The start of a new year often brings thoughts of fresh beginnings and a flurry of resolutions shared on social media by friends, family, past high school or college classmates, and strangers. While the desire and pressure for change is a natural extension of feeling a need to “start fresh in the new year,” it can sometimes feel overwhelming or discouraging when progress doesn’t happen as planned. We have all experienced the disappointment of a resolution that fizzles out after a few days or weeks. While this desire for personal growth is normal and culturally permitted, the way you approach change in 2025 can be the difference of feeling victorious instead of disappointed.
In 2025, shift your mindset away from “resolutions” and focus on setting intentions. Here’s how to approach the new year with a sense of positivity and purpose.
Why Setting Meaningful Intentions Instead of Resolutions Works
Many of the most common resolutions you hear people set in late December are goals like loose 20 lbs, get organized, drink less, eat healthier, save money, etc. And while those are of legitimate aspirations, they are derived from our perceived shortcomings or faults. In other words, they come from a place of negativity. While they are important, setting intentions based on your core values can be a more empowering, flexible, and ultimately sustainable way to achieve personal growth.
Rather than focusing on an outcome, intentions serve as a guiding framework for the way you want to live. They are aspirational yet adaptable, and they allow for more freedom in how you approach your personal development.
Maintaining a Positive Mindset Going into the New Year
The foundation of a successful, positive year starts with cultivating a mindset of optimism. Generating meaningful change in your life is much easier when it originates from a place of positivity. Negative self-talk and pressure can sabotage even the best of intentions, which is why focusing on optimism is key.
Practice Positive Reframing
Positive reframing is one of the most effective positive thinking techniques for shifting your perspective toward optimism. This process is all about viewing a particular context in a more positive way. Channel the energy spent focusing on negative thinking like “I should,” “I have to,” and “I must” statements into creating a positive mindset.
Instead of focusing on what you didn’t achieve in 2024 or what you “have to” accomplish in 2025, ask yourself:
What has been great about this past year?
What do I hope to continue from 2024 into 2025?
What would be a good addition to my life in 2025?
Starting the year with a positive perspective allows you to be hopeful of what the new year will bring rather than pressure to meet expectations.
Recommended Reading for a Positive Mindset
Consider these books that provide tools for generating more hopefulness, positivity, and optimism in the new year. These titles are perfect for anyone seeking self-help books for positivity or looking to adopt an optimistic mindset:
Alex Brand. (2021). The Positive Thinking Workbook: Quiet Your Inner Critic and Build a Strong Foundation for a Positive Mindset.
Kristen Butler (2023). 3 Minute Happiness Journal: Create Happy Habits. Change Your Brain. Transform Your Life.
Martin E. P. Seligman. (2018). The Hope Circuit: A Psychologist's Journey from Helplessness to Optimism.
Loretta Graziano Breunin (2016). The Science of Positivity: Stop Negative Thought Patterns by Changing Your Brain Chemistry.
Viktor E. Frankle. (2024). Embracing Hope: On Freedom, Responsibility & the Meaning of Life
Barbara Fredrickson. (2009). Positivity: Top-Notch Research Reveals the 3-to-1 Ratio That Will Change Your Life
Julie Smith. (2022). Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
The Power of Setting Intentions
Maintaining a hopeful and positive perspective can be aided by setting intentions. Intentions are powerful tools for guiding your actions and thoughts. They are succinct statements that identify an aim or objective derived from your life values. Unlike resolutions, which often focus on specific outcomes, intentions are grounded in your values and aspirations, offering flexibility as your circumstances evolve.
Examples of Intentions You Can Set:
I intend to...
Be more forgiving to self and others
Focus on my family
Be present in the moment
Remember to be grateful
Practice patience
Accept change more openly
Connect with others
Make someone smile today
Intentions are not about fixing something, but about focusing on the values you already live by. They are personal aspirations that align with your core beliefs and can be set for any time frame—daily, monthly, or yearly. This makes them flexible, able to adjust to the inevitable changes in our personal or professional lives. While setting intentions may lead to specific actions, they differ from goals because there’s no fixed end point to reach (like a certain amount of money saved or miles run each week). Instead, intentions are rooted in the present, serving as a guide for your actions and behavior moving forward.
