One little word 2025 – plan!

If you’ve set NY’s resolutions in the past, only for them to be long forgotten by the end of January, maybe you want to join me on ‘one little word’.

The premise behind selecting a single word for your year, is to create a simple yet powerful focus that influences your decisions and actions throughout the year.  Rather than setting multiple resolutions that can feel overwhelming, choosing just one word can offer clarity and direction.  It becomes a personal mantra that can inspire change, guide choices, and help you stay aligned with your values and goals.

My word for 2025 is PLAN.

Why plan?

Because I believe that intentional planning is the key to purposeful actions.  If you want to live well – physically, mentally and creatively, you’re more likely to achieve this if you plan for it.  As middle-aged women, we juggle many roles, and it can be easy to let our own well-being slip through the cracks. But with thoughtful planning, we can prioritise and create space for what truly matters to us.  

And although I know, and have experienced the power of planning, I’m guilty of not consistently doing it.  

Planning for Wellness

As the hot flushes started to control my life, I started reading and learning about what was happening with my body as a menopausal woman.  (This book offers some great common sense advice and understanding.)

There are so many changes that happen to our bodies at this time, and every body can react differently, with a myriad of symptoms.

But whatever your symptoms, I’ve learned that diet and exercise are the two largest natural opportunities you have of mitigating these changes.

I don’t know about you, but eating appropriately, and exercising doesn’t just happen for me. Especially knowing that I needed to significantly increase my protein intake.

Planning protein rich meals for the week helps me nourish my body, making it easier to resist quick, unhealthy options. Scheduling workouts—whether it’s a daily walk, lifting some weights at home, or some stretching —keeps me moving and energized. 

I’ve found that when I make these decisions ahead of time, I’m prepared physically (with the right food in the house) and mentally.  

By intentionally planning these aspects of wellness, we empower ourselves to stay strong, vibrant, and independent as we age.

Overcoming Mental Obstacles

Sometimes, the biggest challenges we face are the ones in our own minds—doubt, procrastination, and overwhelm. 

I’ve found that breaking down big goals into smaller, manageable steps makes them feel more achievable. Planning my days and weeks allows me to focus on progress rather than perfection. This mindset shift helps me stay motivated and reduces anxiety about getting everything ‘right’.

And having that plan to get up to and onto, really helps curb the procrastination.

Planning for Business

I’m self employed, and pretty much no one will know if I’ve turned up for work each day or not.  (Well, at least for a little while.)  But if I don’t turn up and do the work, it won’t get done, and ultimately, that means I won’t earn anything.  So planning for someone who’s self employed, and needs to be self motivated, is totally key.   

I love the power of a list – ticking each item off never fails to make me feel good.  Can you relate?

Planning for Play

On the flip side of work is play.  It is too easy to get consumed by the day to day.  Our commitments, our chores, our families – there’s a lot that goes into this life of ours.   But play and downtime is another important facet of our lives.  One that easily gets dismissed in our busyness, and the supposed importance of all those other things.  

But play and time out is equally important.  It gives us a chance to catch our breath and for our bodies to rest.  Recovery comes from rest.  Perspective comes from stepping away from the day to day.  New ways to address a problem comes from removing ourselves from it.  And this ‘play’ doesn’t happen unless we plan it. 

Planning means any actions you take are purposeful.

Can you see how vital planning is?

What happens if you don’t plan?

If you don’t plan, you’re living a life that is reactionary.  You’re fitting into others’ plans.  You’re drifting along, most likely doing the same thing day in and day out.  It is very easy to be a creature of habit.

As humans, we’ve been given an incredible opportunity to create our own individual way of life.  

I bet you have things you want to do, or feel, or be, or achieve.  To increase your chance of success with any of these, big or small, start by writing those down, and create an action plan of how you can do that.

Tools to Support Planning

There are probably lots of digital tools out there to help you plan, but for me personally, I’m still a paper and pen kinda gal.  I find writing things down solidifies it in my brain.  I’m committing to ensuring everything for the next day is written the night prior.  And then reading it again in the morning, to ensure I’m focusing on the actions that move me towards my goals. 

Simple checklists, meal planning sheets, and habit trackers make it easier to stay on course.  You can make these yourselves, or purchase pre-made ones.

I’ve bought lots of beautiful planners from ‘experts’ over the years, but this year I purchased a simple one from Amazon.  

Plan Alongside Me

I invite you to think about how planning could support your goals in 2025. Maybe it’s setting aside time for self-care, finally starting that creative project you’ve been dreaming about, or simply organizing your days to feel calmer and more purposeful. Whatever it is, know that small, thoughtful plans can lead to big, beautiful changes.

Here’s to a year of intentional living—one plan at a time.

What’s one thing you want to plan for this year? Or what’s your one little word for 2025?

I’d love to hear in the comments below!