Setting Goals in 2025

I am a firm believer that new year's resolutions are worthless. Now I know that sounds harsh, but hear me out. My cynicism behind people who come up with new year's resolutions has stem from my observations that they are never properly executed, and so most people fail to accomplish what they set out to do within the first month of trying. I too have failed to reach my goals in the past but after some thought and research I have formed some habits that allow me to stick my goals out. Here I will share some of my goals for this year, how I plan to complete them as well as my tips for forming your own goals for the new year and reaching with them.

My Goals This Year

Be more present 

This year I want to be more present and grateful for every moment of life I get to experience. I’ve noticed I tend to rush a lot in life. It comes from a place of wanting to get things done and get them done fast. I don't think this is inherently a bad trait to have and, in American culture, it is an advantage to be able to get things done efficiently. However, there comes a point where you start to feel like a hamster on a wheel, constantly running from one task to the next, and you are unable to appreciate what you are doing in the moment because your mind is worried about what you have to do next. I believe part of the anxiety I feel around “wasting time” is largely due to how much time I spend on my phone. It leads to me being unproductive and procrastinating on what I really need to do. I am aware of this bad habit of mine and I plan to be more conscious of the time I spend on my phone. I have found myself out at dinner or out with friends and having the urge to check my phone for no particular reason. Along with limiting my screentime, I want to start meditating more. It has always been difficult for me to turn off the mind and truly meditate. I plan to start off by meditating 2 times a week for 10 minutes and progressively doing it more frequently and longer. I want to be able to go with the flow of life. It’s a tough line to balance on. Between getting work done and enjoying the work you are doing, I believe limiting distractions and calming my mind will help me to feel more balanced in my workflow. 

Learn more about women's health

I plan on sharing an in-depth article about my experience of being a woman, specifically, having a menstrual cycle very soon. There is so much information I and other women should have been taught about when we were younger before even starting our periods, but never were. The truth is, women's health was not a very widely studied topic until very recently and still there's so much we don’t know about how a woman's body operates. Most people know that women go through a “cycle” once a month which is related to menstruation. However, most people don't know that there are other “mini-cycles" going on throughout the month that can affect women's mood and energy greatly. I didn’t know much about this until last year either. Since I have become aware of the way women operate biologically, it has been extremely eye-opening and has made me question and change a lot of things I do and how I do them. This year I will be focusing on changing my diet to better suit my body's needs during the different phases it goes through throughout the month, as well as focusing on the physical activities I should be engaging in through these phases. 

Work on this blog 

I have always enjoyed using writing as a way to express my thoughts and feelings. There is so much power within humans to be able to communicate their complex ideas and emotions with words others can understand. I believe that knowledge is power and I found that this blog has been a great way for me to expand the knowledge I have gained as well as share it with other individuals. Sharing my research discoveries as well as my personal experiences allows me to better solidify my understanding of what I have learned and grown from, as well as give motivation and insight to other people who are interested in the same topics I am. My ideal goal is to post at least two articles a month. One strictly research/factual article on any topic of interest, and one personal article relaying my experiences to you as well as what I am up to. Eventually, I would like to post once a week, but it is always better to start off doing something with a more realistic mindset.

My Tips for Setting Goals

Underestimate, Don’t Overestimate

If you haven’t been working out a lot, and it’s hard for you to stay consistent at the gym, the last number of the year isn't going to change that. It’s unrealistic to set a goal of going to the gym every day, especially if you haven’t set up a proper game plan to execute your goals. Going in blindly off a spur of motivation will only get you so far. If you want to work out more, start off simply, by going on a walk around your neighborhood every day. It’s a low-intensity workout that will still get you and your blood moving. When you go to the gym, just observe at first, take it slow, watch what everyone else is doing and feel inspired by them. If you are new to working out, aim to do a solid 10-minute workout and progressively start going for longer times. Always plan out your workouts before going to the gym. Figure out what part of your body you want to train that day and get into the mental mindset so that you can kill it at the gym. It’s all about being realistic; you can’t expect change overnight. Going to the gym and pushing yourself to the absolute max because you believe you will get to your goal faster is foolish, and you will burn yourself out so quickly. I know you've heard the saying “slow and steady wins the race” and while it's true, “fast and rash will never last” is equally so. 

Make A Schedule, and Stick to It

This is especially important if you live a busy life. If you work a full-time job and take on a lot of responsibilities, it can feel overwhelming to put aside some time to work on your goals. Most people end up fitting in on time to work on their resolutions wherever they get the chance, which leads to an inconsistent schedule. If you can find a certain time every day to give your goals your full attention, it will be easier for you to form a habit. Don’t overwhelm yourself if it becomes too much to take on, but hold yourself accountable and find the right balance for you and your life. Forming habits is not easy and breaking them is even harder, but the only way to see the results you want is to be consistent. When most people miss a day of working on their resolutions, they feel as though they've failed and they stop trying. Missing a day or slacking behind doesn’t mean failure, but quitting does. 

Keep Track of Your Progress

For whatever goals you have this year, keep physical track of them by writing them down. You can keep an electronic spreadsheet, but I personally prefer writing my progress down because it causes you to put your entire focus onto analyzing what you are doing. When you start tracking your progress, whether that be by eating healthily, going to the gym, saving money, etc; you can start to see what is truly working for you and what needs to change. In the long run, it will make you less worried about whether you are meeting your goals, because you will be able to look back at them whenever you need to. 

Have an End Goal 

Most people will come up with a new year's resolution but have no way of knowing if they are fulfilling their goals. Along with keeping a log of what you have been doing, have an endpoint that signifies you are succeeding. If your goal is to lose weight, find the specific weight you want to be, losing weight is a broad goal to have, but wanting to be 130 lbs if you are 180 lbs is much  more specific. The more specific your goal, the more likely you are to keep up with it. If your new year's resolutions are going to take a long time, set mini check points for yourself. Having something to look forward to and achieving it will cause your dopamine to spike in turn causing you to want to do more and restore your motivation. Humans are fueled by reward and praise and allowing yourself these joys when you reach a certain point of your goal will only allow you to perform better in the future. Figure out what truly motivates and allow yourself whatever that is when you reach a new level of your goal. 

I am excited to keep you all updated with the progress I make on my goals this year, as well as continuing to share information on health, nutrition, and exercises this year. Whatever your goals are for this year, know that they are always within reach for you. Life is not always easy but it is the ups and downs, the waves of life, that make it all worth it. Keep your eye on the prize and put in the work, and I promise you will get to where you want to be.