Happy New Year! With the start of the new year, people are always eager to make goals, including myself.  I love how the new year symbolizes a fresh start and a time for everyone to look forward to the future. I haven’t set goals for a very long time, and I felt like I’ve been stagnant without a clear path throughout the year.

I was deeply rooted in setting goals, developing the systems to accomplish them, and putting them into action to make them happen. But I’ve been wandering aimlessly through life the past year.  I set no goals.  I wasn’t motivated and didn’t care to do anything remarkable or move the needle.  Things happened out of my control, and I didn’t have the best year of my life, which is the biggest motivation to make things happen in 2025.   

Here are my goals for the upcoming year: 

1. I will regain my self-discipline. Because I was going through a hard time, I may have given myself too much grace.  I lived every day just trying to make it to the next without having to put out a major fire.  I allowed myself to half-ass things or skip out on things in the name of “saving myself,” which slowly chipped away at the discipline I had built over the years.  It became easier for me to avoid instead of pushing through when things got hard. 
2. I will post content consistently. Believe it or not, content creation is essential to me. Still, as life got busier, I stopped making it a priority.  If I had spent just 20 minutes a day creating content and seeing it through to the end, my content outlook would have been much different.  I could have spent 20 minutes less watching television or put down the book I finished in one day to prioritize something vital to me.  That may seem a bit harsh to say, but I know there were moments when I could have better prepared to use my time to create the content I love so much. 
3. I will get back into running.  I haven’t run a race since I found out that I miscarried.  Every time I get out there, I get in my head.  I compare myself to the person I used to be, and that’s not fair to the person I am today.   
4. I will get more organized and use my planner and other organizational systems.  It’s been natural for me to have a planner, but I haven’t been using it effectively.  Many times in the past year, I missed paying a bill or an event because I simply didn’t write it down.  I juggle many things throughout the day, and I need to keep things written down so I can refer back to them later.  The things I say I will remember will leave my head the minute I walk away because I have so many things going through my head.  
5. I will explore more creative outlets and lean more into my hobbies. I’ve been reading but want to dig deeper into my creative side. I used to be crafty, and that has gotten away from me. When I occasionally do those crafty things, I enjoy making something out of nothing. Also, I used to be into photography, and I’ve gotten away from that. Part of that is due to the nature of video in today’s society, but I often forget to take photos. This year, I want to create things, share those things, and be proud of those things.
6. I will become a healthier version of myself. My YouTube tagline is: “I’m Angela. I lost 200 lbs, fell in love with running, and now I’m trying to live the healthiest life possible while being a mom.” The truth is, I’ve gained weight. I know some of that is due to being a woman of a certain age, but I know the other part of that is my relationship with sugar. I never craved sugar, but now it’s something I give in to quite often. My sugar problem is exacerbated by having a young kid in the house. All in all, I need to do better and live a healthier version of life.
7. I will approach life from a positive point of view.  I’m a realist, so I explore all options before taking any steps.  Having that point of view doesn’t always lead to positivity.  This is something I would like to change this year.  Positivity breeds positivity, and I need more of that in my life. 

These are some of the goals I am working towards in the new year. Goals are personal and don’t need to be shared with anyone. Don’t feel pressured to share your goals with anyone. I’m sharing my goals this year because I need accountability and discipline to achieve the goals on my list. If you are comfortable sharing your goal for the new year, drop it in the comments.