Happy New Year!
I spent the first day of the New Year relaxing with kitty Blanche. I started reading a new book, watched a lot of “Will & Grace” and got some good rest.
It’s truly the kind of energy I want to take into the rest of 2025; or at least, as much of it as I can.
On the last day of 2024, I took some time to look back at the year, review the goals I’d set out for myself, and come up with an idea of what I wanted 2025 to look and feel like.
I’ll be honest; 2024 was a bit of a difficult year for me. The thing is, I had so much good stuff: I remained fully-employed for the entire year (yes, big cheers for that), Blanche and I are in good health (wahoo!), and I went a full nine months of the year without doing freelance or working extra, which meant I had more spare time than I sometimes knew what to do with.
But, my mental health struggled. At the end of 2023, I had a lot of difficult realizations come to light, and 2024 was the year I grappled with them. I also felt like, despite my hours and hours of free time, I was suffering from residual burnout.
I’m not even sure if that’s a thing, but it was like I was recovering from years of being overworked. While it was a somewhat understandable feeling, it left me feeling unmotivated (a very unfamiliar feeling for me) and not very creative.
As the year was coming to a close, I was afraid to even look at those original goals because it wasn’t the year I’d wished for myself.
But, I looked, and you know what? I did accomplish some stuff, and I made it out okay. And, now I feel better-equipped to face a new year.
As a result, I was able to outline how I want my 2025 to be. I looked to my favorite journaling-guru Tara Schuster — she put together “Five Strategic AF Questions for 2025” that really helped me pull my thoughts together.
Here’s what I’m thinking for 2025:
2025 word/phrase: Savor
“Savor” typically refers to eating, but I’m applying it to my entire year.
I’m coming at it from the angle of: enjoying, making something last forever, being deliberate and slow.
I’m in a bit of a transitional period in my life (this will unfold later this year; I’ll share it all here on the blog!) and I wanted a word that would capture what I want for exactly where I’m at now, the journey to my next point, and how I want to be when I get there.
In order to savor these moments, this year, I want to continue to work on being intentional, slowing down (reasonably), and truly living where my feet are.
All of my 2025 goals fit under my phrase of the year. Here they are:
More…
Reading. In 2024, I read 40 books, and most of them were books I already had on my shelf. I set my 2025 GoodReads goal at 41 books, and again, I’m going to read what’s on my shelf. I’m really trying to whittle down my collection to only the books I enjoy and have been donating the rest to a Little Free Library nearby.
Journaling. I’ve been journaling pretty regularly since 2018, but not consistently. I found my mental health really benefitting from a regular practice, so I want to get back to that.
Quality time. I want to be more deliberate about the time I spend with Blanche, my friends, and myself this year. I don’t feel like I have much spare time these days, but it’s important I carve out hours for the kitty and people I love!
Tech Shabbats. In 2022, I had a Tech Shabbat every Sunday (you can read more about it here), where I didn’t use technology for 24 hours. This did wonders for my mental health and was a great way to give myself a weekly reset. This year, I’m bringing Tech Shabbats back into my life! My current work won’t allow me to go completely tech-free every Sunday, but I’m going to modify as I go, and do the best I can.
Juicing. In 2024, I completed a three-day juice fast each month, and I’m going to maintain that schedule in 2025. It gives my digestive system a reset and allows me three days without having to meal-plan, cook, or clean my kitchen… it’s quite glorious.
Using what I’ve got. This was a big goal for me in 2024 and using up what I have saved me a lot of money and I was able to get rid of empty containers. Yay! But, I still have stuff to use — can you believe it? So, I’m continuing this goal. I’ll use what I’ve got, and think twice before buying something.
Venturing out. When I moved to Austin in 2015, I had no money, but I wanted to explore the city and try a new restaurant at least once a month. I did that for years, but the pandemic sort of halted those efforts, and I feel like I’ve shut myself off from what Austin has to offer. So, I have a list of places I want to experience this year, and I want to tackle that list!
Calm. Easier said than done, right? I want this year to feel more calm, organized, and peaceful. I cannot control everything, of course, but I can control how I react to outside forces and I want to keep calm as best as I can.
Less…
Social media. I had this same goal in 2024, and set big boundaries with the time I spent on social media, along with what I shared and I’m continuing that this year!
Stress. I know this is often out of our control, but I’m going to work at it, and also engage in healthy ways to manage and deal with stress.
Buying. Use what you’ve got! Less buying means more saving, and I reached some solid financial goals by living on a tighter budget, using what I already have, and rethinking my typical spending habits. Gonna do it all again this year.
External validation. Hi, enneagram 3 here. I struggle with making the right choices and generally look to others for validation, which I know is not great. I worked on this last year, and will continue to look inward more in 2025.
Alcohol. I really don’t drink much these days, and it’s done wonders for my physical and mental health. Instead, I like making functional mocktails and taking a combination of CBD + THC to relax.
Expectations. This is difficult for me, but I may expect too much from people (and work and life, generally speaking), and as a result, I’m disappointed. If I toss the expectations, perhaps I’ll be satisfied with whatever I get, and that seems nice, right?
Whew! It seems like a lot, but I like that these are tangible things to work toward, and I feel like I’m building a good foundation.
What are you accomplishing this year?
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