With each new year, personal and business goals pepper social media posts. No matter how barren the closing year may have been, goals are the light of promise for the new year.

There’s something about getting goals down on paper (or screen) that turns the promise from a whisper to a belief.

• A belief in yourself
• Belief in hope
• A belief in a new year

The Promise of the New Year

Remember the end of 2020? We were so happy to kick that pandemic year out the door and get back to real life. For some people, the end of 2024 had a similar feeling.

But the anticipation for 2025 feels different. Yes, for some, there’s promise. Hope. For others, trepidation. For me, focusing on goals takes the edge off uncertainty, and, yes, fear.

I first wrote this post in 2012. Back then my goals were more structured. Hey, I had a business to run. As I get older, I focus more on what I want my message to be. Whether or not that message is just for me.

A Simple Message

If you are a recipient of my Old Lady Biz News, you received a sneak peek of my focus for this year. My self-professed Pollyanna nature has been seen cowering in a corner with my hands over my head. So, let’s see if we can coax her out to find the good in life.

Goals do not have to be structured to be valid. They can be but simple works, too. I recommend starting there. By setting a simple theme, it’s easier to feel you have a handle on your goals.

Illustrated below are my basic goals for 2025. I’ll share my plans (so far) to make them work. Hopefully, it will help you do the same with your goals.

Pollyanna enough for you? 😀 The three goals certainly sound simple but they are tougher than they sound. Especially in today’s environment.

Following what I call my corporate breakdown, healing my damaged soul became priority. I missed the once brave, confident individual who did acts others called crazy.

• Like moving (on my own) from Ohio to California with everything I owned in my blue Firenza Hatchback.
• Or quitting a toxic job in Minneapolis to return to my beloved San Diego – even though I had no job.
• And the ultimate leap from 30+ years in corporate to freelancing and owning my own business.

So, I revisited my early posts from my personal blog for inspiration. One of the traits I developed during my rebuild was seeing the positive in almost every situation or individual. I miss that, too.

Measuring Success

So, how do I plan to use my 2025 goals? By using them as the benchmark for what I write, post, and feel.

1. Is the overall message positive?
2. Are responses and content kind (even when disagreeing)?
3. Am I caring enough?

Be Positive

I plan to resurrect some of my more positive posts from the past. Reading them is like visiting an old friend. You forget how much they mean to you and how much you’ve missed them. It’s also interesting to see how much they relate to today – or could.

I will also share the positive posts, memes, and stories I come across. I would love your help in doing so. Send me those that made you think, smile, and feel good. You can either use my Contact page or email me at oldlady at oldladybiz dot com. The exclusive crowd can call or text me. 😀 😀 😀

Be Kind

I started this goal during the pandemic when the world seemed to go mad and common courtesy was crushed under an assault of nasty words. Again, past posts address this goal and offer simple ways to do acts of kindness.

When I was still watching the news, I used to love to watch ABC’s evening news because it always ended with a feel-good story. There are a lot of those stories out there. Just think of the horrific events of the Maui and California fires and North Carolina’s Hurricane Helene. Please share your stories.

Be Caring

One of the best ways to flip a negative narrative is through caring for others. Acts of kindness to others take our focus off our own problems and open our hearts to others.

Those of you who have followed me for any length of time know about my decades-long participation in the 3-Day, 60-Mile Walk for the Cure. No matter how down I may feel or how much I question if this Old Lady Walking can still do it, the Pink Bubble community saves my soul.

But you don’t have to take the extreme step (or should I say steps?) 🙂 of walking 60 miles in 3 Days. Volunteer for whatever your interest or passion is. I promise you, you will feel grateful. A few of my favorites include the following.

• Susan G. Komen 3- Day (you can walk only one or two days if you prefer)
• Giving to the wonderful St. Jude who does research and treatment for childhood cancer
• Donating leftover Halloween/Christmas candy to Operation Shoebox that sends it to our troops

When I lived in San Diego, I also loved volunteering for HandsOn San Diego that had all kinds of volunteer opportunities. They’re an affiliate of Points of Light with global reach. So, check out similar organizations in your area.

Share your favorite caring activities in Comments.

Promise Kept

I invite you to keep me accountable and to share your positive, kind, and caring thoughts and stories. Together we can support one another through the toughest of times and find more reasons to smile.

Be Positive – Be Kind – Be Caring

Don’t forget to share your best. 🙂