New year reset 2025
Admittedly, I’m prone to post-holiday blues – the anticipation of the holidays have come and gone, family and friends have said goodbye, my college kids have returned to school and the cold wintery grey skies now set in with the official start of winter. Not to mention the extra pounds gained from the holiday brunches, dinners and gatherings. Finding motivation is also a challenge during this time of year, maybe it’s the colder weather, but all I want to do is eat and curl up on the couch. One way I fight past this post-holiday slump is to finds ways to reset and focus on the year ahead. I know that’s not particularly ground breaking, yet I find it helpful (and cathartic) to reflect on the past year, glean some lessons and draft plans for the new year. Here are my initial plans for the coming year:
- Live below my means: I’ll be taking on a “low-buy” challenge in 2025. I’ve drafted a strict budget that limits my discretionary purchases like clothing and apparel, eating out, home decor, streaming services. My goal is to get out of debt and to seriously save for retirement, while also helping my kiddos get through college. I’ll share more about my strategies and how this low buy/spend is going in future posts.
- Incorporate at least 2 new dinner recipes: I’ve become a bit bored with my current dinner go-tos and since I plan to eat out less finding new ideas to add to my weeknight dinner rotation: is a must. I’m determined to find a couple of new dinner ideas that are quick, simple with affordable ingredients. I’ll look to YouTube for inspiration. A couple of my favorite channels I’ve found so far, Jenn Eats Goood @jenneatsgoood and Tish Wonders @TishWonders.
- Read More/Stream Less: In keeping with my first goal, leaving within my budget, I’ll be cancelling streaming subscriptions. When I reflect back on 2024, I found a lot of satisfaction when I finished a good book. And I’m really lucky to have a local library that seems to get many new releases including popular literary award winning publications. My library also has a great selection of audio books available on loan. I’ll definitely be putting my library card to good use.
- Tend to friendships more: Life gets busy and like a lot of other folks my age and older, friendships can be hard to maintain. Work and family obligations can make staying connected with friends challenging. The emotional and mental benefits of friendships among older adults are pretty well documented. I can say that after a recent hour long chat with a close friend who moved out of state several years ago, I realized how much I missed our companionship. Although we sent the occasional text a few times a year, staying connected had been a challenge. After our call, we made a plan to phone once a month. To make this stick, we carved out the same day and time each month that works for both of us so we’re less likely to fall off.
I’m keeping my list for 2025 intentionally short. A shorter list seems more doable and a way to set myself up for success. What are some of your intensions for the new year? Any tips or tricks of any of the goals I’ve set out? Feel free to share in the comments.
Happy New Year All!
F&F
