New Year, Same Me – Mindset Refresh Activated

Every year, there’s this strange pressure to believe that the next year will be “the year.” The year we’ll finally get it together. The year everything will be easier, smoother, and better. We set lofty goals, imagine sweeping changes, and convince ourselves that the only way forward is through complete transformation—as if every year prior was somehow a failure. Don’t get me wrong, progress is a good thing. Growth is essential. But the constant narrative that last year wasn’t good enough? That you weren’t good enough? That’s what I’m ready to leave behind in 2025.

For me, 2025 isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about honoring who I already am. Yes, I want more joy, more fulfillment, and more balance, but I refuse to believe that 2024 wasn’t valuable in its own way. It had its struggles, sure, but it also held moments of joy—even if they were small. Those moments mattered, and so did the ways I grew and changed, even if they weren’t part of some grand plan.

The older I get, the more I realize it’s not about becoming someone different. It’s about learning to embrace and express the person I’ve always been. This year, I want to focus on finding balance and making space for who I am—flaws, strengths, and all. Let’s talk about creating vision boards that inspire us, setting realistic goals that truly align with our lives, finding pockets of self-care even on the busiest days, and making joy a priority in the tiniest, most beautiful ways.

In 2025, let’s stop chasing perfection and start appreciating who we are right now. Let’s build on the foundation of what 2024 gave us, instead of letting society convince us we’re not enough. This year, the focus is on you, exactly as you are.

Start With Gratitude

When a year has been exceptionally hard, finding gratitude can feel almost impossible. Maybe it was filled with loss, strained relationships, financial stress, or career disappointments. It’s easy—and even natural—to feel like everything was stacked against you. And you know what? It’s okay to sit with that for a while. It’s okay to acknowledge the weight of a bad year and let yourself feel all of it. But I just do not want you staying there. At some point, you owe it to yourself to start looking for the tiniest slivers of light, because even in the worst moments, there’s almost always something worth holding onto.

Gratitude doesn’t have to be big or grand. In fact, when life feels like it’s falling apart, gratitude often comes from the simplest places. Maybe it’s as small as waking up and taking another breath, the fact that you fought to get through the day, or the kindness of a stranger holding the door for you. Maybe it’s the warmth of a cup of coffee in your hands or the way your dog’s tail wagged when you walked through the door. It doesn’t have to be huge to matter.

So, how do you start finding those pieces of gratitude when everything feels dark? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Go Small and Specific
   Don’t overthink it. Gratitude doesn’t have to be for something life-changing. Start with the bare minimum: "I’m thankful I woke up today." "I’m thankful for my favorite blanket that kept me warm." "I’m thankful I had five minutes of quiet before the chaos began." By focusing on these small details, you’ll start to notice more of them.

2. Reflect on the People in Your Life
   Even in tough times, there’s often someone who made your day a little easier. Maybe it was a text from a friend checking in on you, a coworker who covered for you when you needed a break, or a family member who gave you an unexpected hug. Gratitude for these moments reminds us that we’re not alone, even when life feels isolating.

3. Think About What You’ve Learned
   Hard years often teach us the most. What did 2024 teach you about yourself? Maybe you learned how resilient you are, how to set boundaries, or how to ask for help. Gratitude for growth—even if it came from struggle—is a powerful way to shift your mindset.

4. Celebrate the Wins, No Matter How Small
   Did you make it through a tough day? Did you tackle even one thing on your to-do list? Did you try something new, even if it didn’t work out perfectly? These small wins matter because they show progress, no matter how incremental it feels.

5. Keep a Gratitude Journal
   Write down one thing each day that you’re grateful for, no matter how small. On bad days, it might feel forced, but over time, you’ll train your brain to notice the good more naturally. By the end of the year, you’ll have a record of moments that brought light to your life—even if they were fleeting.

6. Appreciate the Present Moment
   Sometimes gratitude isn’t about reflecting on the past but about pausing in the present. Take a deep breath. Notice how it feels to sit in the sunshine, hear your favorite song, or taste something delicious. Being present can be its own form of gratitude.

Starting with gratitude doesn’t erase the hard times, but it does remind us that they don’t define the entire story. Gratitude shifts your focus from what’s missing to what’s already there. And when you start from a place of abundance, you’re building a foundation of hope and possibility for the year ahead.

Even if all you can manage is, “I’m thankful for being here,” that’s enough. Because gratitude is less about what you have and more about how you see the world—and that shift in perspective can change everything.

