5 for 2025.

Looking back at the previous years, you’d expect this new one to bring along one of those traditional resolutions or manifestions posts of mine, no? Well, that WAS the plan, but while I was reflecting on the past year and what I could list up for the next one, a couple of things struck me…

First and foremost: that the list I made last year pretty much covered everything I wanted to work and focus on in a way that wasn’t too stressful or cliché resolution-like. Secondly, that I quite liked the way I set that one up (realistically instead of too challenging, with focus points instead of a detailed to do list) to be a perfect guideline not only for a year, but for a life. And lastly, that 2024 was actually a perfectly fine attempt at following those guidelines. They served me well, and so I’ll be taking them with me into this new year. Same resolutions, more time to chase them! A take two, if you will, but this time better. Here’s what I wrote down last year, fine-tuned for 2025 and - fittingly - expanded with a fifth focus point.

5 for 2025.

focus: health.

Last year, I promised myself to pick up running again, eat healthy, make time for cooking decent meals and get rid of a couple of bad habits. Needless to say; same, 2024 Nelle, same. What I would like to say, though, is that buying my treadmill last year was the best decision I ever made, since the running routine I managed to set up after I mentioned wanting to pick that back up, hardly suffered any setbacks throughout the whole year because of that investment. Tip o’ the hat to me.

focus: work/life balance.

If there’s anything I’ve learned from trying to keep this little focus point in mind last year, it’s that it’s quite impossible for me to achieve a continuous work/life balance in the strict sense of the term. Because, yes, I do tend to work a lot (aka too much according to popular opinion) during some periods, but I found out that that’s actually fine by me. When I love the work, I love spending a lot of time on it. Consequently, the one priority I have this year when it comes to work, is not to keep myself from working too much, but rather to become even better at selecting my projects and knowing when to work on my own ideas. Portraits will be most affected by this, but I’ll pour that into a post very soon! As for the ‘life’ part of this little paragraph; spending quality time with friends, family, and -alternately- by myself, is obviously very important to me, still. I need those for fuel, haha! I don’t have any specifics in mind for that free time, though. No travel aspirations or big outings on the wishlist, mostly due to the uncertainty Leia’s illness has hooked me up with for the time being, but I’m perfectly fine with that. I do, however, have yet another reading challenge all set up. Take a look below, and if you know me: laugh away at the impossibleness of it all.

focus: live consciously and authentically.

The speaking up, the buying less, the smaller footprint, the not caring about what other people think… All things I made a ton of progress on last year, and want to continue working on in 2025. It’s a very short and simple focus point, but an all the more powerful and important one.

focus: treasure & appreciate.

With everything that’s going on in the world right now, I can’t even begin to count the times I’ve felt really lucky about small AND big things in life the past year. Wanting to continue the appreciation for genuine connections and all the good things I even get to experience in 2025 just seems like a given to me. Documenting them, though... Could be better! Less end-of-the-month dumps, more spontaneous sharing on the feed instead of stories, and the writing-down of things I want to look back on when I’ve had a less-lucky day… Now there’s a classic resolution for ya.

focus: one day at a time.

From one terrible over-thinker to a potential other: do less of it. Life’s full of twists and turns, just trust your gut and live through every single one of them without first having to come up with every possible scenario. Every next day has the potential to either make it worse, or solve the entire puzzle the previous one set you up with. Seeing as you can’t possibly predict which one it’s going to be, just let it go, end your day on a positive note, go to sleep and then find out. This focus point is a perfect summary of all the previous ones, as well, and perhaps the perfect conclusion to me having difficulty coming up with anything new or specific for the new year. Because I think that the older I get, the more I realise that we’re only here for a shockingly short time, and that all we can do is make the most of the amount we get. AND romanticise the shit out of every little thing while we’re at it.

And how’s that for an end note just before stepping out to go watch We Live in Time, am I RIGHT?! 😂

Happy new year, sweeties. I’ve no doubt you’ll make it a good one. Only you can do that.

Love always,