2025 is just around the corner which means a fresh start is quickly approaching. I think this can be the most exciting part of the year personally. A new year means new beginnings, new memories, new challenges and growth opportunities, and it might even mean new people. Read the steps below to help you learn how to make 2025 your year.

Don’t Make Resolutions. Make Intentions and Goals Instead.

I know the New Year’s tradition is all about making “resolutions”, but I’ve never found those to be effective. You’re supposed to come up with some new way you’re going to approach your life with a sudden change. Overnight there is this sudden pressure to change every aspect of your life and stick to it for the next 365 days. It’s as if you’re supposed to wake up a whole new person on Jan 1. I don’t know about you, but I can’t say it’s ever worked for me. Instead of making a “resolution” this year, make a subset of goals and intentional changes for yourself in the new year and come up with a plan or a pathway to achieve these goals.

For example, let’s say you want to become a fit person this year, I know the classic cliche. Instead of saying, I’m going to go to the gym five times a week this year and only eat clean, break that down into something different. Start with eating better for the first 30 days and walking more to being more active. Build yourself a plan to get into the gym frequently. Maybe that’s finding a HIT workout studio that you like, getting a personal trainer, or even getting your friends involved and making an accountability club. Whatever it is, make stepping stones to achieving your goals and give yourself the best shot at maintaining this new life desire.

Try New Things

Life has so much to offer. From experiences, people, places, and things, life is never short of surprising. But, if you hold yourself back, you’re bound to miss out. Going into this next year, don’t be afraid to try something new! Go to a new place. Meet new people. Pick up a new hobby. Whatever it is, give it a go this year and give yourself the opportunity to try something new. You might just end up loving it, and if not, you’re bound to meet someone new through it at the very least.

Put Yourself Out There

People can be scary, there is no doubt about that. I oftentimes find myself fearful when I walk into a room of new people, or when I’m in a new work environment. I’m constantly worried about what people might think of me or if I am good enough. The reality is, odds are people are worried about themselves and aren’t thinking about you. Don’t let your anxious thoughts of other people’s possible opinions of you stop you from being you! Step into a new room with confidence. Be proud of the person you are this far in your life. Be confident in the energy you bring to the table and hold your head up high. Introduce yourself to that person you’ve been dying to meet. Start that thing you’ve been thinking about. Don’t hesitate to put yourself out there. The world is lucky to have you! To read more about gaining self-confidence and living without hesitation, click here to read Put Yourself Out There. Start That Thing!  Make 2025 your year!

Unpack the Old. Make Space for the New

Although it is a new year and we all like to start with a clean slate, the reality is there are things from our past that tend to follow us year after year. For some people, this can be life-long trauma or trauma from unfortunate events from the year prior. For others, this can be making amends with people you’ve cut out of your life or even seeking closure with these people. This can even just be the way you view and value yourself. Whatever it is, make space and time to allow yourself to unpack what’s been stuff under the rug. The truth is, the longer these things go uncovered, the more likely you are to trip on them in the future. Set yourself up for success and invest in your overall well-being this year. Therapy is a great way to do that for many. If you want to learn more about therapy or are wondering if therapy is good for you click here to read Therapy: We All Need It.

Create a Routine and Stick to It

Routines are crucial for success in life! I do not think that there is a one-size-fits-all when it comes to routines, as everyone’s lives, situations, responsibilities, and desires are different. I think that one important thing to note is that routines tend to be the commonality of successful people. When you build structure and consistency in your life, you set yourself up to be able to deal with life’s challenges and ebbs and flows. Creating a habit with the everyday tasks in life makes the more random ones digestible. When you fail to have a routine, it can feel as though every day is a high tide and you’re just treading water to stay at the shore. Set yourself up for success and figure out what your routine will look like. Whether that is a morning routine, an evening routine, a weekend routine, or a quarterly activity that you do to check in on yourself. Find a routine that works for you this year and stick to it. You’ll be glad that you did.

Move Your Body

Exercise is SO important! I know we’ve all heard it our whole lives and for many of us, it came easy as a kid. We were always running around, involved in sports, playing outside, or just had busy schedules. Now that we are all adults and headed in or are in the workforce, it’s likely that our activity levels have changed. Make sure you are making time to move. Whether that’s planning phone calls with your family and friends while you’re going on a walk, joining a rec league in your city, or even doing the basic gym routine, make time for it. If you are someone who finds the gym boring, maybe join a run club in your city and give running a try. If you hate running, maybe join a gym and see if you like it. I’m personally not a huge fan of cardio, but I love weight training and recreational exercise. Find what works for you and make it a habit this year. Better yet, find yourself a group of friends who enjoy the same and hold each other accountable. Life is better with community!

Take Time to Slow Down and Reflect

Although it’s great to look ahead and become excited over everything that the new year has to offer, it’s also very important to stay present in the now and absorb all that it has to offer as well. Sometimes the most beautiful moments in life are right in front of you, but you’ll miss them when you focus on mile marker 210. I fall victim to this a lot. The year will end and I’ll look back and reflect and genuinely forget all that has occurred. Slowing down and reflecting is something I’ve been working on a lot over this past year. There is beauty in every day, and it’s up to me to be able to recognize and receive that. Even in the low moments. If this is something you struggle with as well, you might enjoy reading The 5 Things I’ve Learned About Time. If you are also working on daily reflection,  click here to download the OSC20s Dialy Reflection Journal Template. 

Spoil Yourself

I don’t know about you, but I have developed a negative connotation with this idea over the years. I’m not sure where it came from but it’s something I’ve started to see differently over this past year and hope to carry with me into the next year. There is nothing wrong with spoiling yourself. You work hard and have done a lot to get to the point you are at in life. Treat yourself and pat yourself on the back for all your hard work. Spoiling yourself can be as simple as getting yourself a dessert at dinner out with friends, or even allowing yourself to go out with friends! Spoiling yourself can be upgrading your gear from your favorite hobby or treating yourself to a massage. Whatever it is, do it! At the end of the day, what’s the point of success, making more money, and growing, if you never get to reap the fruits of your labor along the way?

Rest and Be Present

Resting and being present go hand in hand with taking time to slow down and reflect in my opinion, so what is the difference you might ask? Resting! It’s an easy thing to forget with how fast life moves. Of course, we go to bed each night, but what about the end of a crazy work week? Do you take time to just be alone and decompress? This is the part of resting we tend to forget. We get so caught up in checking off each thing on our schedule or to-do list that we forget to just be and do the slow things in life. This was a big wake-up call for me at the top of the year. To hear more about it, click here to read Be More Present. 

The new year will be here before you know it and there’s no better time to prepare than now. Take the time and set yourself up for success this year. You got this! Hopefully, these tips will help you answer the question ‘how to make 2025 your year’.