Welcome to 2025 (a week later)!

I've never really been one for resolutions...and for some reason this year we're writing them down!

Welcome to 2025 (a week later)!

So 2024 is over...and it has been a bit of a year.

Every year is frought with ups and downs -- and some years, it feels like there are more of one than the other. You're left hoping for good things for the next year, and I'll just leave things at the fact that I'm hoping for good things for 2025.

What is a bit abnormal for me, however, is the fact that this year, I'm actually thinking about resolutions. I've not typically one into a new year with a mindset of what I'd like to change, simply that a new year has arrived (and dammit, I need to remember to type '2025' instead of '2024'...only takes like three weeks to get over that muscle-memory!)

I'm not sure what made this year different -- but without much further ado, here's where my head is at heading into 2025 (whether you believe in resolutions or not!)

Work remotely at least two days a week

Let's start with the easy one -- during the pandemic, when a lot of the world learned to embrace remote work, there seemed to be a pretty distinct need to be onsite. I'm not saying there wasn't flexibility, but there was a need to be present and visible and responsive. The need for those traits and characteristics is still there, but there's a lot more appetite from the top-down to be flexible with WHERE you work. Given I'm in the car right now at least 70 minutes in either direction and are taking more and more calls during the commute, the flexibility to not be on the road for almost 2.5 hours every day will be welcome.

Not to mention the wear and tear on the vehicle and the savings on toll costs!

Try to be 'more present'

So this one has been a long-standing issue, and I may as well set the goal that 2025 is the year I'm going to start addressing it. Years and years ago, I had a boss who, during 1:1s would note that I was constantly on my phone. Admittedly I was, but I've always been fairly adept at multi-tasking and paying attention to multiple things simultaneously (to a point: I think somewhere in the past few years, I've identified my limit to be about 4 things before I start to get the shakes). All that to say, my phone tells me weekly I spend 4-6 hours a day using the screen. Giving some thought to that, I'm left wondering how much of that time is spent while I'm in a meeting (still paying attention...) or actively in conversation with people. This year, I'm goign to make the effort to SHOW people I'm engaged and interested in what they're saying...baby steps, at first I'm sure.

Spend more time/effort on 'self-care' & health

I feel like this is one of the most common resolutions out there but it keeps coming back around. I don't have a ton of hobbies (I don't really have hobbies perse). During the COVID-19 pandemic, I found myself sitting in a camping chair out back just BREATHING -- and that was enough for a while. Keeping that in mind, in 2025 I want to spend the time enabling and then actually DOING the things that bring me joy and help recharge my batteries. Sleep and sitting on the couch only count so far -- let's get out there and get active! Camping? Sign-me up! Maybe there's a reality I get back playing hockey again, who knows?

Say 'Thank you' and offer praise freely

Everyone likes to feel appreciated -- so why not make more of an effort to make sure people actually DO? 2-3 years ago I did some personality testing and learned I apparently had 'perfectionist' tendencies (which surprised me -- and then I reflected on some of the things where I sweat small details and realized it was true in at least some aspects of my life). Restrospectively, I've probably been 'praise-lite' in my personal and professional life when things haven't been quite up to where I expected them to be. For 2025, I'm going to start offering up the praise a little more freely (and who knows, maybe that will come alongside offering up constructive feedback a little more freely too?).

Time will tell -- but I'm expecting all of you to hold me accountable! What are you changing for 2025?