Starting 2024, I sat down and spent a few days reviewing a list of things I wanted to accomplish before the year ended. As I'm now doing the same for the year of 2025, I wanted to evaluate, reflect, and address all of the items on my resolution list. I nearly completed all of them, which is something I'm proud to share. I've shared many of my struggles with various mental health battles and neurodivergence in the past, and those often get in the way of being as productive as I set out to be. On to the list!
Get into working out 3x a week as a habit Nearly completed. I joined a gym, but that closed down suddenly in the spring. I then joined a social kickboxing group, but the social element of that became something I needed to take space from, so I stepped away from it. But I made sure that at a minimum of 3x every week I walked Ruby an average of 3.5 miles, and I'm counting it here. I'd like to revisit this goal for the 2025 year with gym/classes more in mind.
Start running training with ruby Completed. I bought a bungee-based waist-wrapping leash intended to be used for running with a dog, and Ruby does so well with it now! I can ask her to "run" and she'll trot at a pace for a jog, and if I tell her to "mush" she'll set into a sprint speed (which sometimes pulls me a bit).
Get the job Completed. This was just a way of saying "get a new job," which I desperately needed. My old team and the dynamics were absolutely horrendous. My therapist wanted me to leave it in 2023. I wanted to leave it starting in spring of 2022. Leadership took to great lengths to create a hostile environment, so feeling positive and confident as I went into interviews was difficult. But, I did it! And I went into the Christmas holiday with no strings to the old team whatsoever. Thank the Lord! He took His time, but blessed my efforts with something that I think will be a healthy role to rehab my perspective on work and my expectations from a team. I'm grateful for the opportunity to hopefully recover from burnout without further losses.
Get the bob Completed. I've wanted to cut my hair short for maybe a decade. After growing up with such long hair (and so much of it, with its slightly coarse texture) for so long, I wanted to go short. It took me a few years to ease into it, but I got a lob with bangs at the end of 2023. I didn't love the length and went back to get it cut into a classic bob which I wanted to blowout and style curly. I loved it. It was so delightful. Putting my hair into little Dutch braids for workouts was so fun. My mother prefers it longer, so I grew it out to have armpit-length hair for a family wedding in December of 2024. I'm still not sure I want to keep growing it out instead of getting another bob, but I have time! And it's just hair - it'll always grow. I'm grateful for something as superficial as fast-growing, healthy hair and what the Lord has gifted me with on top of my head. It might sprout a few greys here and there, but that's just the cost of surviving the passage of time.
Read my Bible (James, Romans, Hebrews) Completed. I started Hebrews and took notes pretty diligently for a few weeks this year. I didn't stick to it, and started James. Didn't stick to that daily. I did not get to Romans but for a few times.
Apply for membership at Trinity Not completed. The local church I have been attending for the last 4 years went through a lot of changes in the second half of the year. While these did not cause me to have any failures of the faith, I did take a moment to reflect on how the elders handled the issues. I am grateful for clear, articulate direction from church elders. I am grateful for the Lord's grace in my delinquency on this task. I hope this new year will be the right time... and that I'll have the discipline for it.
Start dating again Completed. It may have been poorly done and arguably a friendship-costing mistake, but I did in fact go on a date in 2024. I also spoke with a few friends who were eager to get me connected with bachelors in their network. I'm hopeful 2025 is more fruitful in this area (and truly, my mother is most hopeful that I "find love in 2025" to the point of maybe a delusional confidence that "it'll happen." I'm not certain that's God's timing, so until then, I'll just wait it out). I am proud of myself, though, for how I conducted myself surrounding the circumstances of the date. I made sure to keep high emotional guards up in the friendship leading to the date, healthy intimate heart-boundaries on the date, and firm boundaries on disrespectful behavior after the date. I've never gently stood up for myself after mistreatment in romantic situations before, and I am grateful for the discipline the Lord has let me learn and execute. I think I will miss the friend, but I don't trust myself to retain that friendship without putting my heart at risk. Onto the next thing, whatever it may be!
Be a good friend (1x call/week) Completed. I became a little chatterbug this year, opting for phone calls over text threads. I had significant conversations with people often and feel as though I was able to be there for my people when they needed. I also took up baking bread, which meant I had a lot of spare loaves. I brought many baked goodies to friends in this exploratory time. I hosted game nights! I'm grateful for the community the Lord has granted me this past year and looking forward to blessing others in the year to come.
Be a present friend (1x hangout/month) Completed. Starting in July I spent a lot of time with others in social settings. As I mentioned, I hosted game nights, I hosted dinners, I organized parties, baked for celebrations, etc. I got to bring friends meals at lunch, I got to provide rides for coworkers during an offsite. I like doing things with people, and I was able to remove a lot of the anxiety of being out by opening my own doors. I'm so grateful for the energy the Lord provided me with this year to be a present friend.
Renew my passport Completed. With my fresh bob haircut I spent time taking my picture, printing it out at CVS, and getting the forms completed to get a new passport and passport card. I'm grateful for the opportunities this passport will provide me to travel the world and explore the Lord's wonderful creation.
Clean out my closet Adjusted. Instead of clearing out my closet, I adopted a "no-buy" model. My closet has enough things in it - I don't need new clothes, not unless something I've worn does not fit or has fallen apart beyond salvation via mending. I'm still trying to sort out a good manner to get rid of clothes that are still valuable, but I have not put focused effort into it. I did get a new dresser and parted with my old dressers, though, and that gave me time to better organize all of my clothes. I also reorganized my closet, which felt good. I just have more to do in the way of parting what I no longer need.
Fix •the corner• of my bedroom Completed. I moved my desk into my guest room, and I moved my easel and art supplies into the guest room (and the closet). I moved things around to get my loveseat (the very first thing I bought for this place, for a whopping $100!) into my room. I moved Ruby's crate into the corner which now has become a slightly messy stacking spot, but the space is functional and more dynamic than it was previously.
Photography 1x/month Not completed. This was probably too ambitious alongside the goals to paint and write often. But! I did get a few family clients at the end of the year for Christmas cards. I also got to take photos of my brother's engagement! Overall, though, photography has always been the easy reach for a creative outlet. Maybe if I travel more in 2025 I'll get to execute against this better.
Painting 1x/quarter Not completed. I painted once this year after I moved the easel and my paints into the guest room. I spent some time working on some watercolors of Florentine streets. I helped paint a set of venue watercolors for my friend's wedding invitations. I also drew for two separate wedding invites! But more to grow in the way of dedicating time to creating.
Write something every day Not completed. Turns out spending social energy very often came at the expense of creative energy, especially when the only remaining physical creative energy is squandered away in the kitchen, trying to learn the art of sourdough.
Nine out of fifteen goals totally completed. Always more room to grow, but I'm proud of all I got done. Moving forward, I'd like to be more articulate with some SMART goals. I'm grateful for another year, I'm grateful for family, and I'm grateful for all I got to do this past year.
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