Happy 2025 y’all! I literally can not believe it. 2020 does not feel like five years ago. And, at the same time, it feels like 30 years ago. Time is so weird like that. Every new year that comes is such a reminder to be present in every moment and enjoy my life, because it goes by in the blink of an eye.
The last time I made a New Year’s Resolutions post was in January of 2021. While it has some great goals on it, the list I made four years ago seems so … “silly” isn’t exactly the right word and neither is “naive”, but those are the words coming to my mind right now. And I’m sure in four years, the list that I will be sharing today will seem silly and naive, so I’m definitely not judging my past self. But the girl who wrote that list had a long way to come. I mean, I was still wearing silver jewelry back then. Come on. If you want to read that post, click here.
Today’s post is going to be about my current New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve decided this year to keep it really simple and fun when it comes to my resolutions. This year I’m all about being uncomplicated and purposeful.
2024 In Review
Okay, before I get started on this year’s resolutions, I want to talk about some goals and bucket list items I checked off in 2024:
1. I made a goal to go on 52 hikes, and I did exactly that! Although I didn’t set this goal until the beginning of February, I was still able to get in exactly 52 hikes. During the colder months I usually hike three days a week for about an hour on a trail near my home, plus there were some other really cool hikes we went on while traveling, like Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, hiking to see glaciers in Alaska, and Hawksbill Crag right here in Arkansas. During the summer months I go walking at a local park, but I obviously don’t count that as hiking. For the first time in several years, I’m actually very proud of my physical health this year, and I am planning to continue on this journey in 2025.
2. Pretty much the only resolution I made in January of last year was to get pregnant. If you have been reading this blog every week, you know that I did get pregnant in June, then had a ruptured ectopic miscarriage in July. To read the whole story, click here to read my blog post “Life Lately”.
3. For the last few years, I have felt the need to start therapy to address my anxiety. And then after my miscarriage over the summer, I knew I needed it for that as well. And I am so proud of myself for starting in the last few months! I finally found a therapist that I absolutely love, and the few sessions I’ve had have been going very well.
4. Something that has been on my bucket list for years is skydiving, and I finally went this year! I 10/10 recommend it, it is unlike anything else I have ever done. So glad to have this memory.
5. Another thing that I got to check off my bucket list this year was seeing the northern lights. I can’t wait to see them again!
2025 Resolutions
Okay. So here’s what you have been waiting on the edge of your seat for (lol), my 2025 New Year’s Resolutions!
1. Read more! I read 18 books on the Libby app last year, and a few physical books as well. If I had to guess, I would say I read 25 books in 2024. I am not going to set a specific goal for 2025, but I did thrift a bunch of books in the last few weeks, and the To Be Read bookshelf in my room is insane right now. I really want to get through it this year.
2. One of my business goals this year is to go full time in photography. This has been on my list in the past, but the last two years I have kind of put my business on the back burner, and this year I have a lot of ideas that I want to try and I am feeling very motivated to be able to quit my job as a nurse.
3. Go all in on all my relationships. With my husband, my family, my friends, and my coworkers. Ever since my miscarriage, I have kind of been in hibernation mode. And while everyone has been really understanding, I am ready to start seeing people and planning things and just having some really simple fun again.
4. Finish all home projects! While I know that, realistically, I will never really be “done” with home projects (you know I love a good thrifted DIY project), I have a few big ones that I have been putting off. I am less than halfway through refinishing our dining room chairs and table, and I really want to finish that this year. Also I have only three rooms left to finish decorating in the house – the guest bedroom/bathroom (I am only counting it as one room since I am halfway done with the bedroom, and the bathroom is so small), the master bedroom, and the master bathroom. So I really want to finish that decorating project this year too.
5. Sustainability. It’s one of the things that I preach in my photography business, and I want to up my game in my personal life this year. We are already planning on having a family garden with my in-laws on their land this year and will hopefully be able to grow much of our produce this summer. I also am recommitting to high quality recycling (the town we live in doesn’t have the best recycling options, but I am not going to let that stop me). And of course just practicing it in little ways in my everyday life.
Word of the year
I think my word of the year for 2025 will be “intentional”. That’s how I want to approach my relationships, my day-to-day life, my business, and everything in between.
I really want to know what your 2025 resolutions are! Drop a comment below, and let’s get inspired to make 2025 the best year yet!
*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. This blog post contains images that I took myself for personal use and enjoyment and are not intended to be used for marketing purposes. Most of them were taken on a cell phone, and most of them are unedited. If you are interested in viewing some galleries of my couples, intimate wedding, and elopement photography, click here. If you’re interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!
I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a couples/intimate wedding/elopement photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and access to all of my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!
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