How I'm Starting Off 2025

What I want to do more of this year.

I’m sure that for many people, the start of 2025 means many different things. For some, it might seem like a time of hope and fresh starts. You might be starting a new job you’ve always wanted, have a new addition to your family, or have plans to take a dream vacation. For others, it might be a time of uncertainty. Our recent election resulted in the first candidate to be elected for two nonconsecutive terms since the late 1800s, and it’s someone who’s been controversial for many different reasons. And just during the start of this year, there was a terrorist attack in New Orleans, a city which used to be the home of my great aunt, as well as wildfires in California. Hearing about all the devastation going on around the country almost makes me hesitant of being too excited about this new year.

For me, I’ve been somewhere in the middle. I got to enjoy another new year with friends and had a decent holiday season overall. However, I’ve had my hours cut at work over the past few months, so I’m not making as much money as I have at other times, and my family is seeing some of our expenses going up, meaning I’ll have to be more serious about my finances. I also had my debit card locked twice recently after unauthorized payments from Amazon were nearly made with it, resulting in me having to get new cards and having certain payments put on hold. This has resulted in me further reconsidering what I do with my money and what websites or services I want to consider using.

I’ve also recently had a friend move out of her parents’ place, and because she’s still working at the same place I used to work at, she doesn’t earn enough to do additional activities with me and other friends of hers. Noticing this situation, I think about what my own situation were to be if I moved out and I worry that I might not be able to make it without having to constantly worry about money.

This leaves me with much to consider. I don’t want to live with my family for much longer, but I don’t want to struggle financially either. I want to eat healthier and some more sleep now that I’m in my thirties, but I also want to let myself enjoy smaller pleasures (including some treats and snacks) and have more nightly adventures when I have time. I want to dedicate more time to writing regularly and to continue reading regularly, but I also want to take breaks more often. I don’t want to be bothered by all the exaggerations people make of certain problems to make them seem worse than they are, but I also want to be more considerate of the needs of other people. I want to write stuff that inspires people, but I also don’t want my writing to feel like it’s coming from a simple self-help book that’s too optimistic.

The best thing for me to do right now is to find a good balance. To recognize what matters most and focus on that more often, whether it’s saving at least five hundred a month or dedicating more time to writing, while also making sure there’s some time for things that are for pleasure, like a monthly trip downtown or using some money to buy a new release. And while the best option for me right now is to remain in my current job and still live at home, I can also start making long term plans for what I’d like to do in the near future. Saving those five hundred a month would help a lot, while also start making plans to get a credit card, looking into ads for roommates online and paying close attention to the information they sure, and maybe look into college classes or job openings in areas that are close by.

Whatever I do, I know that continuing with my writing will be very beneficial. While I still hope I can soon obtain a stronger following, just writing and posting on a regular basis can be so helpful to me. I can become more aware of my strengths and weaknesses as a writer, be more open about expressing my feelings than I’d be when speaking about it in person, learn new things as I look into certain topics that might interest me, and also take part in an activity which might eventually help me gain the independence I’ve wanted for such a long time.

Our current times may be uncertain, but I’m choosing to remain hopeful and focus on improving my situation rather than giving in so easily to fear. This isn’t to say that I think this will solve all my problems, or those of anyone else for that matter, but I understand very well what can happen when people give in to all the doom they hear from others, or when they let other people dominate everything they do, and end up believing there’s nothing they can do to improve their own lives. I do not want to live this way, and so I will continue pursuing all that I want and remain open to the possibility that my life can get better. And if along the way, I can help someone else out there recognize their potential and start developing a similar mindset, I would be very pleased.

So while I won’t go ahead and claim that 2025 will be the best year ever for me, I’m still determined to make sure I can be productive and make the most of the opportunities that come my way and that I can take the time to learn from any struggles I face. I’m starting off this year with all these expectations, and even if I can’t achieve all the goals I try to make, I still think that I’ll get a lot out of this either way.