My failed attempt at patiently hurrying – prediction for 2025

After the holiday break, I sat down to try to get back in my habit of a 10-minute meditation to start the day.

No lie – a few seconds into listening to the guide on the app, I almost reached for my phone with the intent to ramp it up to 1.5x speed.

Shocked at myself, I then realized that I’ve gradually derailed the boundaries I’d set to preserve my ability to concentrate, ponder and brainstorm. Another example: I’ve lapsed into listening to podcasts during my hourlong walks – time previously protected for thinking without outside stimulation.

Noticing these traps couldn’t have come at a better time.

This week I shared my outlook for 2025 with my Inner Circle. One of my predictions is that the PR job market will soften – not very bold, considering this WSJ piece, “Unemployed Office Workers Are Having a Harder Time Finding New Jobs.”

Don’t respond to these economic indicators by reverting to the “hustle culture” of being the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. But also don’t ignore the warning signs.

Instead, let’s build a “focus culture.” That’s the practice of being intently deliberate about each minute we decide to be “at work,” without falling victim to the very tempting distractions all around.

In addition to my reset with daily meditation, I revved up the tech tools I use to remove distractions (the Chrome extension that blocks suggested YouTube videos is a lifesaver) and enlisted a peer for focus accountability.

The interventions that work for you may be different. What’s vital is measuring our contribution by actual results we generate, not merely by the time we spend in front of a computer.

During this week’s Inner Circle session, I also shared my predictions related to:

• Exploring nontraditional media to supplement harder-to-land legacy hits
• New developments in AI & PR
• Twitter/X vs. Bluesky vs. Threads

Want to see this session or grade my past predictions? Get instant access the next time we reopen the Inner Circle. Register here to find out more.

Here’s to a focus culture for 2025!