The First Quarter Advantage

While everyone's planning their new year, winners are laser-focused on Q1.

They understand a fundamental truth that most people miss:

A year is won or lost in its first 90 days.

Most people do the opposite. They create elaborate year-long plans and endless lists of goals, convinced that this time they will stick with it.

Then January hits, and they try to change everything at once. New habits, new strategies, new tools, and new connections.

By February, they're overwhelmed and falling behind. By March, they're back to their old patterns, telling themselves they'll try again next quarter.

Here's how to get it right in 2025:

Think of Q1 like the first two hours of your day.

When you win those first two hours, when you do the right things in the right order, the rest of your day flows naturally. You build momentum that carries you forward.

But when you start your day scattered and reactive, you spend the remaining hours playing catch-up, fighting resistance, and feeling like you're always one step behind.

The same principle applies to your year.

The actions you take (or don't take) in January through March create patterns that echo through the remaining nine months.

This isn't about "starting strong." It's about leverage.

You gain leverage by building momentum. Yet most people misunderstand momentum. They think it's about motivation, willpower, or pigheaded discipline.

But real momentum comes from two things:

1. Eliminating what's holding you back

2. Focusing intensely on what moves you forward

And the key? Keep doing these two things repeatedly.

This is where the concept of The Big Domino comes in.

The Big Domino is the one thing that, if achieved, makes everything else easier or unnecessary. It’s often the thing you're resisting most. The thing making you uncomfortable just by thinking about it.

Most entrepreneurs respond to resistance by spreading themselves thin. They chase multiple opportunities, start various projects, and try to be everywhere at once.

They think movement equals progress.

But spreading yourself thin isn't the answer. Neither is pushing harder.

You see, anxiety makes us rush. When we're anxious about our progress or our goals, we fall into the trap of doing more rather than doing what matters.

We see others making progress and feel like we're falling behind. So we push harder, spread ourselves thinner, and end up exhausted with nothing to show for it.

Here's what most people get wrong about Q1 planning: 

They try to add before they subtract.

So, before you set your grand plans for 2025, ask yourself:

• What held me back in 2024?

• Which habits or patterns need to be eliminated?

• What activities consumed time but produced minimal results?

Sometimes, removing one obstacle creates more progress than adding more tasks to your to-do list at the expense of your main priorities.

The key is intense realism. This means being brutally honest with yourself. No excuses. No rationalisations. Just clear-eyed assessment of what's working and what isn't.

Look at where you spend most of your time versus where you generate most of your results. That gap between effort and impact? That's where your opportunity lies.

Your Q1 Game Plan is simple:

Start by identifying your Big Domino for Q1. Forget all the things you think you should do and focus on identifying what would create the most leverage.

For example: if you’re struggling to sign new clients, your main focus should be client acquisition. It shouldn’t be growing your social media following aggressively, becoming active on new channels, or launching a newsletter.

In fact, if you’re struggling to sign new clients and you’re active on multiple social media channels, you should consider focusing only on one platform until you sign a certain number of clients or generate a certain amount of revenue.

Focus on the few things that directly impact your Big Domino.

Ask yourself:

• What one achievement would make everything else easier?

• Where am I using busy work to avoid the real work?

• What am I avoiding that I know I need to face?

Then, eliminate everything that doesn't directly impact your main goal.

This level of focus feels uncomfortable at first. You'll worry about missing opportunities. You'll feel the urge to hedge your bets by pursuing multiple paths.

Resist this urge. It’s a trap.

Stop comparing your progress to others and rushing the process. Start being ruthlessly honest with yourself about what matters most and stick to it.

Here's to winning Q1 and making 2025 your best year yet!

If you enjoyed this, share it with a friend.

Until next time, keep creating!

Omara

P.S. Want to grow your brand and attract new clients on LinkedIn? I can help you land 10-15 qualified leads in 90 days or less. Reply to this email or book a call here.

"I went from completely inactive on LinkedIn to getting thousands of profile views and valuable connections. I saw a huge difference in results after only a few coaching sessions with Omara. He knows his stuff!" —Rami Kawkab