Entering a new era in 2025

Ins, outs, goals, plans and intentions for 2025

Long time, no writing… but it’s safe to say the end of 2024 got the best of me health-wise, work-wise, academic-wise. The balancing act had me hanging on by a thread and even during my holiday break I hit some super low points where I questioned life. I sometimes feel like I can be a disappointment to others, I sometimes feel like I'm never good enough, and I can easily fall trap to the comparison game.

But then, I learned we can always turn a page. We can always adapt to new expectations of ourselves. We do not need to hold onto the image everyone seeks of us if it's not best for our mental/physical health. There is a whole life ahead, a bright future to see, and a lifetime of worthwhile experiences to come. 

Now 2024 also featured some of the brightest moments. I learned so many lessons on the importance of slowing down. The need to not put so much pressure on oneself. The idea that sometimes no and slow is better than yes and fast. 2024 also featured lots of memories made with a trip to Disney, family time, UGA events, newfound friendships & a whole lotta love for my home of Athens. I discovered a workout I love which I haven’t been able to truly find since my dance days ended with Pilates. I found and built my own community with different individuals, and I continued to work through the hard days. I also learned that it's okay to need help. It’s okay to be vulnerable about mental health and it’s okay to work with individuals you need. I have my own dietitian (one of my favorite humans ever) and started to actually open up in therapy sessions rather than them being literally useless.

This year is a big one for me.. My 25th year of life.. A quarter of a century on this earth.. And I hope to make it a fulfilling one. I hope to leave a positive impact on the lives of others. I hope to educate and empower others. I hope to make it the best one yet.

 I graduate from graduate school in May so, yes, the future is unknown. I hope to remain in Athens, GA because this is where I feel happiest. I love the community I have built, the university I work for, the students I get to interact with, the general flow of southern hospitality life, and the classic city. The future does stress me out because I always like to have a plan in-place, I like to think ahead, and I would love to be sure I can be financially stable in a job upon graduating. However, I try to reframe this stress by focusing on what I can control. I have been networking with others, I have been working hard to develop my skills, and I have time to continue to finesse my cover letters/ resumé work. I do have a busy January with a vacation to Disney shortly, but I intend to craft time out in my schedule each week to visit career centers, update LinkedIn pages, and find jobs that fit the work I want to do. 

 Similarly, one of my other goals this upcoming year is to continue to work on my personal brand. My content creation, my passion for healthy living, my desire to find balance in life, my homemade recipés etc. I want to do more vlogging, more product reviews, more authentic content that others can relate to.

I dream of having my own cookbook one day. I dream of working with my favorite brands on a higher level and I dream of being an example of recovery focused on finding your own personal balance with food, fitness, family, lifestyle etc. I dream of traveling more, stressing less about food, and being able to increase my macros to a sustainable spot for my body. I dream of being able to do more physical activity with my health and I truthfully hope one day I can have a beautiful family with kids of my own. 

Dreams can turn into reality with sustainable habits that one slowly puts into place in-life. So, yes, I made some intentions and goals for the new year. Many of them look similar to the ins and outs I created in 2024. That’s okay. It’s not a complete failure if yours are similar to past ones you’ve made too. After all, habits take time to build and we all fight our own barriers each and every day.

Here are some of my ins and outs for 2025: 

Now.. How do we achieve these ins, outs and goals set for ourselves? We make plans and here are some of the plans I hope to keep myself accountable for this year. 

• Creating more content to hold myself accountable for advancing my personal brand, blog, and social media platforms. Moreover, creating content daily holds me accountable for committing to fueling with good food, continuing to partake in social activities, and dressing up/showing up to life daily. 

  • A minor goal under this category that I have is to also write more blog posts and write more recipes. To do so, I am going to treat myself to a coffee/lunch/dinner spot at least twice a month to do this. I get to continue to make eating out comfortable for me while also pursuing work that I enjoy. 

  • Similarly, I aspire to take more aesthetic food photos and film more food content this upcoming year. This holds me accountable for making real meals, adding to my plate rather than taking it away from my plate, and showcasing healthier amounts of food. This also allows me to experiment with different recipes and make different things daily.

  • I also want to get back into using food holidays as a way to inspire me to create recipes/plates centered around that food. I also want to use food deals/new items at restaurants to go out with others. 

• Connect with family and friends more 

  • Understand that it’s okay to struggle, but no one can help you if you aren’t vulnerable. Ask for accountability from them in various ways through learning to speak-up and advocate for your emotions.

  • Identify those you can trust on a deeper level.

  • Commit to facetime friends/family more often. Find activities to do over facetime and schedule these calls in your calendar to ensure they occur/ 

  • Facetime family and have dinner with them/cook with them to prioritize food as a connecting point, cook/order similar meals for diversity, and encourage mindful eating to see the enjoyable factor of fueling your body.

  • Learn to speak up! Understand no one can read your mind and learn to advocate for your personal needs. Everyone is on a different journey and you shall stay on your path. 

• Some more reframing of thoughts around food/nutrition

  • Meal plan/prep and stick with it more. While I want to continue to be able to be more spontaneous and flexible. It often leads me to undereating and my body is just not there yet on this path for the most part. I can learn to have confidence in my own food choices and continue to ask to pick restaurants in advance for planning. However, there are times where we can be more spontaneous and we can navigate that. 

  • Continue to have your safe spots and don’t fear judgement over it. 

  • Eating out provides good experiences, food diversity, and is good for the soul.

  • Spending money on food is not negotiable. More money on food now is less time/money spent in the doctor's office. 

    • I will commit to more solo food/coffee dates in 2024. If no one else wants to go, it is more than okay to go alone. 

    • I can continue to buy the products I love even if it costs a bit extra money to buy higher quality deli meat or bread.  

    • I will at least order delivery for myself once this semester because I have never once in my life ordered restaurant/food delivery. Anytime I consider it I always think I can make something and not spend money. 

    • I will not be ashamed of going grocery shopping more than others if needed. 

    • You can eat out as many times as needed and there is no need to be ashamed of it either! Whether it be coffee, or brunch or dinner etc.,

    • I can learn to ask others if they would like to go out and do a food deal/restaurant opening/craving experience with me, but I can also go alone if one says no.

I hope one can find relatability, vulnerability, and accountability with themselves with these goals. Be soft. Spread love and always know that social media, smiles, and productivity does not tell a whole story.

Lots of love to you all & here’s to a new year 🥂 

Let me know what some of your 2025 ins and outs are below and what type of content you all seek to see from me this upcoming year.