New Year's Recommendations
A few personal recs for anyone looking for inspiration or ideas as we kickoff of a brand new year!
I’m an incredibly nostalgic person. I love reflecting over the past year and looking towards changes in the year to come! As such, New Year’s always fills me with a lot of excitement and anticipation which I love as I often feel really blue once Christmas has come to a close.
I hate the term “New Year’s Resolutions” because they feel temporary and easily breakable, but compiling a list of yearly goals or aspirations excites me and gives me something to look forward to as the old year draws to a close! I’ve been doing this since 2018, and it’s a practice I plan to continue. I know in theory nothing truly changes as 12am rolls the world from December 31st to January 1st, just like nothing really changes when you turn a year older, but I don’t care. Something truly feels different and fresh to me, and I always get excited and inspired to step into the next year! If you feel similarly, this All That She Wrote is for you!
I’ve compiled a list of New Year’s recommendations to offer to you as a way to make the start of 2025 feel fresh and exciting!
First, and perhaps most obvious, make a list of New Year’s goals:
Every year on New Year’s Eve, I sit down and pen out my list of goals for the year to come! The key here is sustainability. What are some truly attainable goals you can accomplish within a year’s time? Perhaps reading one book a week is way too ambitious and cumbersome than a goal of reading 10 books a year (I think my goal this year was six!), and definitely steer clear of potentially dangerous body goals or diet culture influences (like losing “x” amount of lbs, giving up sugar, or working out seven days a week).
Want to exercise more? Start small with a goal to intentionally move your body two or three times a week. Want to be more mindful about eating habits? Look into intuitive eating or have a goal to swap one of your daily carby snacks for something with multiple macronutrients! It’s all about balance and attainability. And the best part is that these are yearly goals. That means if you start working at them in July rather than getting it right every day of January, that’s okay!!! And consider adding some non-health goals to your list as well. I know someone who last year wanted to finish 2024 being able to do the splits! I personally wanted to try 10 new Crumbl cookie flavors and watch one new movie a month. Make sure to add something fun to your list!
Here’s a list of some of my goals from 2024!
As you can see, I did have some health goals, but they were all goals that felt very attainable for me! I’d say for much of the year I did eat more well-rounded meals, I stayed very consistent with exercise as my body allowed (hello third-trimester-sedentary-lifestyle-caused-by-miscellaneous-pain), and I completed the Yoga with Adrienne 30-day challenge! More on that later.
I also did indeed watch at least one new movie a month, try over 10 new Crumbl flavors, and read six books (audiobooks included). There were also some things I didn’t accomplish like getting back into swimming laps, but hey, you win some, you lose some! I’m pleased with how the year shook out!
Try a New Year’s challenge:
New Year’s challenges feel different than yearly goals as they normally start in January, but if you pick the right one for your lifestyle, I think they can be an exciting way to start the year! They also give you something to look forward to when January 1st rolls around. As always, feel free to complete your challenges any time during the year if January doesn’t suit you. Here are a few I’ve tried in the past or plan to try in 2025!
Yoga with Adrienne 30-day challenge
I’ve completed this challenge twice now, both in 2022 and 2024 (I attempted it in 2023 during some debilitating insomnia which was NOT the move, friends), and it always leaves me feeling so good and strong! Adrienne’s yoga flows are also very gentle and beginner-friendly, and they usually range from 20-30 minutes to accommodate a busy lifestyle. And the best part? They’re all free on YouTube! She starts the challenge on January 2nd, so you’ve still got time to secure your yoga mat! I’m sad I can’t participate this year, but if you think this 9-month-preg belly can do chaturanga to updog, well you’re just dead wrong.
Hitting the crow on the final day of the challenge last year!!! It was wobbly, but I was very proud!
75 hard style challenge with Old Loser in Brooklyn
I’ve referenced this challenge before in my All That She Wrote on personal style, but it’s a GREAT way to hone in on your style preferences and re-charge after a few weeks spent in your Christmas jammies! Mandy has already referenced the challenge returning this year, and she said she plans to mainly document her ‘fits and process via her Instagram and Substack:
! I did about 65 days of the challenge last year before tapping out (some days you just want to wear sweats, and I needed that freedom), but it was a very fun challenge for me nonetheless! I will not be participating this year as my son will be joining us in January, and my main lewk most days will undoubtedly be stretchy PJs or a big fluffy robe (both presumably covered in breast milk).