Create a Vision Board That Reflects Your Values

You’ve probably heard of a vision board before and might be wondering, “Why can’t I just set goals?” We’ll get to the goals in a bit, but here’s the thing about a great vision board: it’s an overview of what you want out of your life. It’s not about the nitty-gritty details—it’s about creating a visual representation of the themes and aspirations you want to focus on.

Back in the era of magazines, vision boards were made by flipping through pages, cutting out pictures of dream vacations, stylish outfits, or even your future boyfriend. As a teenager, it felt like a natural part of life, a way to daydream and visualize your future. But as adults, we can do things a little differently. If you’re someone who still loves that tactile, hands-on approach, by all means, grab those magazines and scissors! But if you’re more into digital tools, platforms like Canva can make creating a vision board easier and more accessible.

Here’s how I approach my vision board:

Step 1: Reflect on Your Big Picture

Start by asking yourself, “What do I want my life to feel like this year?” Notice I said feel—this isn’t about specifics just yet. For example, on my 2025 vision board, I included themes like "me time" (because as a mom, carving out time for myself is non-negotiable), "organization" (hello, cleaning out the basement and saying goodbye to the baby phase), and "growth" (for both my side business and finances).

Think about the areas of your life that matter most—health, family, career, personal fulfillment—and consider what you’d like to see happen in those spaces.

Step 2: Find Your Inspiration

Once you’ve identified your themes, gather visuals that represent those ideas. For me, that meant home organization items for my goal to streamline my space, symbols of financial security for setting up trusts for my kids, and images that inspire me to prioritize my health. Your vision board doesn’t have to be overly polished—it just needs to resonate with you.

Whether you prefer physical or digital formats, start collecting images, words, or phrases that align with your intentions. For digital boards, Canva is a fantastic tool. You can create a collage of images that visually sum up your goals for the year.

Step 3: Get Personal

Your vision board should reflect you. On mine, there’s a lot about family time. Next year is a big one for me because it’s the last year before I have a high schooler, and I know how fast those years fly by. I want to be intentional about soaking up time with my kids while they’re still at home. It’s not about putting pressure on myself to be perfect—it’s about reminding myself to prioritize what truly matters.

Step 4: Display It Where You’ll See It

The purpose of a vision board is to keep your goals and dreams front and center. Put it somewhere you’ll see it every day—whether that’s your office, your bedroom, or as the background on your phone or computer. Seeing it regularly helps keep your intentions fresh in your mind.

Step 5: Use It as a Foundation for Goal-Setting

Once your vision board is complete, use it to inform your SMART goals (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). For instance, if "health" is a theme, a SMART goal might be: “Walk 30 minutes, three times a week.” If "organization" is on your board, a goal could be: “Declutter one room each month.” Your vision board is the why, and your goals are the how.

Vision boards are about more than just pretty pictures—they’re a tool to help you visualize the life you want and anchor yourself in your priorities. Whether your board is physical or digital, filled with magazine cutouts or Canva creations, it’s a reminder to focus on what truly matters to you. So, take the time to create yours and let it guide you through the year ahead. Let it inspire you to find balance, joy, and fulfillment in the way only you can.

Set SMART Goals

Now that you’ve created your vision board, it’s time to transform those dreams into actionable goals. Your vision board is the why, but your goals are the how. This is where you get specific and create a plan that will guide you through the year.

Before diving into your goals, I always recommend having a dedicated journal specifically for tracking them—nothing else. If you don’t have a journal, you can easily create something digital or printable that aligns with your daily or monthly goals. For example, I’ve made myself a self-care sheet that I fill out daily. It’s something I can print and use to stay on top of my health and self-care goals. You can create something similar for yourself.

In addition to this, I keep a separate journal—almost like a diary—for my broader, long-term goals. This is where I track the steps I want to achieve month by month. It doesn’t really matter what your system looks like, as long as it works for you.

You can browse Pinterest for ideas, ask friends what systems they’re using, or even combine multiple techniques to find what resonates with your style. The key is creating a process that keeps you organized and motivated to achieve the goals you’ve set for yourself.

SMART goals are a game-changer because they take the overwhelm out of goal-setting. Instead of vague ideas like, “I want to exercise more,” you get clear, actionable steps like, “I’ll walk for 20 minutes twice a week.” By breaking your goals down into manageable pieces, you create a plan that’s not only realistic but also empowering. SMART stands for —specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. This way you can narrow down how to achieve these goals.

