Lori, I deeply appreciate the gentleness and wisdom in your reflections here. Your approach resonates with me, especially the idea of aligning with the seasons rather than the calendar. It’s a refreshing reminder to honor where we are energetically and emotionally instead of forcing a prescribed timeline for change.
I love how you offer such creative alternatives, like choosing a word, color, or sensation for the year. These ideas feel expansive, allowing space for intention without the rigidity of resolutions. The notion of embracing the fallow season is particularly poignant—it’s such a beautiful metaphor for rest and renewal before growth.
Thank you for sharing these insights, and for holding space for compassionate, sustainable change. Wishing you a cozy and nourishing transition into 2025!
Thank you so much, Jay, for your thoughtful and kind words! My hope is to support precisely the kind of “compassionate, sustainable change” that you described. I feel seen!
Wishing you a cozy and nourishing transition as well! 💚
Lori, I’m so glad my words resonated with you—it’s such a gift to feel that mutual understanding. The way you frame change as compassionate and sustainable feels so aligned with the shifts I’ve been exploring in my own life.
Thank you for sharing your reflections and offering such meaningful approaches to embracing this transition. Here’s to a 2025 filled with rest, renewal, and intentional growth for both of us! 💚
Definitely a big NO to resolutions Lori ! And an enthusiastic YES to word of the year. Mine is daydream and if it was a colour it would be a pale blue ‘vast skies’ Thank you 🙏
That’s a great exception to prove the rule, Phil! :) Do you do anything in particular to reflect on the year that’s ending or to plan, intention, or prepare for the year to come? I’m curious if you have anything you’d like to recommend.
I am anti-resolution. HAHA! And I mean that with care and kindness, everyone can choose their own pathway.
But I've noticed within myself, and nearly every client that I have worked with, that resolutions just don't work... and often, they lead to unhelpful experiences and shame.
I'm more of an "intention-oriented" person now. And it is interesting how much my personal approach blends so well with the creative and insightful approaches you outline.
My theme for 2025 is "Delight." I leverage themes that can be a north star, but that I can also feel. Delight, to me, is about finding the simple joy in life's micromoments. And it takes true presence to feel delighted. Delight is all-encompassing of what I hope to feel and achieve in 2025.
Thank you for sharing so much with me this year. I'm grateful to have met you!
Alex, thank you for sharing your perspective. We have a lot in common when it comes to anti-resolutions!
Your theme for 2025 is beautiful and, at least for me, really demanding in its call to be radically present to each micromoment. What potential delight has to be transformative! I am so excited to see how this year unfolds for you, and equally grateful for all that you’ve shared with me! :)
I completely agree; often well-intentioned, most resolutions fail because they are too harsh, unrealistic, and don't take into account how life unfolds. If I had a resolution, it would be to remain open to possibilities and approach stressful situations with curiosity and a mindful approach, if possible.
Thanks, Gail! I love the idea of resolving to being curiosity, openness, and mindfulness to our lives. That’s something we all could benefit from adopting! 💚
Nailed it! I rethink the days or months ahead when it seems right. Often, it is October, which means I'm on a roll with momentum when others are approaching January.
I love that flexibility and adaptability, Georgia! We really don’t need to pressure ourselves to be on the same schedule as anyone else. How wonderful to listen to our own intuition and adjust accordingly!
Lori, I appreciate your provocative yet well-grounded thoughts on New Year's resolutions. I can't entirely disagree with you. I often feel the urge to set new goals around my birthday, a more natural cycle in my mind from an astrological perspective. However, I love setting goals for the New Year and take them seriously. They're not simply "resolutions" to easily break. I'll set goals at any time of the year, though, and change them up as I need them! I'm sure many people need permission to not make New Year's resolutions and I love the alternatives you've provided.
Sandra, thank you for your nuanced reflections! I agree, there is something natural for me about setting goals around my birthday (which isn’t close to NYE).
And, furthermore, I agree that setting goals is different than what we typically see when people are making resolutions. There’s no problem in my mind with using our typical goal-setting strategies this time of year, if that aligns with our energy, emotion, and mental focus. But resolutions that lack that goal-setting foundation are a recipe for failure, and I hate to see people go through that experience. I’m glad to hear that you’ve found a way to honor your energy for change with a solid goal-setting process!
Lori, I deeply appreciate the gentleness and wisdom in your reflections here. Your approach resonates with me, especially the idea of aligning with the seasons rather than the calendar. It’s a refreshing reminder to honor where we are energetically and emotionally instead of forcing a prescribed timeline for change.
