RiverBender Blog: My Three New Year Resolutions

Happy New Year’s, Riverbend!

What will 2025 bring? Who knows. I stopped trying to predict anything a long time ago. One thing I’ve learned in recent years is that we have no idea what will pop up.

But the one thing we do have control over is how we handle all this unpredictability. And I have a few ideas.

That’s right, I’m talking New Year’s resolutions. It’s time to think ahead and plan accordingly.

Every year, I make the same basic resolutions: eat better, work out more, etc.

And every year, I start off strong. “This is my year!” I declare, clicking “buy now” on a pair of yoga pants and a case of protein powder. By February, I’m sleeping in those pants and most of my protein comes from pepperoni pizza.

But this year. This is the year.

What makes this year any different from the one that came before it? Well, for one, I feel a lot older. I feel much more secure in what I’m doing and the life I’m living.

I think that’s just part of growing up. As the sun sets on my 24th year around the sun, I feel like I have a better grip on who I am and what I actually want out of the next year. So instead of those generic New Years resolutions, I have much more concrete goals in mind.

For one, I want to run a 5K, because I’ve never done that before. I’m not much of a runner, to tell you the truth. I enjoy walking; I despise running. But I like the idea of running, and I hear a lot of people say it’s cathartic on top of being a great workout. I also like the idea of accomplishing something, and it seems like finishing a 5K would feel very satisfying.

Secondly, I want to volunteer more often. RiverBender.com recently published a list of over 30 organizations across the Metro East region that need volunteers. While I do a little community service in my free time, I want to focus more on giving back this year. The community has blessed me, and I want to be helpful. I’ll be perusing that list and choosing a few organizations to help out over the next few months.

And finally, I want to write more. You may recall a few months ago when I declared I was going to participate in NaNoWriMo and write a novel in a month. Well, that didn’t happen. (Is anyone surprised?)

So now, in 2025, I want to recommit to my writing goals and focus on my own creative writing. I love writing little poems and short stories, and now I want to focus in on creating a longer-form project. If not now, when? 2025 seems like a great chance to give it a shot.

Will I actually accomplish any of these resolutions? No idea. I’m going to try to give myself grace if, once again, these goals fall by the wayside come spring.

But I really want to give it a shot this year and push myself to do better. I can be a little wishy-washy about my resolutions, but these are three tangible goals with clear, articulated steps. This is what I’m trying to do this year, and I’m excited about it.

What are your resolutions? Any ideas for workouts I should try, places I should volunteer at, writing prompts I could utilize? I’ll take all the help I can get. And in the meantime, I hope you have a great and safe New Year’s with the people you love.

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