As we welcome the New Year, I like to take a moment to reflect on the things that bring me joy, the areas of my life that could use a little more attention, and the skills I’d love to learn. I believe it’s not just about changing everything at once, but about celebrating the little things and making space for what truly matters.
Things I Love and Want to Do More
There are simple joys in life that keep me grounded, and I want to make time for them every chance I get. These are the activities that bring me peace and a sense of fulfillment:
- Puzzling: I love the quiet focus and Sunday morning feeling that puzzles bring. I wish to continue to puzzling throughout the 2025. Can’t imagine a cold month without cozy puzzling.
- Long, Relaxing Baths: Taking a bath is one of my favorite ways to unwind. My bath is so huge, I can float in it! Love it! Whenever I need to wash my hair, I take the Hope to continue this good, relaxing tradition.
- Gardening: Even if it’s just a little bit, tending to my garden is such a rewarding way to connect with nature. I want to nurture my garden more and keep picking fresh salad greens straight from the ground.
- Feeding the Birds: Watching the birds visit my garden gives me a sense of peace. I want to continue making my home a haven for wildlife, offering food and a little sanctuary.
- Photography: Capturing moments in nature, without focusing on people, helps me appreciate the world around me. I plan to make more time for photography, whether it’s during a walk or in my own backyard.
- Learning Something New: I enjoy picking up new things to learn—whether it’s chemistry, herbalism, or Japanese. It’s not about mastering the skill, but more about opening the curtains and peeking into something fresh and exciting.
Things I’d Like to Do Better
While I’m happy with the things I already do, there are areas I’d like to improve in. Small changes can lead to big results, and I’m excited to focus on these:
- Drink More Water: Staying hydrated is so important for my health, and this year I want to get better at drinking more water throughout the day. Some say I need to specify “how much exactly” – let’s start with 5 glasses of water every day 🙂
- Walk More: I love being outdoors, and walking is such a simple and effective way to stay active. My goal is to get outside for more walks, even if it’s just around my garden. 10000 steps.. I need to charge my Apple Watch. First I need to find it!
- Dance More: Whether it’s in the living room or at a celebration, I want to make more time to dance and feel the joy it brings. I used to love dancing.
- Celebrate More: Life is full of moments worth celebrating, and I want to make a conscious effort to honor both the big and small victories this year.
Things I Wish I Knew How to Do
There are a few skills I’ve always wanted to improve, and this year, I’m determined to focus on mastering them. It’s not that I don’t know what needs to be done—it’s the constant battle with my mind that holds me back, creating anxiety instead of progress. These skills are all deeply connected to my health and well-being, and I’m ready to break through the mental barriers and take meaningful action:
- Lose Weight: Finding a sustainable way to lose weight and feel healthy is something I’ve always wanted to do. This year, I’m focusing on gradual, mindful changes that I can stick with long term.
- Be Healthier: I’m determined to take better care of my body and mind this year. From eating more vegetables to making time for rest, I want to focus on a holistic approach to health.
- Practice Gratitude: Sometimes it’s hard to embrace gratitude naturally, but I know it’s a powerful practice. This year, I want to make it a habit—starting small, like writing down one thing I’m thankful for each day.
- Manage Stress Better: Life can be overwhelming, especially with everything I juggle. I want to learn and practice ways to manage stress more effectively, whether it’s through breathing exercises or taking breaks to recharge.
- Experience More Joy: I want to make room for more joy in my daily life. Whether it’s through laughter, small wins, or savoring moments of peace, I’m going to actively seek out and appreciate the happiness around me.
- Get rid of negative self-talk: Somehow, I’m really good at negative self-talk… and bad at stopping it.
Looking Ahead
This year, my resolutions are all about embracing what I already love, making small improvements in areas that matter, and learning new ways to live a more balanced, joyful life. Here’s to a year of growth, joy, and taking time for the simple pleasures that make life so special.
What are your resolutions for the new year? I’d love to hear what you’re focusing on as we step into this fresh chapter!
Ilze
P.S. All of this has me curious about what the year holds for me in this Snake year! 🐍✨
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a day in the life of a latvian mom 
Happy New Year, guys! I hope you achieve all of your goals. 😊👍🏻
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Happy New Year, John! I hope to be able to keep doing things I love and work on things I don’t “love” 🙂 And I hope I will get closer!