I love how you offer such creative alternatives, like choosing a word, color, or sensation for the year. These ideas feel expansive, allowing space for intention without the rigidity of resolutions. The notion of embracing the fallow season is particularly poignant—it’s such a beautiful metaphor for rest and renewal before growth.
Thank you for sharing these insights, and for holding space for compassionate, sustainable change. Wishing you a cozy and nourishing transition into 2025!
Thank you so much, Jay, for your thoughtful and kind words! My hope is to support precisely the kind of “compassionate, sustainable change” that you described. I feel seen!
Wishing you a cozy and nourishing transition as well! 💚
Lori, I’m so glad my words resonated with you—it’s such a gift to feel that mutual understanding. The way you frame change as compassionate and sustainable feels so aligned with the shifts I’ve been exploring in my own life.
Thank you for sharing your reflections and offering such meaningful approaches to embracing this transition. Here’s to a 2025 filled with rest, renewal, and intentional growth for both of us! 💚
Definitely a big NO to resolutions Lori ! And an enthusiastic YES to word of the year. Mine is daydream and if it was a colour it would be a pale blue ‘vast skies’ Thank you 🙏
So juicy, Lisa! I love the way that your word and color convey spaciousness and possibility to me. Thanks for bringing us in! 🩵
I resolved, way back in my 20s, not to make New Year's resolutions anymore, and I've stuck with it! Phil
That’s a great exception to prove the rule, Phil! :) Do you do anything in particular to reflect on the year that’s ending or to plan, intention, or prepare for the year to come? I’m curious if you have anything you’d like to recommend.
Such a wonderful article.
I am anti-resolution. HAHA! And I mean that with care and kindness, everyone can choose their own pathway.
But I've noticed within myself, and nearly every client that I have worked with, that resolutions just don't work... and often, they lead to unhelpful experiences and shame.
I'm more of an "intention-oriented" person now. And it is interesting how much my personal approach blends so well with the creative and insightful approaches you outline.
My theme for 2025 is "Delight." I leverage themes that can be a north star, but that I can also feel. Delight, to me, is about finding the simple joy in life's micromoments. And it takes true presence to feel delighted. Delight is all-encompassing of what I hope to feel and achieve in 2025.
Thank you for sharing so much with me this year. I'm grateful to have met you!
Alex, thank you for sharing your perspective. We have a lot in common when it comes to anti-resolutions!
Your theme for 2025 is beautiful and, at least for me, really demanding in its call to be radically present to each micromoment. What potential delight has to be transformative! I am so excited to see how this year unfolds for you, and equally grateful for all that you’ve shared with me! :)
I completely agree; often well-intentioned, most resolutions fail because they are too harsh, unrealistic, and don't take into account how life unfolds. If I had a resolution, it would be to remain open to possibilities and approach stressful situations with curiosity and a mindful approach, if possible.
Thanks, Gail! I love the idea of resolving to being curiosity, openness, and mindfulness to our lives. That’s something we all could benefit from adopting! 💚
Nailed it! I rethink the days or months ahead when it seems right. Often, it is October, which means I'm on a roll with momentum when others are approaching January.
I love that flexibility and adaptability, Georgia! We really don’t need to pressure ourselves to be on the same schedule as anyone else. How wonderful to listen to our own intuition and adjust accordingly!
Lori, I appreciate your provocative yet well-grounded thoughts on New Year's resolutions. I can't entirely disagree with you. I often feel the urge to set new goals around my birthday, a more natural cycle in my mind from an astrological perspective. However, I love setting goals for the New Year and take them seriously. They're not simply "resolutions" to easily break. I'll set goals at any time of the year, though, and change them up as I need them! I'm sure many people need permission to not make New Year's resolutions and I love the alternatives you've provided.
Sandra, thank you for your nuanced reflections! I agree, there is something natural for me about setting goals around my birthday (which isn’t close to NYE).
And, furthermore, I agree that setting goals is different than what we typically see when people are making resolutions. There’s no problem in my mind with using our typical goal-setting strategies this time of year, if that aligns with our energy, emotion, and mental focus. But resolutions that lack that goal-setting foundation are a recipe for failure, and I hate to see people go through that experience. I’m glad to hear that you’ve found a way to honor your energy for change with a solid goal-setting process!
I agree!
Thanks, Marina! Wishing you a wonderful 2025! 💚
Thank you 😊 hope your new year is great!
Thanks! 😊💚