Some personal faves from last year's style challenge! A Bible-in-a-year Reading Plan
I realize this one is Christian-specific, but I am attempting one this year and feeling excited about it! I’ve attempted Bible-in-a-year plans twice before and never completed them. One was chronological which I admittedly gave up on somewhere around Job, and the other was a five-days-a-week plan which was my speed in theory but ultimately had chunks of scripture too large to tackle every time I sat down to read my Bible. I might be a little ambitious with this year’s goal seeing as though I’m, oh idk, having a baby, but I’m thinking 4am feedings will be a good time to crank out those passages rather than scrolling mindlessly… we shall see!
Alternately (if you’re not a Bible reader), you could try a book challenge of a different type! Maybe get a friend to commit to doing it with you and enjoy how it bonds your friendship in reading accountability!
Incorporate a clothing cleanse:
If you’re like me, shopping is almost a constant. It can be nice to break up the consumerism by taking a month off from shopping! This isn’t a hardcore challenge but rather a way to reflect on your clothing consumption habits, and you choose the rules! Personally I’ve done no-clothes-shopping cleanses (accessories allowed), and no shopping at all (nothing outside of necessities). I also chronicled my last two cleanses here on All That She Wrote! I had a fairly successful May clothing cleanse and a less successful September cleanse.
Skeptical as to whether or not you need to “cleanse” in the first place? Try keeping track of all your clothing and accessory purchases in a month! I’ve done this every month since last January, and it is SHOCKING the amount of clothing that I, one singular woman, integrate into my wardrobe in the span of 30 days. Cleansing has helped me take a break from the consumerism as well as keep a wishlist of gaps I find in my closet during my no-buy month!
Swap for secondhand:
If you’re here, odds are you already follow my thrift Insta All That and a Bag of Thrifts and probably already have an interest in shopping secondhand or thrifting. However, we all fall prey to new trends and the desire for impulse buys, myself included! This year, if there’s something you’re interested in, why not try to find it secondhand first? It might not always pan out, but most likely the thing you want already exists preowned somewhere, and it also probably exists in a higher quality context! Clothes are made so cheaply these days… I won’t get on my soapbox about it, though.
Two examples of a time I opted for secondhand instead of new in 2024 were a leather Banana Republic clutch and a gray cardigan. First, the clutch. In February I attempted a clothing cleanse (see previous recommendation!), and whilst “browsing but not shopping” at a nearby outlet mall, I stumbled upon a clutch I decided I could not live without. However, before adding it to my physical shopping cart, I did a cursory search for the clutch on eBay. Low and behold, the clutch was there, still in its dust bag, too! No, it probably didn’t live much of a life before I got it, but it was still a secondhand purchase. I paid more on eBay than I would have in-store, but I was okay with the trade off.
Next, the cardigan. I wanted a gray cardigan SO bad this fall, but I could not for the life of me find a 100% cotton cardigan that wasn’t $100+. The search was arduous, but I wouldn’t be satisfied until I’d brought this classic staple into my wardrobe. I think a full month passed before I found the perfect fit on Depop! It was a cotton blend, but it still hit the mark for me! I think I paid something like $25 for it, and I bundled it with another piece from the seller’s shop that became a Christmas gift which also awarded me free shipping. Win-win!!!
Get into a new hobby:
Somehow the new year just seems like the best time to start a new hobby! Again, it all goes back to that fresh-year feeling. Get into baking or sourdough, start weightlifting or doing yoga (another plug for the Yoga with Adrienne challenge), get a paint set, pull out your old sewing machine, start watching a new reality show… It can be anything you want it to be! My husband got a 3D printer on Black Friday and is so excited about setting it up and printing DND miniatures and airplane models. Last year we started watching K-dramas in January, and our life has never been the same! If you’re K-curious, might I suggest Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha on Netflix? I’m not being dramatic when I say it’s life-changing. Be prepared to feel all the feels!!!
And that’s All That She Wrote today, folks! Wishing you the happiest New Year and a 2025 full of joy!
-Anna Kristen