The past few years have shown us that change moves in cycles – sometimes gentle, sometimes seismic. We’ve witnessed the world reshape itself, seen communities connect in deeper ways, and observed how travel has evolved into something more intentional, more considered. These observations carry weight as we look toward the horizon of a new year. In December, time takes on a different texture. The year’s end invites us to observe the hands that have shaped our days and how our thoughts and actions set us on different paths. As we stand at the threshold of 2025, we find ourselves in this contemplative space, where the past year’s experiences settle like sediment, revealing their patterns, wisdom, and perhaps a little acuity into the coming year.
What draws my attention for 2025 is the concept of depth over breadth – the idea that we might move through our days with greater presence rather than constant motion. Over the past year, I’ve been moving at a slower pace, reexamining my practices to better understand what truly serves me and what I want to carry into the new silver jubilee. Depth is a willingness to explore the layers of meaning and emotion that underlie our actions, and it signifies a more profound engagement with our experiences. Presence, on the other hand, is about being fully in the moment, unburdened by past regrets or future worries. For 2025, this becomes an invitation to explore what lies beneath the surface of our everyday experiences. Perhaps the question isn’t ‘What do I want to achieve?’ but ‘How do I wish to experience this moment?’
Setting intentions differs fundamentally from making resolutions. Goals have a rigid architecture, but intentions move like water – finding their own path and adapting to the terrain of our lives. Some months, we flow swiftly and clearly; others, we rest in still pools. I’m drawn to the notion of cultivating moments of deliberate stillness in which we can observe the currents of our lives. These pauses might manifest in different ways: a morning ritual before the day unfolds, a solitary walk around the neighbourhood, or perhaps a journey to somewhere entirely new, where our awareness is heightened. Deliberate stillness is about creating intentional moments of pause in our lives, where we can step back, observe, and reflect on our experiences. In this practice of intention-setting, we find a certain release.
Unlike goals that demand specific outcomes, intentions are more about the journey than the destination. They create a framework for experiencing whatever the year might bring. They allow us to ask gentle but profound questions: ‘What makes me feel alive?’, ‘Where do I find meaning?’ and ‘How might I move through this year with greater awareness?’ These questions are not meant to have definitive answers but to guide our thoughts and actions toward a more mindful and intentional way of living. Intentions are about the process, the way we want to live our lives, and the person we want to become.
As we step into 2025, my intention centres on allowing experiences to unfold naturally rather than forcing them into predetermined shapes. It’s about creating space for both achievement and reflection, understanding that each holds equal value in the tapestry of a year. Achievement is about the tangible outcomes we strive for, the goals we set and accomplish. Reflection, on the other hand, is about the intangible growth that occurs within us, the lessons we learn from our experiences, and the insights we gain about ourselves and the world around us. There's something powerful in acknowledging that we stand at the beginning of another cycle around the sun. Not as a pressure to transform, but as an invitation to witness our own unfolding story. Whatever 2025 brings – moments of joy or challenge, quiet or movement – we can meet it with presence, curiosity, and a gentle awareness of our own place within its flow. ■
