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A lot of the time life is a challenge of juggling different responsibilities.

I am currently juggling the final course of my degree with a baby. This year I will return to work following my maternity leave, this is a new job I was promoted to a week before I started my leave. I don’t know about everyone else but the mix of responsibilities in this beautiful thing called life can occasionally feel overwhelming.

Word of the Year

I really enjoy having a focus for the year and for 2025 my word for the year is

Intentional

The new parent life can be overwhelming! As we’ve juggled the needs of a newborn, other things have taken a back seat and I am starting to struggle - or, at least, feel like I am struggling.

There are so many aspects of our lives that I feel the need to simplify and become more intentional about:

The items in our home
The clothes in my wardrobe and the clothes I purchase for Éowyn
The things that go in my calendar - if it’s not a “hell yes” then it’s a no.
The way I spend money
How I use my phone

With so many things calling for my attention, I really want to be intentional about each aspect of our lives so we can focus on what is most important in the here and now. Right now, that’s spending our time off with Éowyn.

If you are someone who favours goal setting person rather than choosing a word of the year, I’d encourage you to be intentional about your 2025 goals.

Being SMART about goals

Often people set goals they have no control over. Aiming to reach x number of followers by the end of the year - unless you’re creating x number of accounts, you have no control over whether people hit that follow button. Instead, focus on what you are going to do to become someone that others want to follow - for example, posting five times a week on Instagram for the next year.

This goal is S.M.A.R.T.

Specific - it’s clear what the goal is.

Measurable - You can measure your success. Did you post five times a week? How many weeks did you achieve this goal?

Attainable - Have a look at what you’re juggling. Does five times a week feel achievable? Or would you be better starting at three times and increasing if you have capacity?

Relevant - The goal is relevant to the outcome you want. People follow active accounts.

Time-Based - There’s an end date to evaluate how the goal went.

If you’ve set a big goal that lasts the whole year, it’s important to break it down into steps or systems that will help you achieve it.

The only S.M.A.R.T. goal I set every year is my reading goal. In 2025 I have adjusted the number of books I aim to read because the number from previous years is just not attainable in my current stage of life.

I want to read fifty books in 2025. That’s roughly one book a week with a little bit of leeway. To help me achieve this, I’ll set up a system of reading thirty minutes a day and see if that helps me hit my one-book-a-week target. It helps that my university course is English Literature, so I am already having to read a considerable amount for my studies.

Among the fiction, I will also pick up some books along the lines of

An Edited Life by Anna Newton

Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport

Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World by Brooke McAlary

If you have any recommendations for books about simplifying and being more intentional in our day to day lives, please let me know in the comments.

Being Intentional in 2025