Let’s be honest—when the clock hits midnight on December 31st, 2024, I probably won’t have some grand epiphany. I won’t suddenly become someone who wakes up at sunrise, meditates for an hour, and drinks smoothies made of kale and hope. I’ll most likely still be in sweatpants, holding a snack, and making ambitious promises to myself like “This is the year I finally get it together.”

But hey, maybe 2025 doesn’t need to be perfect. Maybe it just needs to be a little calmer, a little kinder, and a little less frantic.

Step 1: Meditation, But Let’s Keep It Simple

Meditation, they say, is the gateway to peace. Just sit, breathe, and let your mind go blank. Sure—easier said than done. My brain has the energy of a hyperactive squirrel and absolutely no intention of sitting still.

So this year, I’m keeping meditation short and sweet: five minutes. Just five minutes of breathing and trying not to mentally replay every awkward thing I’ve said since middle school.

If my five-minute session turns into a mental debate about whether I should finally clean out my kitchen drawer (I won’t), that’s fine. At least I showed up. Sometimes, mindfulness is just about sitting there, acknowledging the noise in your head, and deciding it’s okay to let it be noisy.

Step 2: Stop Trying to Be the Boss of the Universe

For years, I’ve treated life like a project I can perfectly plan, control, and execute. Spoiler: I can’t. So in 2025, I’m going to stop micromanaging every detail of my existence.

I’m not saying I’ll stop making plans entirely. I’ll still have to-do lists and reminders and a calendar full of crossed-out plans. But I’ll also try to trust a little more—trust that even if things don’t go the way I want, they’ll probably still be okay.

And if I don’t get a clear sign about which path to take, I’ll flip a coin. Heads: yoga class. Tails: stay home and eat pasta. Both outcomes are valid.

Step 3: New Year, One Realistic Resolution

Every January, I write down New Year’s resolutions with an enthusiasm that’s almost suspicious. “This is the year I’ll drink eight glasses of water a day, meditate regularly, and become someone who owns matching socks.” And every February, I’m back to scrolling Instagram in bed at midnight.

So this year, I’m setting one goal: Be kind to myself. That’s it. If I miss a day of journaling, it’s fine. If I accidentally eat cake for breakfast three days in a row, it’s fine. The world will keep turning.

Being kind to myself means accepting that I’ll mess up, I’ll forget things, and I’ll have days where “self-care” looks like binge-watching TV instead of doing yoga. Progress doesn’t always look pretty, and that’s okay.

Step 4: Embrace the Awkward Reality of Being Human

Being human is weird. You can spend hours contemplating the meaning of life and then immediately cry because you dropped your sandwich on the floor. And honestly, both experiences are valid.

In 2025, I’m embracing it all—the big, meaningful moments and the small, silly ones. The mornings when I feel calm and centered, and the afternoons when I’ve stress-eaten three granola bars and forgotten what day it is.

Spirituality doesn’t have to look like a peaceful yoga retreat. Sometimes, it looks like me sitting in traffic, trying not to yell at someone who cut me off, and instead whispering, “Okay, deep breath. We’re fine. Everything’s fine.”

Step 5: Laugh at the Mess

If 2025 teaches me anything, I hope it’s this: learn to laugh at the mess. Laugh when meditation feels like mental gymnastics. Laugh when my attempts at journaling turn into doodles of sad stick figures. Laugh when things don’t go as planned but somehow still turn out okay.

Laughter might just be the most underrated spiritual practice. No candles, no incense—just the ability to step back, see the chaos, and smile anyway.

Final Thoughts

So here’s to 2025: a year of trying, failing, laughing, and trying again. A year where we stop chasing perfection and start focusing on small moments of peace. A year where “getting it together” doesn’t mean having it all figured out—it just means showing up and doing our best.

And if all else fails… well, there’s always tomorrow.

Namaste, y’all. And if all else fails… there’s always cake.