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You CAN do it, Ilze! I’m rooting for ya!
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Thank you so much for the encouragement! It really means a lot. I’m feeling motivated and ready to take on 2025 with more focus and self-care. Your support makes all the difference!
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That’s wonderful, ilze! Go forth and conquer!
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Happy New Year! I hope you reach your goals for the year.
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Thank you! I’ve never been great at setting goals, or when I do, I tend to fall short. This time, I’m taking a different approach—giving myself time to reflect on areas I can improve and celebrating what I’m already good at. 🙂
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I don’t write resolutions, just a hand full of goals. The most important is finding more joy in my life. I will need to print them out because I’ve already forgotten. Cognition issues force me to write things down and leave them where I can see them. You can do the same, take what’s most important to you and print out a few copies and leave them in places you will see them several times a day, they are great reminders, if you see it repeated your more likely to do it. The Snake year had me concerned, I don’t like snakes. 🙂
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I love your approach to goals and how you keep them visible as reminders! It’s such a simple yet powerful way to stay on track. Finding joy sounds like a wonderful goal for the year, and I’m sure having those reminders around will help keep it in focus. As for the Snake year, I totally get it—not everyone’s a fan! What’s your horoscope sign? Maybe the Snake year will be good for you after all! Here’s to making this year one full of growth, even if it involves a few things we might not love. 😊
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I’m a Cancer, hopefully snakes like the Cancer sign. I know you will work very hard, just add more self-care breaks to your day for your mental health.
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2025 will be a year of personal change, spiritual awareness, and growth for the Cancer sign. And, yes, I agree, more self-care breaks
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All sound good to me. As son as my hands heal I can get started on one goal, hand knitting. I’ve bought the chunky yarn and my first goal is to make a scarf. I’m not inclined in this area and have quit, regular knitting and crochet but hand knitting looks much easier. 🙂
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Hand-knitting is fun!!! I hope you can do it soon!
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At least a month more of healing and then I’m ready to give it a go.
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That sounds like a thoughtful plan—taking the time you need to heal fully is so important. Wishing you a smooth recovery and lots of success when you’re ready to go for it!
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Thank you, Ilze. I’m using the hand but the pain is lingering longer than the last one. The entire inside of my right hand is a black blue bruise. Take care today, you may have taken on way too much the past two weeks.
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I’m really sorry to hear about the pain in your hand—it sounds pretty tough! I hope it heals up soon. Thank you for the reminder to take care. You’re probably right, I’ve been juggling a lot lately, so I’ll make sure to slow down today and focus on resting. Take care of yourself too!
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You’ve also been under a great deal of stress and that impacts the body. It’s hard to learn to slow down when there’s so much to do, but it’s a good habit. I feel so much better by letting go of somethings knowling they will be there tomorrow.
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It’s so true, stress really takes a toll on the body, and it can be hard to slow down when there’s always something on the to-do list. I’ve been learning that too, though—sometimes it’s about giving myself permission to pause and trust that things can wait. It’s a small but powerful shift, and I think it’s helping me feel better too
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Such lovely thoughts and worthy goals. I have many of the same aspirations for the year. Except I can do without chemistry, lol.
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Thank you so much! I’m glad we share similar aspirations—here’s to making them a reality this year! 😊 And haha, I completely get that about chemistry—it’s not for everyone! Wishing you success with your goals!
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It’s great that you’re starting from a place of knowing what you enjoy and building on it – I wish you the best of luck in achieving all you want to achieve. I don’t have resolutions as such, but I always want to build in more creativity and more time in nature in my life.
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Thank you, Andrea! Starting from a place of joy really does set the tone for growth, doesn’t it? I love your focus on creativity and time in nature—both are so enriching. Do you have any specific creative projects or favorite nature spots you’re looking forward to this year?
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I just hope to spend more time at some of my favourite spots, like the sea or a local park I used to write about a lot, but I haven’t spent so much time there recently.
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That sounds like a wonderful goal! Revisiting favorite spots can be so refreshing and grounding. I hope you get the chance to spend more time there and rekindle the inspiration they bring. What do you enjoy most about those places?
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