a new theme for 2025
2024 started as many New Years do—with hope, goal-setting, and enough ambition to fill a large water-tower. I made my first vision board. I filled the front pages of my journal with ways I was going to make this my Best Year Yet! I bought a brand-new, baby blue agenda to keep track of everything. And at first, things were going pretty well. The ambition kept gushing out like a small waterfall. My hope was a bright and steady candle flame. But slowly, with each passing day, I could feel the drain on my psyche.
I learned a lot about goal-setting and habits this past year. So much of my life felt empty and I thought if I could just implement a better system, my need for meaning would be satisfied. I tried new systems for scheduling events, exercising, eating, sleeping, and writing. I found things that did and didn’t work. Several times, I got so absolutely exhausted and drained that I told myself I would give up on goals entirely. No New Year’s Resolutions for me, I was Giving Up For Good™.
I’m a chronic starter of goals and when it comes to life-change, I’m all about anything I think will make me better. Daft Punk said it best with the lyrics,
“Work it harder, make it better
Do it faster, makes us stronger
More than ever, hour after hour
Work is never over”
Sometimes, that kind of attitude motivates and inspires me (read: riding that New Year, New Me high). But more often than not, I just feel inadequate and tired. And drained. Don’t forget about that water tower imagery from the opening paragraph, cuz drained of all hope and ambition is kind of an accurate descriptor sometimes.
Heading into December this year, I felt weary. Christmas loomed on the horizon. I was sitting at a coffee shop drinking a peppermint mocha with the strains of Christmas instrumentals filling the space. Across from me, lights glowed with a brightness I sure didn’t feel. There’s nothing like the end of the year to force you to review what you’ve accomplished: most often, I feel I’ve wasted the year, accomplishing little of value, wasting my time and efforts on things that don’t truly matter.
Usually, I feel disappointed with my progress. I then feel shame for being ungrateful and discontented, which only leads to more disappointment and self-reproach.
I knew I wanted to make progress. I’m still very much a Type A goal-setter and planner. I like direction. I like to know that I’m learning, growing, and changing. But on the flip side, I’ve tied my value so closely to my achievements that goals have become a way of proving myself. It gets exhausting to have an end goal in mind that constantly eludes you, and it always makes me feel like I’m not enough.
As I sipped my tea, the hot liquid warming my cold bones, I considered how I could make 2025 different from last year. What do I truly want to accomplish? What would make me look back on the year with fondness rather than feelings of failure?
I decided that what I needed was gentle progress.
A progress that leaves wiggle room for unexpected outcomes.
A progress that is more focused on growth than timelines.
A progress that is slathered in grace, that gives as well as receives.
A progress that doesn’t overwhelm, but that focuses on one thing and only one thing at a time. Less but better, y’know?
With that gentle progress in mind, I created a tiny snapshot of what I wanted my year to look like. These are gentle ways to become a better version of myself. These habits allow for my limitedness, for the unpredictability of life, and for little ways to allow grace to seep into every nook and cranny of my life!
If you’re feeling the pressure of a new year or simply want to set some fun goals, I have just the thing for you! As a little year-end thank you to all of you lovelies, I have curated a little PDF called Gentle Progress. It outlines some of my favorite tricks and tips for good habits, and you can download it here!
Oh, and I love to review my goals at the end of the year. I also love to go through my photos and find my faves, the ones that capture the essence of what I loved that year. Here’s a little collection. Let me know what your 2024 highlights were and what you’re excited for heading into 2025!
