With everything happening in the world right now, we must focus on the parts of our lives we can control. I myself found comfort in creating a list of goals to achieve during 2025 and working towards the goals every day.
@indyblue_ https://www.instagram.com/p/C7VDPTjvHg0/?img_index=1
Now, I want to prefer this by saying these are NOT New Year resolutions, as I think setting New Year’s resolutions insinuates a type of pressure that leads to failure. Instead, I aim to stick to my goals for as long as possible. The hope here is to observe an improvement in my mental and physical health. If these changes are not working for me either at all or not enough by themselves, I am open to and excited to modify them as the year progresses.
In 2025, I knew I wanted to challenge myself with my goals for the year. In the past 4 weeks, I have stayed strong to many of the goals I made for myself, and it has made a difference in my life. When formulating my goals, I was intentional with what I wanted to do. Instead of saying, “Drink more water,” I set a goal to drink two Owalas of water per day. Instead of saying, “Work out more,” I aimed to go to the gym twice weekly for 45 minutes. Doing this with all my goals helped to make them more attainable as they were specific and tailored to my life.
@kendalljenner https://www.instagram.com/p/C6AQ3jYPdfT/?img_index=1
The resolutions I have successfully maintained have helped increase my energy and productivity and lower my stress. The goals I had set became simpler to complete as time progressed, in which case I could build on them over time. For example, I set a goal to drink two Owalas daily, and now I drink three or four. Additionally, I now find myself going to the gym four and sometimes five times a week. I think this is an important quality to remember when setting goals; you do not have to start with the most ambitious goal. Goals are not something you reach and give up on; they are meant to be met and built upon over time.
Along with these minor changes to work towards a healthier lifestyle, I also wanted to grow as a person throughout this year. To do this, I picked up journaling again. Typically, when I have journaled in the past, I have written down what is occurring in my life, how I feel currently, and other thoughts I may have had. This year, however, I wanted to challenge myself with more complex journal entries that helped me grow. To do this, I began collecting prompts I found on Pinterest in my notes app, picking one out once a week, and writing my thoughts on the prompt for at least 30 minutes. These prompts varied in what they were asking, but ultimately, I had the same goal of challenging my thinking and working to expand my mind.
@indyblue_ https://www.instagram.com/p/C6RciLzJ036/
Ultimately, all these changes come together to help me reach my desired personal growth goal and constantly work to be the best version of myself. In 2025, when there are so many unknowns and every day is a gift, it is important to work towards personal growth each and every day.