First Quarter Check-In: Is Your Business Meeting its 2025 Goals?
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Martin Short, the legendary comedian and actor, has built a career on reinvention, adaptability, and relentless self-reflection. But beyond his public persona, he follows a deeply personal system for assessing his life: the Nine Categories for Self-Evaluation. These principles help him maintain balance, stay aligned with his goals, and continually improve in both his personal and professional life.
When I learned about his practice for self-evaluation, it felt perfect for the Outthinker community. Success is the connection between business goals and personal growth. Following Short’s Nine Categories gives us a framework using the end of Q1 as the perfect time for a similar check-in. By now, the excitement of a fresh year has settled, and the real work of executing strategic goals is in full swing.
The question is: Are companies actually meeting the objectives they set in January?
Martin Short’s Nine Categories for Self-Evaluation in Business
Short developed his framework to assess his own life holistically, ensuring that he wasn’t just succeeding in his career but that he was also nurturing his relationships, health, and creativity. These categories translate seamlessly into business evaluation, helping companies build resilience and adaptability.
1. Health – Is the Business Financially and Operationally Fit?
Just as personal health is the foundation for a long and fulfilling life, a business’s financial and operational health determines its longevity. After Q1, companies should assess their cash flow, revenue streams, profitability, and overall financial stability. Are the numbers aligning with projections? Are there early warning signs that need attention?
Apple is one of the world’s most financially resilient companies, consistently generating billions in revenue each quarter. Its operational efficiency, from global supply chain management to product innovation, ensures long-term stability. However, even a powerhouse like Apple must evaluate financial health regularly. In Q1, Apple assesses sales trends for new iPhone models, demand for services like iCloud and Apple Music, and supply chain efficiency to mitigate risks like chip shortages.
Q1 Check-In:
Is your business financially stable, or are operational inefficiencies impacting profitability?
Do you have enough cash reserves to weather potential downturns?
2. Family – Are Customer and Employee Relationships Strong?
In Short’s personal life, family relationships are a pillar of happiness and stability. In business, customers and employees form the backbone of success. Are you fostering loyalty and engagement? Have customer satisfaction and employee morale improved or declined since the start of the year? Businesses that neglect these relationships risk losing their most valuable assets.
Costco has built its empire by prioritizing customer and employee relationships. Unlike many retail giants that focus on aggressive cost-cutting, Costco pays its employees above-average wages, provides benefits, and fosters a strong company culture.
On the customer side, Costco’s membership model ensures high retention rates, with renewal rates consistently above 90%. As Q1 ends, Costco evaluates whether customer loyalty remains strong, whether its employee satisfaction levels are intact, and whether its business model continues to deliver value.
Q1 Check-In:
Have customer satisfaction scores remained high?
Are employees engaged and committed, or is turnover increasing?
“The thing you can always rely on, your core person, comes from your family's attention and love.”
- Martin Short
3. Friends – How Are the Company’s Network and Partnerships?
Friendships provide support, inspiration, and opportunity. In the business world, this translates to strategic partnerships, investor relations, and professional networking. Are your key alliances still strong? Have you expanded your network, or are you operating in isolation? The first quarter is a great time to assess and nurture these connections.
Microsoft has mastered the art of strategic partnerships, from its collaborations with OpenAI to its deep integrations with enterprise businesses using Azure cloud computing. In Q1, Microsoft evaluates whether these alliances are strengthening or if adjustments are needed. By maintaining and enhancing these business relationships, Microsoft ensures long-term success.
Q1 Check-In:
Are you leveraging partnerships to drive business growth?
Have your alliances strengthened or weakened in the past three months?
4. Money – Are Financial Goals Being Met?
Short separates “money” from general health because financial security allows for creative freedom and long-term planning. Businesses must do the same—assessing revenue growth, expenses, investment returns, and financial efficiency. If profit margins aren’t where they should be, what changes need to happen?
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway is the ultimate example of financial discipline. The company thrives by making calculated investment decisions, ensuring long-term financial security through diverse holdings. In Q1, Berkshire closely examines portfolio performance, assesses risks in insurance and energy sectors, and looks for undervalued companies to acquire. Businesses of all sizes should take a similar approach—carefully evaluating cash flow, debt levels, and revenue projections to ensure financial stability.
Q1 Check-In:
Are your revenue and profit on track?
Are expenses under control, or is cash flow suffering?
“When you have to worry about paying the rent, you're never bored. You're just happy to have that job. But once you don't have to worry and reach the point where it's no longer about the money, you're able to look at other opportunities outside of your comfort zone.”
