Introduction

As an English major, diction is extremely important to me. I will gladly spend that extra time making sure that I pick exactly the right word for my essay. Grammarly always sends me those emails saying I utilize more unique words than the majority of users. I am deliberate with my word choices because every word and phrase has an unspoken connotation attached to it. For example, while “sad” and “depressed” both tell about a person’s negative state of mind, they have different connotations. Sad tends to have a finality attached to it; depressed tends to be something more long-term. Sometimes, we are unaware of these connotations. The phrase “New Year’s resolutions” has a connotation that I do not like. The word “resolution” reflects the idea that there is something that you must fix immediately. As a society, there is pressure that you must fix everything about your life as soon as possible. Psychological studies have shown that this pressure from New Year’s resolutions can cause anxiety, damaged self-esteem, and disappointment. New Year’s resolutions also tend to be very serious, adding to the pressure we feel if we struggle to accomplish them. They also encourage all-or-nothing thinking, which is known to create negative emotions in humans. When I think about New Year’s resolutions, I also think of how many people start the year with dedication yet fail to persevere through to the end of the year. All of these reasons are why I hate New Year’s resolutions. So, what is the solution? For me, the solution is to set yearly goals. The term “goal” has a more positive connotation. It is something that adapts with you as you develop throughout the year. It is something that has an end date, which helps you feel accomplished. It is something that you can return to over and over again. To me, goals are a more positive way to start the year because it encourages us to work towards something. It is not about fixing something; it is about growing. 

As a New Year’s baby, I have always been into New Year’s goals. I am so excited about my 2025 goals because I cannot wait to continue growing into the best version of myself. I made so much progress in 2024, and I am so excited to see what I can accomplish in 2025. I always set an intention for the year, and my 2025 intention is “All In!”. This means that I want to put purpose and joy behind everything that I do. I want to focus on my passions. I want to put myself out there in all parts of my life. Today, I want to share with you my 2025 goals because I think it will be helpful for both my readers and myself. As a reader, I love to hear about other people’s goals because they inspire me to accomplish mine. I also love to talk about my goals with others because it holds me accountable. So, let’s get into it!

My 2025 Goals

Educational/Professional

• Maintain good grades (around a 3.5 GPA)
• Apply for the English Honor’s program at WashU
• Create London project for Ampersand Program All the World’s the Stage – read more about this class in a past blog post
• Publish a piece of my work in a literary magazine, online publication, etc.

Hobbies

• Read 50 books – read about how I do this every year in this blog post
  • Reading The Priory of the Orange Tree and A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
  • Finish reading all of Shakespeare’s plays 
  • Read A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas
• Write a blog post every single week
• Complete a cross-stitch tapestry of Taylor Swift’s albums – I have written about my love of Taylor Swift in a past blog post

Finances

• Start building an invest portfolio ($500 minimum)
• Put assign $1,100 into my growth account for an emergency fund

Health/Wellness

• Run a 5K

Conclusion

I hope that you all are just as excited about the new year as I am! It is a time of rejuvenation. It is a time of refocus. It is a time of expansion. I am hopefully going to write a blog post at the end of 2025 to talk about the goals that I reached and how I reached them. I encourage you to take some time in the first week of 2025 to figure out your New Year’s goals if you have not already. You never know what you will accomplish in 2025 if you set your mind to it and go all in!