New Year, New Beginnings: Reflect, Reset, and Reimagine Your Path for 2025

Reflecting on the Year Gone By

Happy New Year! And, just like that, we have said goodbye to another year and welcomed a new one.

Every year, like clockwork, I look at the time, counting down the days, hours, and minutes until the end of December to reflect on what a year it has been. I think about all the things that have gone well—the people I met, the ones who inspired me, the joy I felt in moments that lifted me up, the goals I accomplished, and the places I travelled to where I marvelled at the beauty around me. But I also reflect on the things that didn’t go well—the gut-wrenching challenges, the unexpected hardships, the tears, and the ongoing changes that drastically impacted my life.

Every year, regardless of whether it was good or not so good, I can’t help but feel grateful for another year of learning, living, and embracing the occasional messiness. If we didn’t have those moments where everything felt as though it was slipping away, like grains of sand falling through our fingers as we tried to hold on tightly, we would never truly appreciate the calm and peaceful times.

A New Chapter, A Fresh Start

I feel a bittersweet sadness as I say goodbye and thank you for another new year, but I also eagerly anticipate closing the chapter in the hope of a fresh start and new beginnings. As they say, “new year, new you.” I see the start of a new year as a new and exciting opportunity for growth and becoming.

A Simple Exercise to Shape Your 2025

If you’re looking for a simple exercise to help you figure out what you want for 2025, so you can move forward with purpose instead of feeling stuck, this 5-minute task might be for you:

Write down what you don’t want in life.
Take the opposite of each item to identify what you do want in life. For example, if you don’t want stress, the opposite might be peace or simplicity.
Imagine what life would look like if you had all the things you could ever want. Describe the details— how would you feel, what would your daily life look like, and who would you be?
Review your list and circle one or two things you can start working on today to move you in the right direction.

This exercise is simple, but effective. Remember, small steps can lead to big changes. Here’s to a fresh start, a year of becoming, and the journey of moving closer to the life you envision.