A Reflection Activity to Help You Set Your Intentions:
To begin drafting your intentions, take a moment to reflect on your current values and hopes for the new year. This can be done through meditation, journaling, or any designated uninterrupted time where you can begin to frame what is most important to you. You might also find it helpful to engage in the “Values Life Map” creative activity described below.
Creative Activity for Exploring Values and Intentions: Values Life Map
For those who enjoy creative expression, the Values Life Map is a reflective activity that can help you visualize your values and intentions.
Values Life Map can be completed with any art material you like (pencil, crayon, marker, pen, paint, etc.). At the end, you will have three total sketches on your paper. Here’s how it works:
Gather Supplies: Use any materials you like—pencils, markers, paint, etc.
Sketch Your Present Self: Start in the center of your paper. This is an image of your present self. Include elements of your current life you enjoy or images that represent your values. For example, if you value caring for the environment maybe draw a leaf of your favorite plant.
Reflect on Your Past: Then move to the left of your paper. This image represents you in the past. When you were a child, what was important to you? If it was your youth travel basketball team, then include a drawing of a basketball. Reflect on how your values and interests have changed or stayed the same across your life.
Imagine Your Future Self: When you’re ready, move to the space on the right side of the paper. This sketch will be of the future you. After completing the previous two drawings, what values do you anticipate being in your future?
Set Intentions: Once you have your values visualized, you can make your intension statements and priorities the actions, thoughts, and behaviors that align with your intentions.
Not an artist? No problem! Any form of personal reflection, as long as it’s free from distractions, can be equally valuable. (Put your phone somewhere you can’t hear notifications!)
Prioritizing Self-Care in 2025
Taking care of yourself is another important element of achieving personal objectives in the new year. Create a list of self-care activities you enjoy that take a variety of durations to complete.
For example:
Quick: Light a candle (30 seconds).
Short: Apply a face mask (15 minutes).
Moderate: Read a book (30 minutes)
Moderate: Meditate (40 minutes).
Long: Go to the gym (60 minutes).
Long: Watch a movie (90 minutes).
These activities are then at the ready to use throughout the day based on your changing schedule. This system of setting intentions can relieve you of potential negative emotions of expectations or new year’s resolutions left unmet. Any action taken is being true to the intentions you set so remember consistency does NOT mean 100% effort every day.
Embrace a Year of Purpose and Possibility
As you step into 2025, let this year be about progress, not perfection. Embrace positivity, set meaningful intentions, and prioritize self-care as an act of kindness toward yourself. Focusing on personal growth with the start of a new year can be an enjoyable journey when approached with a perspective of hope and positivity. Instead of rigid resolutions or self-criticism, focus on cultivating habits that align with your values and bring you joy.
If you're struggling to find clarity or need help in setting meaningful intentions for the new year, consider reaching out to a therapist who can support you in this reflective journey. It’s time to choose hope, gratitude, and grace as the foundation for your personal growth in 2025.
References
Houston, E. (2019). What is hope in psychology + 7 exercises & worksheets. Positive Psychology.com. https://positivepsychology.com/hope-therapy/#activities.
Mayo Clinic Staff (2023). Positive thinking: Stop negative self-talk to reduce stress. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/positive-thinking/art-20043950
Mosunic, C. (2024). The power of setting intentions & how to set mindful. Calm oneshttps://www.calm.com/blog/setting-intentions
Vallejo, M. (2022). Should statements: How to reframe the way you think. Mental Health Center Kids. https://mentalhealthcenterkids.com/blogs/articles/should-statements#:~:text=Examples%20of%20Should%20Statements,-Here%20are%20some&text=%E2%80%9CI%20must%20get%20everything%20done,cut%20sugar%20from%20your%20diet.%E2%80%9D
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