The 20-something’s guide to creating the 2025 of your dreams!
Happy New Year, wellness sisters and misters! It is capricorn season, and I truly could not be happier! November-January is probably my favorite time of year…the holidays followed by a time of year when there is so much hope, dreaming, and visualization… Gosh I truly love this time.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I love a fresh start, a goal-setting sesh, a Monday, a new year…any reason to reset, refocus, and dream for what is to come. On the flip side of that is the challenge of constantly goal-setting, dreaming, and planning for the future without reflecting on the past or working to carry out previous goals that I have already set for myself. I’m all about a pivot, but pivoting 100x/year might not actually get me closer to the goals I have for myself, amirite?
If you’re in the same boat with me, then you will LOVE this blog post. I’ve created the ultimate, science-backed guide to reflection, goal setting, and visualization for 2025 so we all can be motivated to carry out the goals we set for ourselves well into 2025…and not just at the start of the new year.
I’ve also been known to over-categorize my goals. For example, I have had years where I create multiple goals in multiple categories, from fitness, fueling, and hydration, to finances, travel, and marriage. With so many categories, it is hard for me to remember allll the goals I have actually set for myself. Have you been there, too? If you thrive with lots of goals in lots of different categories and can actually keep up with them, I admire you, and I am cheering you on! However, if you’re (again) like me, then you might need a little goal simplification. I’ve realized I just can’t keep track of goals in so many different categories. Instead, I’m a biggg fan of goal simplification. I try to create broad themes to come back to throughout the year, and over the last 5 or so years, I have come up with a “word of the year” to utilize as a quick-assessment to refocus towards the goals I set at the beginning of the year.
So are you ready to build the 2025 of your dreams? Let’s do it! (& let’s do it very on theme for elää wellness…in a science-backed way to motivate you throughout the year!)
Step 1:: Reflect over 2024
Okay I know we are all ready to hope, dream, and visualize 2025, but in order to grow into 2025, we must reflect on 2024. We did a guided journal sesh podcast reflecting over 2024, so you can check that out here! I went through the episode about a week ago with my husband, and it truly helped me to plan for 2025 while also narrowing down my goals for 2025 based on my 2024 reflection! So if you’re struggling to narrow down your goals and visions, then I highly recommend that episode! Here is a quick rundown::
Tips & Tricks for Reflecting on 2024
Simplify your reflection! Break up the year into thirds or quarters so you can see broad themes and progressions throughout the year
I try to keep it simple by categorizing my reflection into 2-3 categories. For example, my categories this year were personal, professional, and relating back to my word of 2024, joy. However, if your goals for 2024 were based on travel or finances, then maybe make those part of your reflection categories, too!
I struggle remembering what I did throughout the year, so I find it helpful to have my phone by me and to scroll through my camera roll! I take a lot of pictures and videos for the mems, so it is nice to be able to reflect over events that you might’ve forgotten! (when I did it, I totally forgot the eclipse was in 2024! I mean so cool!)
2024 Reflection Questions to Ask
What challenges or struggles did I experience? (again, you can break this up by category and/or time period!)
How did I handle those challenges and struggles, and is there anything I would change?
What were some of the wins I experienced?
What was I proud of?
What was I grateful for?
What are some broad shifts I noticed throughout the year, and did I like the shifts that occurred?
Is there anything in my daily routine that I want to throw out in 2025? Is there anything I want to keep?
How did my year relate back to my word of the year?
Step 2:: Pinterest Vision Board Creation
This step is all about vibes! It isn’t specific, and it is meant to be totally fun! I create a “secret” pinterest board and start to pin images, phrases, and just different photos that resonate with me. Since it is just images, videos, and phrases, you start to get a rough idea of some of the themes you are looking for in 2025. I search for certain topics, but then I also pin what feels right. I try to be as nonjudgmental with myself as possible…just pinning based on vibes I want for the new year… both personally and in my business!
Step 3:: Brainstorm goals, hopes, and dreams for 2025… then write them down!
