During the 2024 winter break I did some reviewing of what’s important to me and set myself some goals for 2025, in 6 areas of my life and work. I nominated 2025 the Year Of Me: the year in which I focus on figuring myself out a bit more, and work out what I want from life, the universe, and everything. (In past recent years my focus has been very external, on my organisation and on other people’s support needs and well-being, but as of 2024 I have been back fully freelance with quite a different set of work choices and commitments.)
So how did I do against my 2025 goals?
- Self-care:
- My offset working days have enabled me to have morning time for me first (I don’t achieve anything at the end of a working day because I’ve got nothing left by that point).
- Morning time has enabled me to exercise more. I have been walking, then I went back to pilates in the spring, after 5 years off – back to 3x per week. I am getting stronger. I also started sea swimming in April (and made lovely friends), on a weekend morning usually.
- Unplanned but I read the Ultra Processed People book which changed my relationship to shop bought food and ingredients. I started buying meat at a local butchers, and I rely on my Oddbox for fresh fruit and veg, which enables me to cook healthy meals.
- I took holidays for the first time in over 20 years! I went to Crete, and to Norway.
- Work:
- I enjoyed the projects I worked on this year.
- I’m getting better at estimating time when doing quotes (but still improving!)
- Working offset hours (afternoon and evening) enables me to have focus and do deep work.
- I have been more or less keeping on top of my Welsh study, though there is room for improvement.
- For the first time ever since I have been freelance, there has been a weird work drought this year (and not just for me) – I depleted my safety net savings, which is what they’re there for, but now things are picking up I need to rebuild the pot.
- Growth:
- Morning time for me first (to exercise, to look after myself and my space) is a significant prioritisation shift.
- Through coaching sessions I have arrived at an anxiety-free relationship to money, savings, and pension.
- I have been reading some of my saved links and bookmarks.
- Making:
- I attended some darkroom workshops and relearnt how to develop film and print photos.
- I am 90% through making the bathroom into a popup darkroom to develop and print at home.
- Life:
- I am on top of the BAU of resetting the house weekly, and no longer rely on additional support for the tasks I hate. (Better equipment has contributed, I now have the best hoover in the world. And I’m reconciled with duvet covers.)
- I’ve made a small amount of progress on DIY and finishing the flat. There is more to do.
- I have had the emotional capacity to handle the unexpected – and dealt with the cat’s illness and dying without dropping too many (just a couple) of spinning plates.
- Relationships:
- I broke up with my partner of 7 years in January, and dipped into the online dating pool in the summer and met people, with varying degrees of success. Currently seeing someone and seeing where this might lead.
- Saw old friends, made new friends with the swim group, through coaching accepted the fact that people seem to like me (!), let go of the responsibility of maintaining contact when the other parties don’t.
- Made a conscious decision to show up better and more regularly for family, offering support and making the effort to stay connected. Scheduling in my calendar helps to not lose track of timescales with this.
I am currently setting my 2026 goals. The areas of focus have shifted slightly: wellbeing, mastery, development, lightness, making, caretaking, and relationships. I nominate 2026 the Year Of Less– one in which I let go of things that no longer serve me, and make (more) room for myself.
Photo by Francisco Gonzalez on Unsplash