- Martin Short
5. Career – Is the Company Growing and Innovating?
Just as Short evaluates his own career trajectory, businesses should reflect on their growth, innovation, and industry positioning. Are you making strategic moves to stay ahead, or are you stagnating? Are competitors outpacing you? If the first quarter hasn’t shown progress, it’s time to adjust the strategy.
Nvidia has built its reputation on cutting-edge technology, disrupting the semiconductor and AI industries with high-performance GPUs, AI-driven computing, and innovations in data centers and gaming. Every Q1, Nvidia evaluates whether its chip production targets are being met, and if its strategic partnerships with tech giants are driving growth. While Nvidia operates in a rapidly evolving market, Q1 provides critical insights into whether the company is maintaining its competitive edge or if adjustments are needed to stay ahead of industry trends.
Q1 Check-In:
Is your company growing, expanding, or innovating in meaningful ways?
Are you pushing boundaries, or has complacency set in?
“I think I've been really lucky to keep my career so varied, and to be open. There's safety in repetition, but there's also a trap there.”
- Martin Short
6. Creativity – Is the Company Evolving and Staying Fresh?
Short credits creativity as a key driver of his long-standing success in entertainment. In business, innovation and adaptability play the same role. Have you introduced new ideas, products, or services since the start of the year? If Q1 was just about maintaining the status quo, you might already be falling behind.
Nike thrives on creativity, whether it’s through product innovation, marketing campaigns, or athlete partnerships. Every year, Nike launches limited-edition sneaker drops, collaborates with cultural icons, and invests in sustainability-driven designs. As Q1 concludes, Nike assesses the success of its latest product lines, measures engagement on social media, and determines whether its storytelling remains compelling to younger consumers.
Q1 Check-In:
Has your business introduced fresh ideas or products?
Is your team developing marketing strategies to maintain consumer interest?
7. Self-Discipline – Is the Company Focused and Consistent?
In personal life, self-discipline keeps Short on track with his goals. In business, this translates to operational discipline, consistency in execution, and the ability to stay committed to long-term objectives. Are teams sticking to their strategic plan, or has Q1 been full of distractions and last-minute pivots?
Amazon has grown into a trillion-dollar company by maintaining self-discipline across multiple business units—e-commerce, AWS cloud services, logistics, and entertainment. While Amazon is known for rapid expansion, it maintains rigorous cost-control measures and long-term strategic planning. Every Q1, the company examines whether its investments in logistics are improving efficiency, whether Prime memberships are growing, and if cost structures remain sustainable.
Q1 Check-In:
Is your business staying committed to its core strategic goals?
Are there any distractions pulling you off course?
8. Lifestyle – Is the Company Culture Healthy?
Just as lifestyle choices impact personal well-being, company culture affects long-term business success. Is the workplace environment positive? Are employees engaged, or are signs of burnout emerging? A toxic or uninspired culture can derail even the best business strategy.
Salesforce has built a company culture centered around employee well-being, corporate responsibility, and innovation. CEO Marc Benioff has championed progressive policies, from equal pay initiatives to generous employee benefits. As Q1 wraps up, Salesforce assesses employee satisfaction levels, retention rates, and feedback on workplace culture to ensure it remains a great place to work.
Q1 Check-In:
Are employees thriving in your work environment?
Is your culture attracting or repelling top talent?
9. Purpose – Does your company create intrinsic motivation?
For Short, life isn’t just about success—it’s about enjoying himself and feeling connected to his sense of purpose. Businesses that lack a strong mission or values struggle to inspire both employees and customers. Has your company stayed true to its vision in the first quarter, or have short-term pressures diluted its purpose?
Patagonia isn’t just an outdoor clothing company—it’s a mission-driven brand committed to environmental activism. Unlike most corporations focused solely on profit, Patagonia reinvests company earnings into sustainability efforts. After Q1, Patagonia evaluates whether its environmental initiatives are making an impact, whether customers remain aligned with its mission, and if it continues to set the gold standard for corporate responsibility.
Q1 Check-In:
Is your company operating with a deeper purpose beyond just profitability?
Are your actions aligning with your stated mission?
Looking Ahead: Course-Correcting for Q2 and Beyond
The first quarter serves as a litmus test for the rest of the year. If results aren’t meeting expectations, that’s not failure—it’s valuable feedback. The most successful businesses are the ones that use these early insights to pivot, optimize, and refine their approach.
Just as Martin Short’s Nine Categories keep him grounded and thriving in a career that demands adaptability, businesses that conduct a Q1 check-in through this lens position themselves for sustained success. The key is honesty, agility, and a willingness to adjust.
So, as we move beyond the first quarter of 2025, ask yourself:
Is your business where you thought it would be?
If not, what are you going to do about it?
Now is the time to take stock, recalibrate, and set the stage for a stronger Q2 and beyond.