Create Your Best Year Yet
Some people hate New Year’s resolutions.
I don’t get it.
I love marking significant transitions, whether they are birthdays, graduations, holidays, or calendar turns.
To me, the new year is not about the gaps. It’s not about setting half-hearted goals that you might give up in a week or two. Instead, this is a great time to pause and reflect on “How was my year?” and “What do I want to be different in the days ahead”?
Chip Heath, author of The Power of Moments, said that “Transitions should be marked, milestones commemorated, and pits filled. That’s the essence of thinking in moments.”
Yes!
If we don’t pause at key moments and reflect, we can miss out on important takeaways and learnings that can inspire growth and evolution.
Some might say, “What is so special about January 1? There’s nothing different about that day compared to the day before.”
Sure, it’s another day in our week. But the new year is also an edge crossing—a natural time to pause in that moment between what was then—and what is our new now.
I recently found a piece I wrote at the end of 2011 called “Hopes for 2012.”
What were my hopes over a decade ago?
I hoped to touch the bottom of a mega-sized holiday peanut M&M bag that I was working my way through at the time.
I hoped to improve my Pictureka skills (which I was woefully pitiful at, and my son Duncan had won five rounds in a row and pronounced, “You are really bad at this,” minutes before putting the game away.)
I hoped to become a student of Buddha, and practice greater loving-kindness to all.
I hoped our kitten Tuna would tire of the stuffed mouse that she rustled with in newspaper every day around 4:00 am.
I hoped I would inquire a little more and advocate a little less, especially with my direct reports at work.
I hoped I could nag my son D. a little less about his grades.
I looked forward to spending Sundays with my dad at his nursing home, watching the Pats or the Red Sox, and that I could keep cleaning his eyeglasses and bringing him strawberry ice cream from Dipsy Doodle Dairy Bar.
Here’s the thing, friends: Of those 7 things on my list for 2011, most of them are no longer possible today. My dad passed away not long after we turned that calendar page. My son is now 27 and lives far away in Florida, and he’s well beyond board-game age. And my cat Tuna is no longer with us.
(I do try to stay away from Peanut M&Ms for the most part, and I’m still trying to connect with loving kindness.)
But my life has changed.
Things are very different today than they were then. I’m in a new era—empty nester, preparing more for retirement than thinking about my next career move. Things I wished for 10 years ago—even people I wanted to spend time with—aren’t here anymore.
This is why New Year’s is a great time to pause and reflect on “What is my life about today and where do I want to go from here?”. If we don’t reflect, we may miss out on the learnings.
Some good questions to consider: What was the biggest risk you took in 2024? What have you learned about yourself after overcoming 2024’s learnings? What three things do you want to say no to in 2025?
It’s also a great time to think about what word or phrase for the new year you might want to explore. For a few years, I was working with Joyful Ease. This year, though, I think my phrase will be Vulnerable Heart. I want to explore aspects of what tender courage looks like.
Need some ideas for themes for 2025 to get you going? Here are some potential options. But you must find one that resonates for you:
Wild Grace
Deep Peace
Sweet Freedom
Bold Heart
Fresh Start
Be in Flow
Bright Spirit
Joyful Peace
Strong Roots
Brave Openness
Calm Ground
Free Spirit
Light Heart
If you would like to continue reflecting on 2024 and 2025, you can also download my free short guide on creating your best year yet in 2025 right here.
Happy 2025, friends. And see you on the other side!
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