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January 5, 2025: A New Year, New Beginnings, New Dreams

The begining of a new year offers the opporunity to reflect on the blessings, challenges, rewards, surprises and successes of the past twelve months. It’s a fresh chance to both ask ourselves and evaluate “what went well, what didn’t and what we plan on doing differently?” A new beginning can be a fresh start to explore our own individual hopes and dreams and plan the steps on how to move towards them.

Making resolutions is a time old tradition based on the this type of evaluation. Unfortunately, although we often start off with great determination, sometimes the enthusiam fades and we fall back into old habits and patterns. In our evaluation of why we didn’t accomplish our dreams, initiatives and/or resolutions, excuses are made. We tell ourselves there was “not enough time, not enough energy, not enough resources, and the list can go on. Where once again, we find ourselves at the closure of the year, feeling as if somehow we failed. Reframing the concept of failure into “lessons we have learned”, is the first step to formulate a new plan. Upon recognizing these lessons, we can once again clarify the whys, and set a clearer path on how to follow our dreams.

“If you have dreams you want to pursue, the time is now. There is no perfect time, and there is no better time. There is only the time you lose while you’re making excuses.” 

Holly Lisle

The evaluation process of debriefing the previous year, can help us ask ourselves, “what’s holding me back?” It also will give important clarifying time to sift through all the chaotic and noisy demands on our attention, to listen for our inner voice, whispering,” this is what I would love to accomplish”. Once identified, we can begin to make any change or plan the steps on how to move forward.

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world.”

 Harriet Tubman

Each one of us is unique,with individual abilities, challenges, and dreams. But taking the time to determine where we’ve been to where we want to go is an essential part of the process of moving forward.

“The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work for them.” 

Michelle Obama

What are your dreams? What do you hope to accomplish in 2025? Take the time to write down your hopes and dreams. Post these somewhere visible. If we leave them inside our heads, it can be too easy to forget them. Some people have found it useful to create a vision board, others use sticky notes or write in a journal. The physical act of writing is a powerful pathway to bringing our goals into our awareness and intention.

“Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.” 

Shonda Rhimes

In the pursuit of your dreams, ask what do you need to accomplish them? Identifying the resources, ranging from education and materials, to support from others and time, can help identify and break down the steps you need to move forward. In debriefing my own previous year, one recognition was although I was able to activitely spend more time in creative activities, photography and watercolor painting, I also lost time due to my own lack of organization. Searching for lost car keys, important documents, or vital materials needed for a project just led to uneccessary frustration and time delays.

On New Year’s Day, I began rereading Professional Organizer Julie Morgenstern’s book Shed Your Stuff, Change your Life ( https://www.juliemorgenstern.com) Her four step-process helps to identify your hopes and dreams (theme) for the next chapter/year, and determine what type of clutter/obstacles are hindering progress. Julie describes clutter as three types: physical clutter, time clutter, habit clutter (i.e. procrastination, chronic lateness or mindless screen time) Recognizing what and how my own choices impacted progress led to what changes and resolutions I needed to formulate for this year. So although my next chapter has a theme to continue creative explorations and find a balance between work and play, I also am determined to set up an organization system that works for my own needs and personality.

Live life to the fullest. You have to color outside the lines once in a while if you want to make your life a masterpiece. Laugh some every day. Keep growing, keep dreaming, keep following your heart. The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Albert Einstein

Change is part of life, and a new year provides a fresh start to make any neccesary changes to head into the direction of our dreams. I’ve gathered some quotes for inspiration and invite you to share your own inspirational quotes in the comments below.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog and invite you to share it with someone who might find it meaningful. I wish you health, happiness and the fulfillment of your dreams in the coming year.

Wendy Oellers-Fulmer

Inspirational Quotes on Following Your Dreams

“Dreams are lovely. But they are just dreams. Fleeting, ephemeral, pretty. But dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It’s hard work that makes things happen. It’s hard work that creates change.” 

Shonda Rhimes

“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” 

Henry David Thoreau

“Don’t be pushed around by the fears in your mind. Be led by the dreams in your heart.” 

Roy T. Bennett

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” 

Eleanor Roosevelt

“Remember today, for it is the beginning of always. Today marks the start of a brave new future filled with all your dreams can hold. Think truly to the future and make those dreams come true.”

Albert Einstein

“It’s only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth—and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up—that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had.”

 Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

“Dreaming…is a glimpse of the thing you want to do that would make you feel most alive. A dream is a portal to your purpose.”

Lupita Nyong’o

“If one is lucky, a solitary fantasy can totally transform one million realities.”

Maya Angelou

“Without leaps of imagination, or dreaming, we lose the excitement of possibilities. Dreaming, after all, is a form of planning.”

Gloria Steinem

“Our dreams are what truly matter, we only have one life and we should live it to the fullest.”

Madeline Stuart