Step 1: Break Down Your Vision Board into Sections

Look at your vision board and identify the major themes or areas of focus. For me, this includes health, organization, family time, and growing my side business. Each section represents a priority, but instead of tackling them all at once, take it step by step.

Step 2: Use a Dedicated Journal

One of the best ways to stay organized is to dedicate a specific journal to your goals. This isn’t just any notebook—it’s a space solely for tracking what you want to accomplish. I find that if I mix my goals in with other notes or to-do lists, they get lost. So, I clear everything else out and make this journal my go-to spot for goal-setting and tracking progress.

Step 3: Get Specific with SMART Goals

SMART goals—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound—are the key to turning your vision into reality. Let’s break this down with an example:

• Health Goal: Instead of saying, "I want to get in shape," I set a SMART goal like, “Walk on my treadmill twice a week and lift weights for 20 minutes a week.”

• Why It Works: It’s specific (walk and lift weights), measurable (two treadmill sessions and 20 minutes of weights), achievable (it fits into my current schedule), relevant (it supports my health focus), and time-bound (weekly progress).

SMART GOALS

Step 4: Start Small and Build Consistency

It’s tempting to set grand, sweeping goals like, “I’ll work out five times a week” or “I’ll declutter my entire house in a month.” But those goals can quickly become overwhelming and unachievable. Instead, start with smaller, manageable steps. For example:

• If your vision board includes “organization,” start with one area, like cleaning out a single closet this month.

• If it includes “family time,” commit to one dedicated family game night or outing each week.

By starting small, you build momentum and set yourself up for long-term success.

Step 5: Celebrate Your Wins

Hitting even your smallest goals is an accomplishment worth celebrating. When I hit my weekly health goals, I feel proud, not just because I checked something off my list, but because I know I was realistic and consistent. Progress, no matter how incremental, is still progress—and it’s the kind that sticks.

Step 6: Revisit and Adjust as Needed

Life happens, and goals might need to shift. That’s okay! Your goals should work for you, not against you. Check in with your journal regularly, reassess what’s working, and tweak what isn’t.

Prioritize Tiny Moments of Joy

To all the women out there—whether you’re lost in the demands of motherhood, stepping into college for the first time, celebrating your recent graduation, looking for a fresh start, or navigating who you are in your 30s, 40s, and beyond—this is for you. These lessons about growth, self-care, and finding joy are universal and adaptable to every stage of life. This journey is yours to embrace.

Learning to celebrate the small wins is one of the hardest, yet most important, lessons we can take with us. We often think we need a big reason to celebrate—like losing 30 pounds, running a marathon, or landing our dream job. And while those achievements are amazing and deserve recognition, they don’t happen overnight. They’re the result of countless tiny, everyday moments that build toward something greater.

The truth is, those tiny moments matter. They are the stepping stones to every major milestone. But in the chaos of life, it’s easy to overlook them. Life gets busy, and self-care can feel impossible. You’re juggling work, relationships, family, and everything else on your plate. It can feel like there’s no time for joy.

But joy doesn’t have to come from grand gestures. Sometimes, it’s found in the simplest things: savoring a quiet cup of coffee before the day starts, taking five minutes to journal and clear your mind, or turning up your favorite song while folding laundry. These little pockets of happiness add up. They’re not insignificant—they’re foundational.

So, whether you’re a college student adjusting to your first apartment, a busy mom trying to balance it all, or simply someone navigating life’s ups and downs, don’t discount the power of those small moments. Celebrate the little victories: getting out of bed on a tough day, choosing a healthier option at lunch, or finishing a project, even if it’s not perfect. These moments are just as worthy of celebration as the big ones.

The beauty of joy is that it can exist even in the busiest, most overwhelming seasons of life. You don’t have to wait for perfect circumstances to feel it. Start small. Start simple. Because the tiny moments of today are the building blocks for the big moments of tomorrow. And you deserve to celebrate them all.

Set Boundaries With Yourself and Others

Let’s talk about boundaries—because we’re going to talk about them a lot. In fact, they’re so essential to your well-being that they might as well become a core part of your personality. Boundaries aren’t just a buzzword or a trendy self-help concept—they’re the foundation for a balanced, healthy, and joyful life.

Boundaries are important in every aspect of life. When we think about self-care, it often starts with boundaries: boundaries with your partner, your children, your friends, your in-laws, and even your parents. It’s about understanding where your needs end and someone else’s begin. It’s about saying, “This is what I need to thrive,” and being unapologetic about protecting that space.

