2025

Heeeey…How ya’ll doing?? It is at this moment that I am visualizing in my head the scene from Little Women Atlanta when Juicy walked into a room full of the ladies that I’m sure were at odds with her as if nothing was weird about it. I don’t remember the specifics of the episode or scene and you probably have no clue what I’m referencing but I’m sure you have heard the sound bite a handful of times…and if you haven’t I implore you please pause, head over to TikTok (before it’s taken from us forever), get a good laugh, and come back.

Yes. I know, I know. Let’s not make it awkward, okay? Here I am again, ready to let the words that flood my brain make it to the internet for someone to read – or maybe just for myself to look back on this time next year. The first full week of January had me with extra time to do things that fill my glass more than scrolling social media and watching video after video on YouTube which led me to one of my favorite places. It’s crazy to think that any one person can find this so it is not for a selective few or just for myself – yet it has been one of my safe spaces. Well, where do I start? Right, it is another 365 that we are embarking on – 2025. I must admit it is not feeling very “New Year, New Me” ish. More so a continuation of much of the same, I don’t say that to be negative but I am not in this huge rush to put the last year (or years) behind me. First though, let me start with a quick review of 2024.

2024 was good to me – I am after all here, in good health and somewhat in my right mind lol. I went to a few concerts (for free I might add), enjoyed celebrating my 35th birthday both solo and with my bestie, had the honor of standing with my line sister as she said I Do to her forever love, and shared many laughs, good conversations, and memories along the way. Of course with a year filled with highs there are sure to be some duller moments that we all inevitably experience. I’ve had to face some naked truths (shoutout to Colleen Hoover for the beautiful novel It Ends with Us and where the term “naked truth” came from and has imprinted on my heart, along with a couple other themes. I am definitely always picking the book over the movie), have some hard conversations, and experienced many sleepless tear filled nights. Despite it all I made it all 365 and for that I am grateful.

Now it is a new year and for the fist time in a while I’m not starting the year with that fire to hit the ground running but rather I’m kinda crawling just hoping to make it to the start line before the whistle blows. I spent some time the last week looking over the previous years’ goals lists. Some things have been accomplished, a lot still isn’t, all well intentioned. Well intentioned. That’s an interesting descriptor isn’t it? “Patience, if nothing else meant well! Her intentions were good.” I don’t know if that’s how I want to be remembered, just well intentioned but that’s what this time in reflection has felt like. As I was reviewing these lists, I stared at pages and pages of words, goals, visions accompanied by dates, age deadlines, definitive figures. Some of the goals carrying over year after year waiting for that gold star of approval that I finally hit that mark. All it has me focusing in on is I haven’t done and how many commitments I’ve seemed to fail to keep with myself. It really has me wanting to understand why – outside of things that are beyond my control, what’s holding me back in some areas?

This year I want to put a pause on all the dates and deadlines and focus more on the heart of things. If I am being honest I truly have some soul care to do now more than ever that has been tucked into my goals here and there each year but not truly addressed. Things that could really be holding me back from accomplishing more and if not addressed could result in having a copy paste of years past. What, after all does it matter if I write another list if I’m not taking care of what lies beyond the accomplishments?

Not to say that I won’t be working towards goals that will require action, focus, and intentionality this year, things that are tangible or call for parameters or guidelines. I do have plan and have already started to work on a handful of items to attempt to be a better me this time next year than I am now. I just don’t feel the urge to jump right into “have my entire life together by xyz date” train immediately. God willing I will have the entire year and many more to keep evolving and developing my goals as I learn and grow.

I have a lot of forgiveness to work through this year – forgiving myself and others. There’s also some deeper grief work that needs to be done as well – not grief in the most common use of the word but grief of what I envisioned my life would be or look like. Finding a therapist has been on my list for so many years and I think it is now time to stop playing and get to it, it would be a huge step in doing the work. I need to focus on progression over over deadlines and racing to some arbitrary finish line.

Side note: Although I have been slowly easing into the year I have actually been very productive start to the year without much feeling much pressure to be doing so much so soon into the new year. I’ve started 2 books – one with my church, 1 leisure read (I finished it in 6 days), entered the 21st century and started budgeting digitally (yes I have been writing them out by hand for years), and I have 1 blog post out and another on ready to follow. I also took a cardio step class! So here’s to 2025 – may it be filled with productivity that comes with ease, healing that’s heart mending, love that is earth shattering in the best way possible, and life that is light! Happy New Year!

P.S. I don’t know what the purpose of this post is but if you find yourself here reading this and maybe not feeling as much of the New Year energy as people portray on social media, just know you are not alone. Let’s make each other a deal that no matter how hard it gets this year, let’s show up for ourselves. If you haven’t heard it today I will be the one to say it – I love you.