My New Year’s Resolutions 2025.

Happy 2025 everyone! I don’t know about you, but I have high expectations for this year, which I am almost entirely sure will be met.

 I rang 2025 in with my friend Anthony at Paddy’s Bar in Ventura, as is our tradition, and, additionally, I have started this year off strong by going camping with my dad at Lake Casitas in Ojai, California. I always relish the opportunity to commune with nature—and I have always been this way.

I have several resolutions that I desire to work on this year—starting with Toastmasters, which is the public speaking group that I have been with since 2014. For those of you who do not know, last year I acquired the position of Toastmasters Area B1 Director. My goal for this year is to complete Round 2 of my Club Visits. This entails personally visiting all Toastmasters clubs in my Area, and then generating a report online about how I think they are doing. Next month, I will be organizing and putting on an Area Speech Contest, which I am very much looking forward to also.

 Additionally, I wish to up my fitness game in 2025. I still go for runs fairly regularly around the neighborhood, and I strongly desire for this tradition to continue. I have also been using hand weights in my backyard, as well as my mom’s TRX system. This year, I want to incorporate regular push-up and sit-up sessions. I of course intend to keep going to my weekly Zumba class at my local 24 Hour Fitness.

 For those of you who do not know, last year I succeeded in formulating a thirty-page outline for my future science fiction book, Parapenda. There is one page of notes per intended chapter. In addition to this, I intricately delved into the profiles of all my nine main characters. This year, my resolution is to start the process of writing the text itself. I am all prepared, more than I have ever been. As far as writing is concerned, I am told that there are both “pantsers,” and “plotters,” and I most definitely fall into the latter category, because I don’t always like writing off the top of my head, and especially for longer pieces.

 Finally, I want to stay close to my loved ones in 2025—whether this means going on vacations with my parents and siblings, or sleepovers and movies with my friends, or even on walks with my enthusiastic, fit, and good-looking dog.

 I always see every new year as a new opportunity to live my life to the fullest, and to encourage those around me to do the same. If something is missing, I find it. If something is wrong, I right it. As the lyrics of the storied Switchfoot song go: “This is your life, are you who you want to be?”  My answer to that question is, of course and unequivocally, YES.

 

Paddy’s Bar in Ventura.