But boundaries don’t stop with the people closest to us—they also extend to societal standards. Society loves to tell us how we should look, act, and live our lives. We’re bombarded with messages about what success, beauty, and happiness are supposed to look like, and it’s exhausting. Setting boundaries with these external pressures is just as important as setting them with people. It means deciding that you don’t have to meet anyone else’s expectations to feel valid or worthy.

Part of finding balance in the new year is tuning out all that noise. Society will always have something to say about what you “should” be doing—but here’s the thing: your journey is yours alone. Your goals, your priorities, and your dreams belong to you, not the people on Instagram, the family members with unsolicited advice, or the standards plastered across magazine covers.

Setting boundaries isn’t selfish—it’s self-preservation. Boundaries protect your time, your energy, and your mental health. They allow you to show up as your best self for the things and people that truly matter. When you create these boundaries, you’re sending a powerful message: “I matter. My needs matter. My well-being matters.”

And the best part? Boundaries empower you to stop apologizing for prioritizing yourself. You don’t have to explain why you need time alone, why you’re saying no to something, or why you’re choosing rest over productivity. Boundaries give you permission to live your life authentically, unapologetically, and on your own terms.

So this year, let’s make boundaries a part of who we are. Let’s protect our peace, value our energy, and prioritize our well-being. Because when we set boundaries, we’re not just drawing lines—we’re creating the space we need to thrive.

Celebrate the Process, Not Just the Outcome

Have you ever seen a growth graph? The one thing that stands out is how it never shoots directly straight up. There are peaks and valleys, moments of rapid progress followed by dips, and periods where growth seems to plateau. Some years bring huge leaps forward, while others feel slow or even like you’re moving backward. And guess what? That’s normal. It’s all part of the journey.

Life is full of seasons—some for thriving, others for surviving. A year that feels like a setback doesn’t mean it’s a bad year. Sometimes it’s a year of rest, recalibration, or laying the groundwork for future growth. Even during those “low” years, you’re still moving forward in ways you might not immediately see. Stability and small progress are just as valuable as those big, celebratory milestones.

Here’s the important part: growth isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence. The dips and plateaus don’t erase the progress you’ve made—they’re part of the story. Even if you’re not seeing huge results, the effort you put in matters.

How to Embrace the Journey of Growth

1. Celebrate Small Wins
   Every step forward is progress, no matter how small. Did you try something new? Make it through a tough week? Learn something, even if it was through failure? Celebrate it. Acknowledging these moments keeps you motivated and focused on the bigger picture.

2. Reframe Setbacks as Lessons
   Setbacks aren’t failures—they’re opportunities to learn. Maybe a plan didn’t work out, or you missed a goal. Ask yourself: What can I learn from this? How can I adjust moving forward? Growth often comes from the lessons we learn in our hardest moments.

3. Track Your Progress
   When growth feels slow, it can help to have a tangible way to see how far you’ve come. Keep a journal, take pictures, or jot down achievements—big and small. Looking back can remind you that even during the valleys, you’ve been climbing.

4. Practice Patience
   Real, lasting growth takes time. Instead of expecting overnight success, give yourself grace. Trust that the small, consistent actions you’re taking will lead to bigger results over time.

5. Focus on the Journey, Not Just the Destination
   It’s easy to fixate on the end goal, but the process of getting there is where the real magic happens. Who are you becoming in the process? How are you growing emotionally, mentally, or spiritually, even if the physical results aren’t there yet?

6. Surround Yourself with Positivity
   Growth can feel lonely, especially when progress is slow. Surround yourself with people, resources, and environments that uplift and encourage you. Whether it’s friends, mentors, or motivational books and podcasts, the right support system can make all the difference.

Remember, Growth Is Unique to You

Your journey won’t look like anyone else’s—and it shouldn’t. Comparing your progress to others only leads to frustration. Focus on your own path, your own goals, and your own timeline. Growth is deeply personal, and what matters is that you keep moving forward, no matter the pace.

So when the graph of your life doesn’t shoot straight up, don’t be discouraged. Peaks and valleys are part of the process. Each effort, each lesson, and each small step forward is a victory worth celebrating. Growth isn’t about how fast you move; it’s about continuing to move, even when the path feels uneven.

2025 isn’t about reinventing yourself. It’s about finding ways to embrace and celebrate who you already are while continuing to grow. It’s about joy, balance, and making space for the things that matter most. So this year, let’s leave behind the pressure to be perfect and focus instead on being present, grateful, and true to ourselves. Because you are enough—right now, and every year to come.