Preparing for 2025

It is at this time of the year when we think of New Year’s resolutions and starting on a clean slate, greeting the New Year with an open mind and hopefully, an open heart. After all, an astrologer friend warned us that these next few months will be tumultuous, exciting but also unprecedented and quite frightening because of the unknown. But we have faith and we throw it all up to the Universe and the powers that be. He, after all, is in charge. You have heard the saying, “If you want to make God laugh, tell him about your plans!”

And so we believe, but we still have to have some kind of plan to guide us through the next year.

Priorities. It is time to sit down and list our priorities. Like they say, choose your battles. When we prioritize, we give importance to what will take up our time and money. What activities do we need to remove? What can we put in the back seat so we can have more time for the more important stuff? When we keep doing this, prioritizing, it becomes a habit. Your mind will guide you on what to remove from the top shelf and focus on the most important ones – which could change from year to year. I find it easier to decide on priorities when I have removed the clutter (stuff you are not sure of removing and they keep creeping up).

Your mission. Funny you may think, but each person has a mission. Why do you keep yourself healthy? Why do you think of the future? You must have a mission and you just have not sat down to think about it again. What do you live for? As companies plan their strategy and restate their mission and vision, year after year, so should an individual. One needs to state it and live it.

Your groups or organizations. We have a need to be social beings and so we join various groups in business, in church or in civic ones that give us a chance to practice altruism. Choose which ones still align with your mission. You may have outgrown some groups by age or by intellect, or maybe the group has changed its focus and you no longer feel you belong. It is OK to remove yourself from such a group that no longer satisfies your professional needs or your personal social needs.

Your faith. Religion is a way of life and many just go to Service or Mass just because it is tradition. But we sometimes forget why we go to a ritual or service because we have done things like rote. It has been our routine and we do not think of changing it. This time, you can mindfully think of your faith, reading and knowing more about it. It is like exercise for the soul.

Your diet. I now purposely stop telling people what to eat, unless they ask me. I am not a diet guru but have read so many kinds of diets, eating your way to health and also natural remedies for disease. I was gifted a book by William Li entitled “Eat To Beat Disease.” So it does not hurt to know what we can do to reverse lifestyle diseases and problems that come with aging. Maybe it is time to change our dietary habits as well. Clean out your pantry and start anew. Change your grocery list and start buying only what is good for you, not what tastes good despite the health risks they bring.

Your work. Do you still love what you do? Or do you want to shift careers? This is also the time to reflect on the work which pays the bills. Can you see yourself working in the same place for another five years? If not, why are you feeling unsure about staying the course?

It is good to be deliberate and think about our work or our business. Are you in business just for the money? Admit it and move on if you want to find a deeper meaning in what you do. Truly, this time is about reflection and giving ourselves time to choose what feels right rather than what pays right.

Your habits. Pick up a new habit like reading, listening to audiobooks or podcasts. One of these podcasts is Good and Green on Spotify and Apple podcasts where we tackle ideas about going green whilst being a social entrepreneur. We invite like-minded people who talk about saving the planet, doing organic farming for health and many other ideas about leading a sustainable lifestyle. Instead of just flipping through social media, make it purposive and learn something online.

Your hobbies. Pick up a new hobby like learning about coffee or whiskey or plants. I am still wanting to learn about native trees and flowers. But the first step is knowing what you want to learn about.

And to further prepare us for the year that is coming, do these during the wrap up period – the next few days before the New Year.

Declutter. Donate, give away, dispose of things you have not used for the last year. Clean your cabinets and closets and make way for fresh vibrations.

Reduce. Reduce your consumption of consumables like paper and plastic. Choose eco-friendly containers, bags and boxes.

Recycle. Check what you can repurpose among your things. If they have outlived their original reason for being, see if you can give them another life. This goes for clothes, equipment and even furniture around the house.

And finally, make a new you this coming year. Give away old clothes, old shoes and everything you have not used in the last year.

Next week, welcome the New Year with a fresh house, a fresh mind and a fresh outlook.

Happy New Year and this time, please mean it by changing old habits, old ideas and picking up a new routine, a new way of doing things.