N.O.W.: The 3-Pillar Plan to Turn New-Year Intentions into Real Growth

Marianna Penna
3 days ago
5 min read

January always feels like the opening scene of a film.

The soundtrack is hopeful. The lighting is bright. Your mind is full of possibility — and so is your feed.

But for many women in business, there’s a hidden cost to this season of excitement.

We are brilliant at living ahead of ourselves.

We’re thinking about:

what to fix,
what to launch,
what to improve,
what to become,
what everyone else is doing,
what the market will want next.

And slowly, without realising it, we become less present.

We start chasing a version of success that doesn’t exist yet — a future that lives only in our head — while the only place where real progress can be built is… right here.

Not because dreaming is wrong. Dreaming is powerful.

But dreaming without presence becomes pressure.

Because the future isn’t something you “reach.” The future is something you build — and it can only be built in the NOW.

That’s why at WOW, we bring women back to a simple principle:

Don’t plan for “someday.” Plan for N.O.W.

A 3-pillar framework that turns inspiration into a plan — and a plan into action.

The N.O.W. Framework

N — NOW

Where are you today?

This is the truth-check most people skip because it requires honesty.

Not judgement. Not self-criticism. Just clarity.

Ask:

What’s working consistently?
What’s draining you consistently?
What do your numbers and capacity look like right now (revenue, leads, time, energy)?

Because you can’t build a powerful year on a blurry starting point. You need to know exactly where you are standing before you choose where to go.

And there’s something else here that’s deeply important for women: presence is not passive. Presence is productive.

When you’re present, you stop building your business from anxiety and start building it from intention.

O — OUTCOME

Where do you want to be?

Not “grow my business. ”Not “be more visible.”

A real outcome is a destination you can recognise when you arrive.

Ask:

In 12 months, what does success look like — in numbers and lifestyle?
What do you want to be known for?
What must be true by the end of the year for you to say: “That was a defining year.”

Outcome brings direction. Direction creates focus. And focus is what makes growth sustainable.

W — WAY

How will you get there?

This is where wishes become a plan.

Ask:

What has clearly stopped this so far?
If you could fix one constraint this year, which one would move the needle most?
What are the three moves only you will repeat weekly?

At WOW, we keep the “three moves” practical and grounded:

Visibility (being seen by the right people)
Conversion (turning attention into clients)
Delivery / Systems (making growth repeatable and lighter)

Because consistency doesn’t come from motivation. It comes from a rhythm you can actually sustain.

Avril’s story: the moment clarity becomes momentum

If this year were a film, many women would recognise this character:

Smart. Capable. Full of potential. Already doing a lot — but still feeling like the progress isn’t matching the effort.

That’s why Avril’s story matters.

When Avril Williamson (CEO & Founder, The People Practices) stepped into WOW, it wasn’t because she lacked expertise or ambition. It was because she wanted her business growth to feel clearer, more intentional, and more aligned and authentic — not scattered across endless “shoulds.”

So we didn’t start with more content ideas. We didn’t start with trends. We started with NOW: the reality of what was working, what wasn’t, and what was quietly diluting her message and confidence online.

Then we moved to OUTCOME — a destination she could clearly articulate: stronger positioning, clearer messaging, and a presence that felt purposeful rather than pressured.

And then came the shift that changes everything: WAY.

Not “fix everything. ”Not “do more.” But identify the one constraint that was holding back her consistency — and build a simple rhythm to show up with clarity and direction.

In Avril’s words, this is what the transformation looked like:

“Through her Marketing & Branding Academy and one-on-one coaching, she coached me to gain absolute clarity on my brand positioning and messaging, and to confidently show up online with consistency and purpose. Her guidance translated directly into stronger engagement, clearer communication, and renewed confidence in how I present my work.”— Avril Williamson, CEO & Founder, The People Practices

That’s the WOW difference.

Not hype. Not hustle. Not a thousand strategies.

Clarity you can act on. And a plan you can actually live.

Why N.O.W. is a women’s leadership practice (not just a planning tool)

N.O.W. isn’t only about productivity.

It’s about coming back to yourself as the leader.

Because when you’re constantly ahead of yourself, your brand starts to sound like pressure. Your marketing starts to feel like performance. Your business becomes something you chase, instead of something you lead.

But when you plan from the NOW:

your message becomes clearer,
your decisions become simpler,
your content becomes more consistent,
and your growth becomes something you can actually sustain.

The NOW is where confidence is built. The NOW is where credibility is earned. The NOW is where your future finally starts getting real.

Your N.O.W. moment (3 lines, right now)

Complete these:

NOW: The biggest thing draining my growth right now is __________.OUTCOME: By this time next year, I want __________.WAY: If I fix one constraint first, it’s __________, and my 3 weekly moves are: __________ / __________ / __________.

If this feels simple, good.

Simple is scalable. Simple is sustainable. Simple is what gets done.

A gentle invitation (if you’re ready)

If something in this post made you exhale — if you felt that “yes… that’s me” moment — take it as a sign to pause for a second.

Not to add another task to your list. But to give yourself what most women rarely receive in business:

space to think clearly, and support to move intentionally.

If you’d like, I can help you map your N.O.W. in a way that feels grounded and personalised — so you stop carrying your plan in your head and start living it in your business.

You can simply message me with: