Monday Musings: 25 for 2025 Mid-Year Update

As I have for several years now, I create a list of goals for the year. I follow the lead of Gretchen Rubin from The Happier Podcast, and I share updates throughout the year.

It's a low-pressure way of identifying priorities for the upcoming year. I try to make the goals SMART (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-Bound), but a few usually don't fit this mold. Last year, I really only achieved a handful, and that's OK! The expectation for this list is not for 100% completion.

In January, I shared a number of my 2025 goals.

• Deep Clean 1 room per month (12 Months of Tidy)

• Read 2 books per month (I have this goal every year!)

• Fix 7 (2+5 for 25) pain points in our home (things like hat and water bottle lid storage, dysfunctional kitchen drawers, etc)

• Buy 2 new blazers/jackets

• Do 1 fun family activity per season

• Shop small for 5 gifts this year

• Work with kids to improve picking up after themselves

• Try single-tasking more frequently

• Focus on things I can control

I'm proud to say that I have already made significant progress!

• My 12 Months of Tidy project is keeping me honest. I am caught up from the rainout of April and well into month five of the back patio refresh.

• Two books per month so far--Check!

• I've conquered four "pain points" in our house, well on my way to seven.

• I purchased a new blazer for work from Stitch Fix Freestyle, and I'll keep looking for one more to add this fall. I've also donated one to keep things manageable in my closet.

• We did a really nice activity at our local Zoo for spring, keeping with my goal of one family fun activity each season.

• Shopping small is a goal I highly recommend to anyone looking to make an impact with your personal resolutions. I've purchase two gifts from small businesses this year, and I anticipate sailing past this one with holiday shopping this fall.

As I mentioned in January, these next three will need some reflection and evaluation at the end of the year, but I think I'm making progress on each.

It's not too late to set some smart goals for the next half of the calendar year! Even one per month will help you prioritize your time, money and attention on the things that matter most.