With the end of high school and start of college packed into one year, 2024 has certainly been memorable in the most chaotic way. Each new year brings new expectations, lessons, and, of course, failures. I always start the year by setting unrealistic goals that are never fully achieved, but hopefully, I have slowly outgrown that phase of delusion (though, let’s be honest, probably not). Anyway, I wanted to share my vision and the goals I want to accomplish in the upcoming year, and I’ll let you guys be the judges. I feel like putting these resolutions out on the internet is more than enough motivation I need to actually follow through – otherwise, this would be embarrassing. Plus, the fact that this was also an excuse to create a new Pinterest board didn’t hurt.

As with any new beginning, I remembered that I have a cute little journal I always seem to start but never finish. So, once again, I started writing and created a new title page for 2025, that was only a few pages after the 2024 title. This was when I realized I want to take it seriously this time, so I figured posting about it would keep me accountable. Just a heads up, simply creating a title page and setting new year’s resolutions does not mean I’m one of those ultra-productive girls who carries their journal around in their bag. I wish! In reality, I’ve been using the same journal since July 31, 2021, and I’ve only filled 15 pages (yes, I counted). Half of them are random doodles and stickers that don’t really serve a purpose. I’ve always been worried about using things with the fear that I’ll ruin them or make them messy – whether it’s journals, annotating books, or even being scared to play with my dolls excessively as a kid, thinking I would break them. This fear is completely pointless. It’s like that one saying about how wrinkles are evidence that one has lived. While I might remember small details about my life now, without documentation, those memories will fade. With that said, my first goal for 2025 is to give myself more freedom and stop being afraid of making mistakes or getting messy. The first step in this is to consistently use my journal, no matter how disorganized it might be, instead of staying up at night, letting the thoughts eat away. You can already tell that this is starting to sound more like a journal entry than a blog post, so I’ll wrap it up here.

A hobby I want to revive is drawing. I had a phase from 2018 to 2020 when I drew every day, and I actually got pretty good at it. The drawings were definitely not realistic, and the proportions were always off, but it was a productive way to spend my free time instead of wasting it being a screen-ager. It also helped me improve a skill while feeding my creativity, which is something I’ve always valued.

Yes, I want to read more books this year, but more specifically, I’m determined to finish Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I have had the book, which has the prettiest cover, sitting on my shelf for about two years, but have been too intimidated to start it. This ties into embracing the “YOLO” mindset more in 2025 and using time instead of wasting it. There’s really nothing holding me back, and I know that once I start reading, finishing the book won’t be nearly as hard. The most difficult part is picking it up. 

Another random little goal I’ve set for myself is to always have fresh flowers in the house. This year, we made sure to have flowers every month, and it made such a difference in brightening up our space. It not only made our living room twice as pretty, but it was so fun observing how different flowers evolved throughout the week. What’s funny is that every bouquet I gravitated toward turned out to be different variations of carnations. My mom told me that in Armenia, carnations were commonly brought to graves, but I always picked them because I thought they were beautiful. Little joys, like being surrounded by flowers, help me get through the day. It makes time pass faster because next thing you know, the year is over and we’ve spent a bunch of money on flowers.

Moving on from the living room to my bedroom, or more specifically, my closet. I’ve always been proud of my outfits – they’re one of my favorite things about myself. This year, I want to take it a step further and actually dress up every time I leave the house. Looking put together helps me feel more productive. I have so many cute clothes that rarely see the light of day because I’m afraid they’re too extra for everyday activities. But why buy them if I can’t get the best wear out of them?

On that same note, I want to get out of the house and explore more. I live in California, yet I have been to the beach probably five times in my life; I really need to take more advantage of it. I realized how little I’ve explored after my trip to Armenia, where I managed to see practically the entire country in just a month. Since then, I’ve started making a list of all the activities I’ve been missing out on while living here: trying new restaurants, visiting art museums, attending festivals, sight-seeing, going to concerts, and so much more. Most importantly, I want to share these experiences with my family. After all, while I haven’t seen much of what’s around me, they’ve seen even less.

And of course, my last and most obvious goal is to continue writing to you guys throughout the next year (you’re not getting rid of me yet!). You guys have no idea how much I enjoy writing on this platform and I will forever be thankful for everyone who actually takes the time to read them. Happy new year besties! I will see you next year.