As 2025 settles in during January, everything you did and didn’t do in 2024 scrolls through your mind like a checklist. Resolutions you set the previous year that weren’t accomplished are the ones that stick out the most, leaving you wondering if you even grew as a person in the past year. 

Resolutions are goals that are set every new year and have been around for as long as I can remember. “What are your New Year’s resolutions?” As a kid, this question was easy—get better grades in school, make the basketball or cheer team, make new friends, and get better at coloring. Once you start growing up, the question is more dreaded than anticipated. 

December is the month of nitpicking your life, figuring out what you can do to become a better version of yourself in the upcoming year. My New Year’s resolutions over the years have ranged from reducing my screen time to cooking more to regaining control of my life and emotions. Yet, no matter what, I still dread resolutions every year. It never feels good in January when I realize I didn’t check off everything on my resolutions list, leaving me feeling like I’m the same person I was the year before. 

I’m sure some people feel the same—those who take resolutions seriously as a way to hold themselves accountable for their growth by the end of the year. It feels like we’re all just looking for ways to improve our lives, whether that’s work-related or focused on personal growth. Resolutions seem to be the best way to set these goals. 

Regardless, it feels like not completing everything on your resolutions list is a crime. Like people would judge you for not reading those 30 books in the year as planned. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but… people don’t care. They don’t care that you didn’t get to achieve your goal of drinking more water or saving more money. They just don’t, and that’s okay! 

Maybe it’s a bit harsh, but the truth is, people are so worried about their own failed resolutions that they don’t have the time or energy to be focused on anyone else’s. So, give yourself some grace. I know we all want to improve ourselves and our lives, but sometimes these changes don’t happen overnight, or even within a year. 

Starting the new year can be scary, especially when you don’t know what kind of situations it might bring. Be kind to yourself, because you are the only one who will always be with you. Start small and work your way up to becoming the person you envision yourself to be. Don’t punish yourself for not being able to break what some people call ‘bad habits.’ It’s not easy, but surround yourself with people who will lovingly push you forward. 

I still believe you can set goals you want to achieve, because I think setting goals for ourselves is, in my opinion, really helpful. However, I don’t think that you should set a time limit for most of them. You should be able to achieve your goals at your own pace. 

I’ve just begun setting my goals for this year, but honestly, I’m not completely sure what I want to achieve this year beyond securing a good-paying job and saving money. Either way, I’m ready to make a few small changes in my life while also working toward my goals. It feels so much different from when I made resolutions when I was a kid, even the resolutions I made two years ago. My goals this year seem more realistic, and aligned with where I’m at in life right now, so maybe that’s why I didn’t dread them so much this year. 

Also, don’t take my words to heart if you’re someone who loves setting big, ambitious goals. This is just what works for me and me only, it might not be for you. These are just my personal takes on resolutions. What I do want you to take from this is to choose yourself this year. Make 2025 the year of you, and embrace yourself. 

I recently came across a playlist created by lyds on Spotify, and the songs on it really resonate with me. I hope it resonates with you too, or even inspires you to begin your new year journey. 

I wish every one of our readers and writers a happy and hopeful 2025. May this year bring self-love, joy, opportunities, meaningful friendships, and so much more. Much love to everyone.