating Covey’s habits into our daily routines, we position ourselves for long-term success and fulfillment.
3. Understand the Science of Wealth and Prosperity
Prof. Wallace D. Wattles, in his classic The Science of Getting Rich, teaches that wealth is not a result of luck but a natural outcome of a mindset and actions that aligns with the universal laws of abundance.
This year, let us deepen our understanding of how the universe works to support us when we are aligned with our highest purpose. Whether it’s through wise investments, cultivating new skills, or expanding our networks, let us commit to applying mindful-action principles to achieve financial freedom and prosperity.
4. Master the Art of Selling and Influence
Brian Tracy’s The Psychology of Selling reminds us that success often comes down to our ability to influence others and communicate effectively. Whether you’re negotiating a business deal, persuading a colleague, or even influencing your own mindset, mastering the art of selling is essential.
Selling is a science, but always remember that selling is 100 times easier if you believe in your company and product as a solution that helps people and is a good value.Let this be the year you refine your ability to connect with others and sell not just products but ideas, visions, and solutions that serve the greater good.
5. Awaken Your Giant Within
Tony Robbins’ Awaken the Giant Within calls us to tap into the limitless potential that resides within each of us. As we enter this new year, let us awaken that inner giant by committing to constant growth and pushing ourselves beyond our comfort zones.
Robbins teaches that true power lies in making decisions that align with our deepest values and desires. If you are in harmony with your will, Mentz says that you have overcome your number one barrier to success. In 2025, let’s take bold action toward the life we truly want to create.
6. Find Peace in the Present Moment
Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now teaches us the profound importance of living in the present. In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in past regrets or future anxieties. However, Tolle reminds us that true peace comes from embracing the present moment fully. In 2025, let us strive to quiet the noise of our minds and focus on the beauty, tasks, and opportunities that exist right here, right now.
7. Lead with Integrity and Vision
Sometimes it is necessary to discover our deeper essence and to lead with a clear sense of vision. Whether we’re leading teams, families, or our own lives, this philosophy teaches that starting with the underlying rational or reasons for our endeavors and finding the deeper meaning is essential for motivating ourselves and driving meaningful change. This year, take time to reflect on your purpose, your aims, your vision, and let it guide your decisions and actions. Think of the underlying essence of what you seek, and that clarity will sharpen your intent and focus.
8. Create Exceptional Relationships
Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People remains one of the most important books on building relationships and personal influence. In 2025, we are reminded that success is often built on the foundation of strong, genuine relationships. Whether in business or personal life, let us cultivate compassion, active listening, and empathy. The relationships we nurture today will become the cornerstone of tomorrow’s success. Try this year to remember a few names as people you don’t know well will be surprised and humbled when you say their name out loud.
9. Develop Resilience and Mental Toughness
David Goggins’ Can't Hurt Me is a powerful testament to the strength of the human spirit. Goggins shares his journey of overcoming adversity through sheer mental toughness and determination. In 2025, let us channel his relentless spirit and develop resilience in the face of challenges. Life will throw obstacles our way, but by adopting a mindset of persistence, performance, and grit, we can transform every setback into a stepping stone. We must remember that if we measure performance, we can continually improve upon it.
10. Practice Gratitude and Mindfulness
The wisdom of Marcus Aurelius in Meditations teaches us the power of gratitude and mindfulness in achieving inner peace and personal strength. Aurelius reminds us that happiness is not dependent on external circumstances but on our internal state of mind. This year, let us practice gratitude daily, appreciating the small victories and moments of joy that make life meaningful.
11. Lead with Extreme Ownership
Seal Team Leader Jocko Willink’s Extreme Ownership teaches that true leadership is about taking responsibility for everything that happens within your sphere of influence. In 2025, let us embody this principle of extreme ownership, both in our personal and professional lives. By owning our actions, decisions, and outcomes, we empower ourselves to lead with clarity and conviction.
12. Manifest Your Destiny
Three of America’s greatest prosperity experts, Dr. Charles Haanel, William Walker Atkinson Esq, and Prof. Wallace Wattles, inspired Books like The Secret which introduced the world to the law of attraction, teaching us that our thoughts and feelings attract our reality. In 2025, let us manifest our destiny by aligning our thoughts, actions, and emotions with the outcomes we wish to achieve. To become something or attract something, you must prepared for it mentally, physically and metaphysically. By practicing mindfulness and maintaining a positive mindset, we can attract the success, health, and relationships we desire.
13. Nurture Your Inner Strength
Comm’r George Mentz’s award winning book “Quantum Bliss” reminds us that inner peace, clarity, and fulfillment are key to true success. As we journey through 2025, let us prioritize nurturing our inner strength, seeking balance in mind, body, and spirit. By embracing the quantum principles of bliss, we can unlock a new level of consciousness, fulfillment, and joy in every area of our lives.
14. Conclusion: A Year of Infinite Possibilities
As we step into 2025, let us take inspiration from these brilliant thinkers and apply their timeless principles to our lives. As an inspirational author who has written, published and produced over 100 books and 40 audiobooks, I have devoted my life as a teacher to improving the lives of others and the above ideas are a compilation of some great thinkers of the past and our time. Generally speaking, if we can make the best of ourselves, we will always have opportunities to help others.
This year is a canvas waiting to be painted with our dreams, goals, and actions. By embracing the power of mindset, cultivating effective habits, and living with intention, we can make 2025 a year of transformation, growth, and extraordinary success. Boldness is genius because you take a conscious action that forms the nucleus of a new success.
The journey starts now—let's make it count.
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Commissioner George Mentz JD MBA CILS CWM® is the first in the USA to rank as a Top 50 Influencer & Thought Leader in: Management, PM, HR, FinTech, Wealth Management, and B2B according to Onalytica.com and Thinkers360.com. George Mentz JD MBA CILS is a CWM Chartered Wealth Manager ®, global speaker - educator, tax-economist, international lawyer and CEO of the GAFM Global Academy of Finance & Management ®. The GAFM is a EU accredited graduate body that trains and certifies professionals in 150+ nations under standards of the: US Dept of Education, ACBSP, ISO 21001, ISO 991, ISO 29993, QAHE, ECLBS, and ISO 29990 standards. Mentz is also an award-winning author and award winning graduate law professor of wealth management of one of the top 30 ranked law schools in the USA.Mentzenborg is just a term of art to describe the theory and process by George Mentz JD MBA ChE. CWM is for Chartered Wealth Manager ® and ChE Chartered Economist ® is a credential for economics professionals.