Begin to Thrive in '25

Have you ever started the new year with so much momentum, only to feel it fade by the time January turns into February? It’s such a common experience—setting big goals, making plans, and then watching as old patterns creep back in.

Back in 2019, I spent my first New Year’s Eve alone with just my dog. I chose to leave a multi-day retreat early because something in my gut told me I needed solitude to greet the new year. It felt deeply important to pause and reflect on where I was in my life.

That night, I decided to approach the year ahead differently. I didn’t set resolutions—I took stock of my life in a meaningful way, thinking about what well-being looked like for me across different areas of life and envisioning a future self, the most authentic version of myself, I wanted to be closer to being one year later.

Throughout the year I broke those broader aspirations into smaller, monthly goals and checked in regularly with myself and the intentions I set.

I also knew it was important to approach this process with inner compassion. Change is hard, and it’s easy to fall into self-judgment when things don’t go as planned.

There were times I didn’t meet my goals, but instead of beating myself up, I reflected on what happened. I examined factors that might have prevented me from meeting the goal and tried to mitigate those factors for the next month. Sometimes, I adjusted the goal itself as I recognized it was no longer aligned with what I wanted.

It wasn’t a rigid process. It was fluid, evolving with me as I went along. And over that year, I made progress—not just in meeting goals, but in creating a more intentional, fulfilling life.

One thing that helped me stay the course was having an encouragement toolkit for personal growth—filled with resources for the tough times.

This included encouraging quotes, reminders of my purpose, and little things that lifted me when I felt like giving up. I knew difficult times would arise, and they surely did. These resources helped me navigate those challenges without throwing out the whole process.

Since that New Year’s Eve, I’ve continued to use this framework, refining it each year. And I’ve realized it's not necessary to wait for January 1 to begin. Any day can be the start of a yearlong journey to self-improvement.

This framework has been so transformative for me that I decided to share it through a course I'm developing: Vision Voyage: Navigating Goals with Precision and Purpose. It’s a self-paced process, grounded in mindful goal-setting and inner compassion, essential elements to help you align with your true self and create meaningful change.

The course itself isn’t yearlong but provides a framework for planning your own yearlong personal growth journey, ready to start whenever you are.

So now that 2025 is underway and perhaps many resolutions are already distant memories, perhaps it's good to remember your journey to making positive change actually starts whenever you're ready.

The journey isn’t always easy, but with the right tools and mindset, it’s possible to create lasting growth and live more intentionally. Whether it’s January or July, there’s no better time to begin.