At the start of 2025, I didn’t set any traditional resolutions or goals.
Instead, I created two lists: Fun Ideas and Mantras. I wanted the year to feel light and flexible – more about (enjoyable) rhythms and activities than checkboxes and outcomes.
So, how’s it going a few months in?
Fun Ideas
Have pumpkin pie (or some other dessert) for breakfast. Done. Knocked this one out January 1st when I had leftover peanut butter cheesecake for breakfast. This was inspired by Kelsey at Rising*Shining – and wow, all these years I’ve been missing out on one of the true joys of adulthood. I’ve also realized I ate dessert for breakfast almost daily in Paris. No regrets.- Organize a progressive supper with friends. Still pondering this one. I love the idea, but the logistics are tricky. Not all our friend groups overlap and some live too far away to make it feasible. TBD.
Try Dr. Pepper for the first time. Done. Meh. Won’t need to have it again.- Don’t wear clothes that are too tight or are otherwise uncomfortable. So far, so good. I won’t cross this off until the end of the year but thus far it has been an intensely satisfying (comfortable) shift.
- Watch The Court Jester. Such low-hanging fruit, yet…still unpicked. I will get to it!
Buy cuticle cream. Done. I went with cuticle oil. It hasn’t been life-changing, but at least I’m trying.- Buy a new, thick, oversized yoga mat for the basement. Not done, even though Nicole told me exactly what to order. I have zero excuses.
- Do a deep declutter of the house each quarter. So far, so good. Can’t cross this off until the end of the year.
Do something fun with my blog.Between FIGs and guest posts, this one feels like a solid Done.
Meet a blogger in real life.Done! Suzanne!! In Paris!!! And I have at least three more tentative meetups planned for 2025!!!! Pinch me.
Frame the art we purchased in Barcelona and Portugal.Done. Bonus? I’ve displayed them even though “frame” was the idea, so I’m awarding myself some gold stars for going above and beyond.- Go to the movie theatre as a family. Haven’t done this yet. I will make sure it happens.
- Buy and put up outside lights for Christmas 2025. Too early. This is a November/December thing. I’m setting the bar extremely low.
- Walk daily in April and October. Halfway there. April = Done. Waiting to tackle October.
- Send at least one piece of “snail mail” each month. I have a perfect record so far and I plan to keep it going.
Create a Happy Song playlist.Done(ish). Turns out I don’t like listening to the same songs for months. I obsess over a track, play it on repeat, and then move on. My “Liked Songs” playlist has become my rotating Happy Song list. Works for me!- Eat chocolate-mint flavoured gelato (or artisanal ice cream). Waiting for sunshine!
Grow out my hair.Done. Just a tiny trim so far in 2025 and I plan to keep it that way.
Leave encouraging (anonymous) notes in library books when I return them.Done(ish). I did it a few times, but called it quits once it started feeling tedious. (Permission granted; see below.)- Spend a few hours working at my favourite coffee shop at least once each month. Again, a perfect record so far. Can’t cross this off until the end of the year but I’m feeling optimistic.
Mantras
These aren’t rules, just tweaks to my mindset.
- Let it be easy. I’m trying!
- Lean in. Embrace. (People, the current moment. All of it.) I think so?
- Choose the bigger life. Yes!
- Gratitude, not guilt. Getting better at this.
- Rest is part of the process. I’ve had some excellent naps so far in 2025.
- Is this still fun? Possibly my favourite mantra. A great gut check.
- The scroll can wait. Some days are better than others.
- Celebrate “good enough”. I still need this reminder.
- Taking a nap is a job well done. See above.
- It’s okay to say No. Sometimes I find it too easy to say No – it’s a balance between “Choose the bigger life” and “Rest is part of the process.“
Your turn.
- You’re forced to have dessert for breakfast tomorrow – what would you choose?
- Do you have a list of goals for 2025?
- What’s on your current fun list?
- Is there a mantra or mindset you want to carry into the rest of the year?
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mbmom11
No one would ever force me to have dessert for breakfast- I would happily enjoy it! Cheesecake sounds good- creamy and not too sweet. But it would probably be chocolate chip cookies, with milk. Or maybe a chocolate cake with whipped cream in the middle? Also with milk – I use drinking milk as a veil of nutrition to disguise a sweet as a meal.
No real year goals – survival mode enabled- but I hope to continue some of the practices I chose for lLent. Mailing snail mail and going to a weekday Mass once a week. Failed the latter already, but I’m doing former.
No fun planned. No mantra but survival. But maybe I should put down the phone and tackle my to do list occasionally. It’s so easy to put things off when I’m stressed, but I feel good when I do get something crossed off.
Birchie
Oh no I’m being forced to have dessert for breakfast!!! Woe is me. I’ve been known to have a nibble of a baked good first thing in the morning., and it’s lovely. Either a piece of cheesecake or a frosted brownie would really fit the bill.
I’m very excited to start tearing into a list of fun stuff that is contingent on good weather, which hopefully we are solidly in now. Oh wait, it’s going to rain all weekend. But still! It’s coming. I’m less than two weeks away from a 10 day California trip. I am under a lot of stress with work right now, so it’s on me to make sure that I’m still scheduling the fun stuff in with it.
Jenny
I love this idea for your year! I never really did get around to making a list of 2025 goals, although I meant to. Maybe I should have done what you did, and make a different kind of list. Hmm…
Dessert for breakfast, you say? Well- I don’t eat dessert in real life, other than my keto chocolate squares (boy, does that sound sad.) So I’m really trying to think of what dessert I would choose. Let’s go with chocolate cake!
Nicole MacPherson
Oooh you know mint chocolate anything is my favourite!
I am with you on the clothes thing. No more! I refuse! Michelle had said to me that it’s so empowering to have clothes that fit and she is 100% right. I think about this all the time. It IS empowering! The clothes should fit US not the other way around!
Your nails are FIRE.
I really love all your mantras! I don’t have a fun list per se but my whole life is one big hobby these days, so…I guess I do? Oh! I know what I did that was fun! I vowed every weekend in April to eat cake, and I did!