Why Theming Your Year is Better than New Year’s Resolutions

What if this year, instead of setting resolutions, you chose one word to define your journey? I hope it’s not too early to think about New Year’s. I’ve been waiting to write this post to try and hit the sweet spot when people start reflecting on the year and planning for the next. I love thinking about the new year, so I start my reflections and planning as early as September. I wanted to share my thoughts on the New Year’s resolutions and why I take a different approach.

Two things to know about me. 1) I'm not fond of New Year’s Resolutions, and 2) I love Shonda Rhimes. 

Resolution Mindset

In the past, my resolutions looked like this: Lose weight, go to the gym three times a week, get a six-pack, stop eating out, quit drinking, save 50% of income, learn to cook everything from scratch, and laugh more. A New Year’s resolution (as written by most) is a long list of complaints about ourselves that we write every year, hoping that it’ll be the year we become the person we think we want to be. A resolution says this is wrong with me, and they must all be fixed for me to be happy. This mindset is why our resolutions are doomed to fail year after year. 

I never got the six-pack, cooking from scratch feels impossible when working 40+ hours a week, and I really, really like wine. Every year, I made these great plans and promises to myself about doing better and getting serious. Every year, by month 2 or 3, I would be overtaken by overwhelmed, start doubting myself and my abilities, and eventually, start putting myself down. That is until Shonda introduced me to a new way of thinking.

Theme Inspiration

Shonda Rhimes is the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal and Executive Producer for shows like How to Get Away with Murder. Every Thursday after work, I would grab my bottle of wine and sit in front of the TV to get my fill of '“Shondaland” every week. Even if you’ve never heard her name, many have seen or heard of her work. She also wrote a book that changed my life, “Year of Yes.” You can also find her Ted Talk here.

In her book Year of Yes, Shonda talks about how a simple comment from a family member, “You never say yes to anything,” changed her life. Struck with the reality, she decided to say “yes” for an entire year. This simple one-word answer not only proved to be more difficult than she imagined but also changed her life for the better. For a whole year, she focused on one word. Shortly after finishing her book, I started theming my years. My journey began in 2018 with the year of Growth. 

Resolutions can be chaotic and overwhelming, with 1 to 3 goals for every category of your life. You want to be better at work, with your family, and with your mental and emotional health. Let’s not forget to get the finances in order and have lots of fun while doing it. Are you tired just thinking about it?

First Theme: Year of Growth

In 2018, my life changed by simplifying my whole year. Growth, what did it mean to me, and how could I achieve it? By the end of the year, I had the answer. Growth is about expansion with intention. It’s about saying yes to what makes me better and brings me closer to the life I want and saying no to anything that doesn’t.

I quit my job at a well-known company in LA for a lesser-known company offering higher pay. A few months later, at the age of 24, I bought my first home. My life began to look completely different, and I loved it. While I can not say it was a walk in the park, I can confirm that it was easier than expected. At every turn, I only had to answer one question: Will this help me grow?

I still never got the six-pack because it is not a priority for me. I began working out regularly through yoga classes and rock climbing with friends. I learned to cook a variety of one-pot meals at home and regularly made meals from scratch with friends. Most importantly, I felt amazing. For the first time, I was enjoying the journey and the sense of focus. Days were about adding value instead of subtracting. Having one central focus improved every aspect of life.

Your Theme

Take a moment to think about what it would be like for your to-do list to be a one-word bullet point every day for a year. It’s peaceful, almost boring. It’s soothing in a way because you know you can get it done. Let go of the massive list with different milestones, levels of pressure, and expectations. You don’t need more to do. You need to focus. Instead of thinking about what you don’t like, think about what you do like or would like more of.

Here are a few suggestions to get the ideas flowing. 2025 could be your year of:

connection, adventure, investing, finishing, voice, publishing, self, abundance, intention, rest, or partnership.

The possibilities are endless.

Would you try theming your year as opposed to making a resolutions list? Comment below what theme comes to mind for 2025.

Next week, I will be sharing journal prompts and activities to guide you to your theme.