Write down anything and everything that comes to mind for 2025. This is the time to not limit yourself when it comes to goals, hopes, and dreams. I find it so helpful to do the pinterest board before this so I can write down certain goals/visions that I was drawn to with images on pinterest! It is all about simplifying and narrowing down for me, so this is the first step! The goal with this step is to catch broad themes within your goals. For example, with my own 2025 vision planning, I noticed a theme of trying to get back into style and elevating my daily looks. I definitely did not expect that to be a theme, but it is something I was very passionate about when I was younger, so in 2025 I want to work on bringing that back!
Step 4:: Come up with 2-3 categories that speak to you
This step is critical if you need simplification within your goal-setting. I want to work to be the best version of myself in soooo many categories, but if I am trying to be the best in soooo many categories, then every category will suffer. If I can simplify it into 2-3 broad categories, then I am much more likely to carry out those goals and dreams throughout the year! My main 2 categories this year were super broad… personal & professional. I consider my 3rd category my word of the year.
Step 5:: Be open to your word of the year
This step is the most fluid process for me. In November/December of each year, I always start to think about my word for the next year. I strongly believe God places this word on my heart, so I just start being more open to His voice in that way. Usually my word of the year comes from a particular church service, devotional, or some sort of faith-based resource. It is also highly influenced by the previous year and everything I went through during the previous year. I try not to “pick” a word of the year…I more so let it come to me! However, one of the ways to choose your word of the year is to look at all of your hopes and dreams for the new year and try to come up with a common theme. I know this can be so vague, so here are some examples of my previous words::
Joy:: joy has been my word of the year twice! The first time was around 2 years after we got married, and I experienced so much joy in just growing in our marriage, expanding our family with our dog, Togo, and so much more! Joy was also my word for 2024, and it presented itself differently this past year. Rather than experiencing joyful events, I was forced to find joy in struggle, and the end of the year was ultimately the most joyful and soul-fulfilling time of 2024.
Behold:: a very weird choice for a word, I know. However, it presented itself to me during a mass where we were reading about Mary and her “yes” to carry God’s son. “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.” It felt right, and it reminded me that BEHOLD, God can do amazing things.
Healing:: My word of the year for 2025 is healing. 2024 was a very challenging year for me in so many ways, and over the past 1-2 years, I felt like I lost myself a bit. I heard the word “healing” during a sermon in church and sat on it for a bit. I put it in the back of my head, knowing that it had the potential to be my word of the year for 2025. The more I thought about it, the more I knew it was my word for 2025. It describes my goals for so many categories, and I love it! The end of 2024 has also already felt like a time of healing, so I am so excited for what 2025 will bring!
As you can see, finding a word of the year is a long process for me. Ultimately, it is a mix of prayer, being open to any word, and reflection over 2024.
Step 6:: Narrow down your goals
Now you have your categories, your word of the year, your pinterest board… it is time to actually narrow down your hopes, dreams, and goals for the year! Refer back to your looonggg list of goals to see which ones can fit into certain categories and mirror your word of the year and pinterest board! If a goal doesn’t seem like it fits, mark through it. I try to create 2-3 more specific goals under each category to focus on throughout the year. For example, in my professional category, I have a “quality over quantity” goal. This encompasses relationships, networking, customers, content,... so many different aspects of my business! In the personal category, I want to refine my closet and style, buying higher quality, longer lasting pieces while also dressing up more in general! Check out this episode where we discuss some of my other visions for 2025!
Step 7:: The science-backed way to stay motivated in your goals
Visualization, hoping, and dreaming is great, but how can we maintain the motivation to go after our vision for 2025 all year? This is where we get a bit science-y. The way to stay motivated in your goals is to actually visualize what would happen if you didn’t reach your goals. Visualizing success is helpful and beneficial, but in order to change your brain chemistry to be more motivated to go after a certain goal, it is more helpful to visualize your life without reaching a certain goal or doing certain actions to help you achieve a goal. “Way to end on a downer, Kelsy.” I know I know…but if we want to get real and actually achieve our goals, it helps to shift our brain chemistry towards motivation!
So there you have it… the 20-something’s guide to creating the 2025 of your dreams… and of course the science behind actually achieving it! I would love for you to share your 2025 hopes, dreams, goals, categories, words…whatever works for you! My hope is that 2025 is filled with laughter, creativity, joy, & healing for each and everyone of you. Thank you for being a part of the sisterhood, and I am so excited for what 2025 has in store!
In health & happiness,
Kelsy
