Predictions
This year feels like it could have bigger changes than we've seen in years. We know Adele will start middle school next year, though we don't know where. She might end up at a school nearby that we think will be an easy transition, but maybe not.
After many great years at a job he loves, there are changes on the horizon at Jon's work that make it pretty likely he'll look for a new job this year.
And after years of assuming we'd never want to leave this city or even this house, the idea of moving nearby has taken hold as a longer-term possibility. This year, it might mean prioritizing some work on the house with an eye towards what might help it sell down the road and starting to get a sense of the local market. I doubt we'd actually move this year.
We don't have many family trips on the calendar this year like we did at the beginning of last year, but we will visit my parents at the end of the month. I hope my work travel isn't quite as concentrated as last year, but I do have... (counting)... probably at least nine work trips. Oof.
I plan to do a lot more cooking in 2025. Jon and I were both pretty miserable about cooking last year, so my Christmas gift to him was 3 months of taking care of dinner. I hope that this commitment will inspire me to try new things and get out of the food rut we've been in for months. We'll see what happens after those first 3 months!
Hopes
I want to keep up monthly hikes with Adele. We're working towards her being able to hike a particularly difficult trail. I also plan to keep hiking monthly with the dynamic group of women who have been my mentors for a decade now. I've had to play a bigger role in that hiking group now which I don't mind.
I expect to grow as a manager/boss this year. I'll be adding at least two new people to my direct team and a peer colleague. I'm excited about turning over direct responsibility for more of the the things I've been holding down for years, but I know that will be an adjustment.
I should probably advocate for another title change, but I might just keep putting it on the back burner out of... fear? cowardice? I'm not sure what I'm so afraid of.
Speaking of fears, I have a complicated family issue that I've put on the back burner for years but I've asked my therapist to hold me accountable to make progress on it. I've been seeing the same therapist since 2023 which has especially helped me deal with work stress and grief about my sister's death in 2009.
For my health, I plan to keep tracking my sleep and trying to understand what circumstances disrupt my sleep. I don't want to feel so much stress in my body, which means being proactive in anticipating and mitigating stress.
I want to do another solo trip at some point. I did weekend trips in 2022 and 2023, and in 2024 I did a longer retreat-type trip without family but with many other women.
I want to keep dancing regularly this year. It feels so good to use my body when I spend so much time with mostly my brain.
I've still never tested positive for covid, and I'm still hoping to keep it that way. After Thanksgiving, I had a cough for about a week that I suspect was walking pneumonia from a kid who coughed in my face. I've had a few "off" days here and there, but I am thankful to generally avoid illness, especially considering my intense travel schedule. I'm unashamed and undeterred to sometimes be the only person wearing a mask in a space when I feel it's a small price to pay to minimize my risk of feeling miserable.
Goals
I have an unbloggable hobby goal again this year that I'll call completion and assistance (hopefully I'll remember what those mean).
I have a few monthly goals in mind, and I hope the first one in particular will help set me up well for the rest of the year.
January: Less of what doesn't bring joy
I want less physical stuff and fewer distractions in my life. This month, I really want to declutter my physical spaces, my inbox, and my attention. I already took the first big step: I archived all the emails in my personal and work inboxes. I haven't done this in a few years. As I get more comfortable with the idea that there are more requests for my time than I could humanly fulfill, I feel less bad about dropping some balls and letting go of those emails I really meant to respond to but haven't. If it's truly important, it will resurface, or I'll go looking for it. Now, as new things come in, I'll have just a few things to decide about at any given time.
February: Clean out the pantry
Since I'll be doing more cooking this year, February seems like a good time to make plans for using up all the odd foods we've accumulated in the pantry and freezer, or get rid of them.
March: Ask for yard help
One way or another, I need some help with the yard. March is a good time to make a plan for that, and I don't think I'll be traveling a whole lot in March.
For the wider world, I'm weary and wary of our choice of leader. I want to do my best to stay focused and energized about what good I'm trying to do in the world, and support the good work of others. I remember that we have to bend the arc of history towards justice--it's not going to bend itself, and it's not going to do it overnight. For me, this means making some conscious choices about the causes I prioritize and letting go of guilt about not doing more on other fronts. I can't play all the parts.
Let's see how wrong I am in a year ;-)
Happy New Year!
