Get Ready for 2025 (It’s Not Too Late): Intention of the Year, Family Goal Setting, Vision Board, and Social Media Fast

Welcome to 2025! If your past few weeks have been anything like mine, the transition into the new year came at full speed. One moment, I was enjoying the snowy landscapes of Pennsylvania during the week between Christmas and New Year's, not really keeping track of the days and living in my comfy leggings. Then, in the blink of an eye, it hit me... 2025 is here, whether we're ready or not. 

To be honest, I'm the type of person who loves setting goals, organizing my new planner, and envisioning what the year ahead holds. When I reflect on the past few years, it's mind-boggling to see how much my life has improved and how many goals I've finally achieved, despite always saying I would. However, I'm also the type of person who often ends up with an overwhelming to-do list and tends to overestimate what I can accomplish in a single day. 

That being said, writing this blog post and helping all my virtual friends with ideas to start the year right was on my to-do list for the first few days of January. But life happened. Despite the chaos, I'm proud that I managed to take the time to align myself with the year ahead (more on this to come). So, if you're in the same boat as me, where the first few weeks of the new year flew by, rest assured that you're not alone. And honestly, you don't need a new year or a Monday to begin anew. Hopefully, my tips for finding direction and getting motivated will help you start wherever and whenever you find yourself reading this. 

Intention of the Year 

Setting an intention for the year has been a practice I've embraced for quite some time now. As I mentioned in my previous post, "We're halfway through 2024," my intention serves as a guiding word or phrase that I strive to focus on throughout the year. When faced with challenges or difficult times, I find solace in remembering my intention and staying grounded in what truly matters. Reflecting on my past post, I'm proud of the progress I made in 2024 by prioritizing rest and not constantly feeling the need to do it all. 

My intention of the year is so important to me because its something that I think about almost daily. When I encounter crossroads or tough situations, I always come back to my intention, which helps shape my next steps. Another reason why my intention of the year holds such value is that it extends beyond a single year. By consistently practicing and reminding myself of my intentions throughout the year, they become ingrained in me, and I find myself carrying those intentions from year to year. So, as I set my new intention for 2025, I know that previous intentions like rest, filling my cup, and letting go still resonate within me. 

For 2025, my word and intention is “focus on what’s most important”. Here is how I described my focus: 

This is my year of focusing on what’s most important. At any given moment, what is the most important thing I should be doing. If everything is gone tomorrow, what should I be spending my time doing? 

This is my year to let go of the endless checklists and made-up due dates I’ve given myself. It will all get done. And if it doesn’t, so what.  

Last year, I focused on resting and this year I’m slowing down and focusing on enjoying this beautiful life I worked so hard to create. I want to be present and calm for the kids. Enjoy our little house, enjoy my workouts, enjoy my cup of coffee, enjoy my husband, spend time with the people I love the most, and enjoy the job I worked so hard to get.  

Of course, I still want to push to be better and to improve. I want to accomplish new goals, but I want to make sure they are being accomplished for my benefit, not because it’s what I think I’m supposed to do. I think I can still accomplish all I want by taking out the extras and focusing on what’s most important.  

It’s my babies and my little family that matter most and in 2025 I want to be obsessed with them. I want to have so much fun and look back on the year (whatever happens) and know I enjoyed every minute of the ride.  

Life is so much more than checklists. Figure out what’s most important and check that list. Be the person others want to be around because you figured it out. You are doing life right. You are enjoying it.  

I’m proud of you and this life you created and excited for you to start enjoying it! 

 My hope is that by being vulnerable and sharing my intention with you all, it will inspire you to create one of your own. 

 Family Goal Setting

Family goal setting is another topic I discussed in my previous blog post, as it's a practice my husband and I prioritize at the beginning of each year and revisit quarterly to ensure we stay on track. During our winter break, we set aside a few hours for just the two of us to reflect on the past year, envision the year ahead, and establish actionable goals to guide us. 

Our process typically starts at a coffee shop (because, in my opinion, all good processes should begin with caffeine). We lay out our overarching categories (listed below) and spend some time individually reflecting on goals we would like to accomplish or work towards together. Once we've had time to reflect on our own, we come together and discuss our ideas, ultimately agreeing on 3-5 priorities for each category that we want to focus on or achieve in the coming year. 

For instance, some of our marriage priorities for the year include planning an overnight trip, discovering a shared hobby, and scheduling surprise date nights on a monthly basis. Our goals vary in scale, ranging from significant ones like buying a new car to simpler ones like scheduling three meetings with our financial advisor throughout the year. We also include mindset goals, such as finding joy in what we already have. 

Monday Family 2025 Categories: 

• Finances 

• Travel 

• Family 

• Marriage 

• Faith 

• Friends 

As someone who values individual goal setting and dreaming, this practice has had a profound impact on our marriage and family. It has compelled us to align our desires and aspirations, ensuring that we're on the same page regarding what we want out of life. Similar to my intention of the year, our family goals serve as a grounding force, guiding us when we face challenging decisions. 

I highly recommend this practice to all my married friends, as well as to my single friends who wish to put their goals on paper. Having engaged in this process for several years now, it's rewarding to look back and see what we've accomplished, and which goals we're still actively pursuing. The practice has also become easier and quicker each year, as we have improved our communication and shared vision for our family. 

If you decide to give family planning a try, I'd love to hear how it goes for you and any adaptations you make to the process! 

Vision Board 

Among all the activities related to New Year planning, dreaming, and organizing, creating a vision board holds a special place in my heart. It's my favorite because it allows me to envision how I want my life to look in 2025. This year, I began by jotting down in a notebook the things I hoped to achieve in 2025. These ranged from significant goals like saving for our dream house and purchasing a new car, to intentions like being the best mom possible and having more fun, to lighter aspirations like enjoying a cozy home and running more. 

Once I had my list, I got to work. I used Canva to find a blank desktop background, and then I searched for pictures from my personal camera roll and Pinterest that represented each item on my list. With all the images in hand, I embarked on the fun part: creating a collage. 

I carefully arranged and combined the images to form my finished product. Then, I set my virtual vision board as the desktop background on my computer. Now, every day, I have the opportunity to look at it and remind myself of the kind of year I want to experience. What I love most is that each image holds a specific and personal meaning to me, something that an average person wouldn't know just by looking at my desktop. Since I had my 2024 vision board as my screensaver throughout last year, this new vision board really signifies the start of a fresh year for me. 

Social Media Fast 

I'm just about to conclude a 21-day social media fast, which was inspired by a group fast organized by our church family. Over the past three weeks, I made a conscious effort to refrain from browsing social media (except for posting about my blog, of course 😊). While I wouldn't necessarily say I was addicted to social media, I must admit that I did miss the endless scrolling. However, during this fast, I've experienced some significant positive changes. 

Without the constant presence of social media, I feel like I’ve had more meaningful conversations with my husband and kids and have gotten less sidetracked. I have been able to focus more on my life and not how it compares to everyone else's. I also have read a lot more (how I have been filling my spare time). 

While I'm eager to return to social media, I recognize the importance of setting boundaries around my usage moving forward. Taking this break has served as a physical representation of hitting the reset button, and I'm grateful that I participated in it to kickstart 2025. If you're seeking a way to regain motivation and ignite your new visions, goals, and dreams, I highly recommend incorporating a fast of your own. 

I hope you find these ideas helpful as you embark on your new year, new month, or simply seek to rekindle your motivation, regardless of the season. Happy 2025! May it be a transformative year for all of us! XXX, McKenzie