Why not, coconut?
Here are the things that I’d like to do, change, and accomplish in 2025:
Read more books
I was inspired (really, driven by envy) when a friend posted her Goodreads recap for 2024. I only read one book in the past year, and it was a re-read of Digital Minimalism.
I’ve actually a curated list of well-considered books on Goodreads, some of which have been there for years. Time to hit the books! (I know I can, because I can see how many hours a day I spend on social media apps on my phone.)
Try out new recipes
My sister-in-law, Chloe, made a simple habit for herself—try out one recipe a week, every Sunday. She said it doesn’t have to be fancy—it could just be a new sauce, a new drink, and so on. It really built up her repertoire, knowledge, and confidence to improvise new recipes and flavours by herself. I still can’t forget the summer salad she whipped up on the fly a few Christmases ago.
I do enjoy cooking, and I really should make it a habit to prepare, cook, and eat nutritious meals.
Resume Friday abstinence
In the last few years, I’d gradually taken up the old Catholic practice of avoiding meat (excluding fish) on Fridays. I stopped that when I got pregnant, and didn’t resume postpartum. I feel like I’m at a decent place now to plan for and around this again.
Give up alcohol during Lent and Advent
It seems much easier now after giving up alcohol for almost twelve months—during pregnancy, and the short weeks that I was breastfeeding.
Resume digital minimalism and ‘the first hour’
There was this practice I used to do that really worked wonders in setting the tone for my day—that is, to not use my phone an hour within waking in the morning, as well as an hour before bed. I could use it to check the time, turn off alarms, and glance over any important notifications. Other than those, I tried not to unlock it at all.
Walk every day
Unless it poses negative effects (for example, a UV index of 4 at five o’clock in summer). I’d love to commit to taking a walk every day when I can. I find that an hour before sunset is a golden time, baby permitting.
Exercise at least twice a week
I resumed working out (strength training at the gym) about three months postpartum, after having stopped for more than a year. The more I do it, the less of a chore it feels, and the more I look forward to the next session.
Most health and government sites will tell you that you ought to do ‘muscle-strengthening’ exercises at least twice a week, for many different reasons. I hope that I can maintain it when I return to work.
No snacks
Finer point—no snacks that I obtain for myself. That means no buying or bringing home things like crackers, chips, cakes, cookies, ice cream, and baked goods for myself. I can have them when they’re served or offered to me.
I think this is a good rule to rule out mindless snacking, as I am most likely to be offered snacks in a social setting outside the home.
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