A Year In Review, A Year Starting Anew

What were you up to this year? Were you trying to get in better shape? Were you writing a book, working on a career goal, or taking courses for self betterment? Were you building or healing a relationship, or letting go of someone who was destructive in your life?

On a personal note, 2024 wasn’t the most successful or productive year for me. It was a year of grieving, of feeling disconnected from my zest for life and achieving my goals, a time of healing. And that’s okay. It was a well-needed, well-intentioned process. A success in and of itself. Looking ahead, my heart is full to bursting with renewed hope, inspiration, and a desire to reach my writing and personal goals.

We are all familiar with setting New Year’s resolutions, a rough plan for us to change our habits and guide our goals for the upcoming year. But, before you even attempt to set your New Year’s resolutions for 2025, it’s important to take a look back at the year that has passed, and see how far you’ve come, and what you’ve achieved. Pat yourself on the back for the goals you’ve reached, or the work and effort invested in getting closer to those goals. And THEN you can set some new goals for the future.

Weight Loss and Fitness Goals

As far back as I can remember, I have always set new fitness goals for myself at the beginning of the year, a common practice for many of us. I’m a retired personal trainer and work out consistently, but there are always areas for improvement. It’s important to be specific about what you want to achieve and how you are going to go about achieving it. Looking back on your previous year can be revelatory to seeing what needs to be fixed. For me, that’s putting myself and my needs first. For you, it might be something a little different.

Were you working out hard in the first few months and then the excitement and dedication tapered off? If so, your new resolution may be to keep your workouts consistent. Were you great with exercising but your diet was riddled with sweets and fried foods? Then your new focus may be to clean up your eating habits, while maintaining your new habit of exercise that you developed over the past year.

Did you lose twenty pounds, but you still have twenty more to go and you’ve reached a plateau? Maybe it’s time to rethink you training program: join a gym, hire a personal trainer, or see a dietician. Make your new goals clear cut, reasonable to achieve, and go from there.

Career Goals and Self-Improvement

We never stop learning. No matter how old we are, or how much schooling we’ve completed, there is always more to learn. Perhaps its a new hobby, a subject you’ve always been interested in and wanted to learn more about, or a talent you’ve always envied in others, like playing the piano or doing karate. 

After reflecting on 2024, do you see something that was missing? Was it enjoyment and fun? Was there a lack of “you” time? Were you struggling with your career choice or down right hate your job? If so, taking measures for the following year to change these issues might be your goal. 

Going back to college or university may be terrifying, but staying in a job you loathe or that doesn’t pay enough for you to cover your bills is even more terrifying. What is your dream job? Start taking courses to move you closer to reaching your career goals, and one day you may find yourself working your dream job and loving every minute of it. 

Relationship Goals 

We have so many relationships in our lives: with our family members, friends, co-workers, and our significant others. After taking a look back over the past year, do you find that some of your relationships are lacking? Or maybe even downright destructive? Or, if you are lucky, maybe you have found the one you want to spend the rest of your life with and are ready to take the next step. 

If you have that one person in your life that you know is the one, you may want to move in together, plan an engagement, or get married. If you know that there are issues present that are making you feel uncomfortable, you can set goals to improve the relationship before committing to each other for life. Or maybe you are already committed to each other but need to work on some things. There are several great books to read, like Relationship Rescue by Dr. Phillip McGraw, or The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary Chapman, that can help you get your relationship back on track. Also, couples therapy seems to be the norm these days, so invest in a few sessions to solidify your relationship and be the better for it.

But, what if you have that one person (or several) in your life that constantly drags you down? After spending time with them, you feel horrible about yourself and your life and your accomplishments. They may be passive aggressive so it might not be obvious at first, but if you have a relationship that hurts you, maybe its time to say good bye. Ending a relationship is never easy, but maintaining a damaging relationship is harmful to your psyche and sense of self worth. Put yourself first this year and surround yourself with positive, uplifting people and feel your spirit soar.

Reflecting back on the year can be a real eye opener. It will highlight what areas you can work on in 2025 to bring you closer to all of your goals. And even though each and every day is an opportunity to be better, do better, and feel better, don’t forget to appreciate all the good things you already have in your life, and all the amazing things you have accomplished thus far! 

And as you soar into the new year, don’t forget to keep reading!

💋 Lanie Mores