Life is for living 2025.

[Mairzydotes]

My aim is to feel fulfilled and to live , rather than exist.

It's how to achieve this that I'm unsure of .

Let's all encourage each other to achieve fulfillment.

I bought my parents a falconry course for Christmas a few years back. They loved it and were totally bedazzled by the birds- as indeed am I. They also got to meet and hold a Brown owl. We are lucky that where we live we have to go over Downs for the school run and I often see red kites. They take my breath away.

I'm am so pleased that my post resonated with you.

I feel this too.

I have got out of the way of going places , especially further afield since lockdown. I have heard other people say the same .

I also really appreciate having the house to myself since lockdown. I feel like I can't waste an opportunity to be in an empty house.

I also occasionally lack confidence in my abilities.

One of the things I've started doing is to use my good things and wear my good clothes.

I try to notice and appreciate beauty, too for example the sky , or nature.

I'm going to eat food I like, often I avoid making things if I'm the only person who likes it .

This is exactly how I feel.

I feel the same, I love my life but I feel like I'm wasting so much of it watching TV or scrolling on my phone. When I occasionally go out I enjoy it and think I should do it more often, but I find so many excuses just to stay at home and do nothing. I want to make regular plans next year and maybe book tickets to events so that I'll actually go. I've seen an afternoon clubbing thing relatively locally in March that want to go to and I also love the idea of a falconry course! Keep the ideas coming!

It's about balance because we need downtime too. All of our time doesn't need to be filled with activity.

I know a lot of people are trying to cut down on mindless scrolling. The content we are exposed often isn't good for our state of mind.

@Mairzydotes The content we are exposed often isn't good for our state of mind.
Yes to this. I've really cut down on how much I look at Twitter/X and I'm sure it's been better for my mental health.

2023 was really shit for me my life literally fell apart, 2024 was much better and I’m cautiously optimistic about 2025.
Tip 1: enjoy the free things in life. I’m exceedingly lucky I live in an amazing location I can see the sunrising over the sea from my bedroom window I always spend a minute or two looking at it. It never ceases to fill me with joy, I walk twice a day and see the same hills surrounding my village everyday is different I just stop and enjoy I love it. We have migratory geese here they fly in the morning and evening again I always stop what I’m doing and watch them, at night sometimes they fly against a background of a pink/orange sky where the sun is setting. From now on I can see the beginning of the end of the winter snowdrops are coming through soon the hedges and banks of the burn will be covered in them, then crocuses daffs, wild garlic, bluebells, willow herb, the geese fly more as the days lengthen, the clocks change and then one day they are gone, the cows on the farm are turned out and then much to my delight the first swallows and swifts return. We have kites buzzards and now a golden eagle here, red squirrels, seals and dolphins in the sea, I know I’m very lucky but wherever you live you should hopefully be able to find something that gives you joy you just need to look for it.
Tip 2: a wise person once said to me book yourself something to look forward too, this was such good advise it doesn’t have to be anything exotic I have a particular interest but limited time to pursue it so I take 4-5 days off work twice a year and devote myself to only doing that I come home buzzing and invigorated.
Tip 3: I now make specific plans/time and prioritise over everything else seeing the people who matter most to me, Ive two people neither live near to me. I’ve just gone through my calendar with one arranging some dates for the next three months when we will meet up, the other one who is much further away and has a schedule that very much clashes with mine so next year we’ve booked a week when they’ll stay with me, a week when I’ll stay with them and a week where we’re going away together. I work full time as do they and sometime life gets so busy and before you know it’s October and you’ve not seen them.
I never used to be this organised but knowing I’ve done all this makes me feel very positive about my life in 2025.

Love this thread! My past 2 years have been illness, bereavement, marriage break up. I'm physically and financially limited now but still plenty of things I can be doing.
Whoever mentioned time management is spot on...I'm not short of ideas but feel like I have no time. I just need to be creative and organised!

Yes , I'm quite mindful in appreciating the beauty in the world around me.

Also I feel better when I get outside into nature , so I try to do that when I can and weather permitting. The exercise is beneficial too.

I'm thinking of things to look forward too, for the next month and making a list . Most of them seem to involve food.

Really interesting topic.

I can resonate with a lot of this. 2024 was for the most part awful. 2 bereavements, a hugely traumatic medical situation with a family member a health scare and a stressful job.

I don’t think I’ve been living really just existing in grief and fight/flight mode.

I’ve regained my love of reading this year and have gone part time at work. I plan to think of myself more and make a list of things I want to do in 2025. I don’t want to feel like I’ve wasted my life.

Today, I bought the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. I hope that once it's delivered, it will encourage me to stick with the things I enjoy.

My main issue is to allow myself to progress and feel a sense of achievement.

Once life's challenges get in the way it is definitely hard to find a way past that's for sure.

Here's to 2025 and new perspectives.

Time management is often something I need to work on.

The little that do has expanded to fill all my time.

As a family, getting ready and going and doing things should become a priority, rather than dilly-:dallying all day .