It’s 2025! Strategies For A Fresh Start.
Hello & Happy New Year!
Whatever you celebrated this Holiday Season, I hope you had a lovely time with your family and friends. I had a wonderful few weeks enjoying a big feast with family, dancing with neighbours on NYE, hiking, eating and drinking way too much, and spending days, yes days, in my PJS, and doing nothing but binge-watching shows. It was fabulous!
I usually write about the New Year before we roll into it, or at least in the early days. This time, however, I was in a post-holiday fog for over a week, so I decided to slowly work on my annual tradition of reflecting on 2024 and considering my intentions for a healthy and productive 2025.
Have you reviewed 2024 and put together a plan for 2025? I insist on these yearly rituals and highly recommend that you do them yourself.
Reflecting on 2024 and thinking about your intentions for 2025 will help you organize your thoughts and provide some inspiration. You need to know where you came from to see where you are going. I firmly believe in the importance of deep diving and reflecting on the year you just said goodbye to. The year whizzed by and seemed to be over in a heartbeat, and if you don’t pause for some examination, it’s easy to forget about the good, bad and ugly of the year. Getting in tune with this can help you decide what you want to focus on in 2025.
Each year, I approach this differently. In the past, I’ve shared booklets that I’ve used to assist with this process, and this year, I was inspired by an episode called:”Closing Ritual” from Kris Carr’s “Made to Thrive” podcast. I followed some of her steps and wanted to share them with you.
Tips For Reviewing 2024
1. Grab a journal and schedule a few hours of quiet time.
Schedule this time; if you live with others, ask them not to interrupt you. You want to get comfortable and cozy. Make sure your phone is off or in another room. Make yourself some tea, light a candle and incense, and play soothing music. Close your eyes and take a few breaths for about a minute. You are now ready to begin.
2. Remembrance.
It is so easy to forget everything you did in a year. It helps to review your year with fresh eyes by scanning your 2024 calendar and photos. I was surprised by how much I had forgotten and delighted to remember so many sweet moments celebrating with friends and family, spending time in nature and engaging in the many art and cultural events our community offers. Viewing my calendar also reminded me of numerous medical appointments and emergency room visits. Though these weren’t great, they provided important information regarding my health in 2024 and have influenced my 2025 health plans.
3. Gratitude.
Viewing things with a sense of appreciation rewires your brain for positivity and provides a shift in perspective. Write down three things about 2025 that you are grateful for.
4. Celebration.
What were your victories in 2024? What did you accomplish, and what are you most proud of? Honour your accomplishments, even the small ones. It can include something simple, such as sticking to your commitment to drinking more water daily or something more involved, like selling your home and moving to a new city or finally retiring.
5. Closure.
Write a thank you note to 2024 for the experiences and lessons it gave you, and say goodbye. You don’t need to carry these experiences with you. Allow the experiences of 2024 to encourage you to figure out what is most essential for you in 2025. Write this out in your journal or on a piece of paper that you will later burn. Then, let go of 2024.
Before we move on to some tips for planning 2025, I want to share two other rituals I follow every January.
Dry January. I’m not a big drinker, but I did overindulge over the holidays, and I always take a 100% break from alcohol in January. I wrote more information on this in an earlier blog post. Dry January.
Word of the Year. My daughter introduced me to this ritual a few years ago. You pick a word that resonates the most as a theme for the year. Last year, my word was EASE. I was constantly reminded of its importance because I included the word in my morning meditation, posted it around my home, and added it as a screensaver on my computer and phone. It was a helpful anchor, especially when I was moving away from EASE.
My word for 2025 is CONSISTENCY. I’m still struggling with some Lyme symptom flareups and was considering WELLNESS, or perhaps VITALITY, to be my word, but they didn’t feel right. When my flareups happen, they derail my self-care routines for days, and then I find it challenging to get back on track. Seeing CONSISTENCY throughout my day will encourage me to get back on track faster after flare-ups. I wrote about this ritual in an earlier blog. Word for the Year
What Do You Want Most In 2025?
Once you have reviewed 2024, ask yourself a few questions to help determine the type of year you desire. You must make some decisions because things won’t just magically happen by thinking about them. Let any disappointments from 2024 guide your intentions for 2025!
What do you want?
What do you REALLY want? Not what others think you should want, but what you want. If you find this a tricky question, start by focusing on what you don’t want- this is usually much easier- and then flip it to what you want. For example- “I don’t want to feel sick and tired all the time” to “I want to sleep well every night and have enough energy to keep up with my grandchildren.”
Why do you want it?
Understanding why you want something can provide valuable insights into your motivations and desires. It helps clarify what truly matters and can guide your decisions.
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In the past, I made ridiculously long resolution lists at the beginning of each New Year. For years, I was stuck on learning a language and a musical instrument, and I never made a plan for these goals, so I knew they were not that important to me. Now, I narrow it down to 1-2 goals.
This year, I have two goals. I’m still struggling with Lyme Disease symptoms, some of which have involved emergency room visits. My biggest goal in 2025 is my health; I’m more determined than ever. I’ve lined up more specialist appointments, following a plan my Naturopath put together, and will continue to research this elusive, complicated and devastating disease. I’ll write more on this later,
My second goal concerns our housing situation. A large development has been approved to be built directly across from our home. We are unsure whether to stay or if we should consider selling our house and relocating. We are working on a plan to help us make this decision.
Don’t sit around passively waiting for things to happen because they never will. Whatever you are thinking about, please make your goals realistic and have a plan. Dreaming and thinking about your goals without a plan will guarantee you won’t accomplish them. Write them down and post visual reminders around your home, which will help keep you on track.
A New Year offers possibilities, so set yourself up for a great year.
I wish you and your loved ones a 2025 full of love, joy and good health.
Peace and blessings.
Anita
Resources
1. Kris Carr
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