The 5 Priorities That Will Shape Your Best Year Yet (Without the Burnout)
Goodbye, unrealistic New Year’s resolutions… hello to actually prioritizing what matters this year.
I know myself too well to pretend I’d have everything figured out on January 1st. Now that February is coming to an end in a few days, I’m finally locking in my key priorities for 2025. Priorities that actually align with the life I want to create.
Traditional New Year’s resolutions always sound good in theory, but let’s be real… they rarely stick. I would spend hours try to craft the perfect vision board only to soon forget about it. Looking back, the real issue was lack of consistency and setting goal that didn’t alight with my true priorities.
So this year, I’m shifting my approach. No more creating an unrealistic list of overwhelming goals that won’t stick. Instead, I’m focusing on five key priorities that will help me live a more balanced, intentional, fulfilling life.
In this post, I’m sharing five priorities to help you create an intentional, fulfilling year
- Mental health over productivity
- Exercise & Wellness
- Meaningful Connections
- Creativity & Self-Discovery
- Progress over perfection
Priority 1: Mental Health Over Productivity:
prioritizing well-being over burnout
The days of just pushing through to get by are gone. I don’t consider myself a workaholic, and I don’t support that mindset. Sleep is something I’ll never sacrifice.
Now that doesn’t mean that I don’t have moments where I want to do all the things and actually believe that I can. But the reality is that pushing myself takes a toll on the body. Our body deserves rest and will remind us when it’s time to take it.
Living in a hustle culture world, it’s easy to feel like slowing down means falling behind. But falling behind what exactly?! Rest gives us the energy to more forward and allows us to prioritize health over productivity.
Priority 2: Exercise & Wellness
Building sustainable healthy habits that work for you
Unpopular opinion here… but I’m not a fan of trendy health challenges like 75 hard. If you miss a day of the challenge, you start over again from day 1. That sounds more like a chore and not a sustainable lifestyle change. And once the challenge is over… then what?
I absolutely love seeing people in my community motivated to improve their health, but strict diets and intense challenges ain’t it. Wellness isn’t about perfection, it’s about consistency. Consistency doesn’t mean showing up perfectly every day. It’s about building habits that support your well-being in a way that works for YOU.
- If working out 4 days a week feels good for you… great, go for it!
- If morning workouts fit your schedule best… amazing, go for it!
- If evening workouts are more your thing… stick with it!
- If you miss a workout.. that’s okay! The world won’t end because of it. Just pick back up the next day.
For the past few years, my workout routine has been four days a week, with an active rest day thrown in when I can. Do I always hit four days? Nope! I’m human and life be lifing. Some weeks it’s only two days. Other weeks, I’ve gone without a single workout and that’s okay. Instead of beating myself up about it, I acknowledge when I’m off and make a plan to reset.
Movement should feel good and not like another chore on your to-do list. If working out feels like a chore, it might be time to reevaluate your why. Why do you want to prioritize your health?
The goal isn’t perfection, it’s about building a sustainable wellness routine that supports both your physical and mental health.
Priority 3: Meaningful Connections
Strengthening friendships and building community
We are living in some interesting times and we need community more than ever to help us navigate the ups and downs of life. Having people who truly see, support, and uplift you is invaluable. But meaningful connections don’t happen by accident, they require intentionality and effort.
Like any relationship, friendship thrives on effort. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of our lives that we let days, weeks, and even months go by without checking in on the people who matter to us. That’s why being intentional is key. Friendship is a two-way street and not one-sided. It’s so important to pour into our friends just as much as we want to receive. Scheduling friend dates such as a coffee chat, a girl’s night out, or a phone call/FT helps keep connections strong in a busy world. Small efforts make a big difference.
If you’ve moved away from your hometown, you know how challenging building relationships as an adult can be. Building relationships at this stage can require consistent effort. It can feel mad awkward and uncomfortable, but the reality is that so many others are in the same boat of wanting connection. Put yourself in spaces where you can meet like-minded people and be open to new experiences. Community doesn’t just happen, it’s built with time, effort, and courage to put yourself out there.
Priority 4: Creativity & Self-Discovery
Exploring passions and embracing self-growth
If you know me personally, then you know that creativity is in my DNA. From childhood to adulthood, I’ve always dabbled in creative adventures. As an adult, creativity has become a happy zone—a place where I can tap into my inner child, let go of expectations, and simply create for the joy of it. In this zone, I continue to rediscover myself and unlock hidden passions and talents I wasn’t aware I had.
Creativity isn’t about being good at something. You don’t have to meet a “skill level” to call yourself creative. It’s all about exploration, joy, and self-expression. Whether it is writing, photography, dance, or tapping into your influencer bag, if it excites you, it’s worth exploring.
Think about what creative expressions have been lightly (or loudly) tapping at your door. What’s that thing you’ve been curious about but keep pushing aside? I challenge you to open the door and see where your creativity takes you.
Priority 5: Progress Over Perfection
Letting go of fear and taking leap of faith actions
It’s a marathon… not a sprint
I often get caught up inside my head about this blog. Whether it’s questioning if a post is “ready” to publish or overthinking the vision I have for its future, I get scared and freeze. The fear of judgment creeps back in so quickly and before I know it, I’m back in my shell.
But here’s the truth I keep reminding myself… This blog will never be perfect—because perfection doesn’t exist. I wish I could wake up one day and have the words perfect and perfection erased from my brain.
I’m learning to stop sitting on ideas out of fear they’re not polished enough and to stop waiting for the right moment. Because that moment… it’s never coming.
Posting, sharing, and creating while still figuring it out is that wave I’m riding this year.
How many times have you put off doing something because it wasn’t perfect? How often have you let the fear of judgment hold you back?
You don’t need to be an expert to take action. You become one by starting. Let’s stop overthinking and stop waiting for perfection to knock on the door with a permission slip. Don’t let fear keep you from sharing your work. Perfection isn’t the goal—progress is.
Priorities aren’t about pressure. It’s all about intentionality. The five priorities we’ve covered are all about aligning your life with what truly matters.
Priorities aren’t set in stone. Life changes, and so can your focus. What’s important today may evolve tomorrow, and that’s okay. You can come back and adapt your priorities based on what life is serving you.
So what priorities are you setting for yourself this year? I challenge you to set quarterly check-ins and ask yourself, are my actions aligned with what truly matters to me?
If the answer is no, that’s your sign to pivot and keep moving forward with intention.
What’s the #1 priority you’re focusing on this year? I’d love to hear how you’re making 2025 your best year.
Related Posts You Might Like:
