{"id":9743,"date":"2025-01-01T13:37:21","date_gmt":"2025-01-01T17:37:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/tips-for-writing-your-25-for-25-list\/"},"modified":"2025-01-01T13:37:21","modified_gmt":"2025-01-01T17:37:21","slug":"tips-for-writing-your-25-for-25-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/tips-for-writing-your-25-for-25-list\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for writing your &#8220;25 for 25&#8221; list"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The start of a new year offers a terrific opportunity to reflect on what we want from the next twelve months.<\/p>\n<p>Making a New Year\u2019s resolution is a popular way to set those aims, but it\u2019s not the only way. Resolutions don\u2019t work for everyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Each year on the <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/podcasts\/\"><em>Happier with Gretchen Rubin<\/em><\/a> podcast, my sister Elizabeth and I follow three exercises to set ourselves up for the year ahead:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Choose a one-word theme\u2013this year, my theme is \u201cDoor\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Create a \u201c25 for \u201925\u201d list\u2013a list of aims I want to work toward (the number is based on the year, for a bit of whimsy)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/design-your-year-2025\/\">trifecta of tools<\/a> helps me to fill my year with growth, accomplishment, and happiness. Making this yearly list is one of my favorite ways to think creatively about designing my year\u2013it\u2019s so <em>energizing<\/em> to consider what items I want to add to my list.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/resources\/\">Download a template to make your own list<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>My biggest tip for creating your own \u201c25 for\u00a0<span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); letter-spacing: var( --e-global-typography-text-letter-spacing );\">\u2019<\/span><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); letter-spacing: var( --e-global-typography-text-letter-spacing );\">25\u201d list is to focus on <\/span><em style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); letter-spacing: var( --e-global-typography-text-letter-spacing );\">actions, <\/em>not <em style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); letter-spacing: var( --e-global-typography-text-letter-spacing );\">outcomes.<\/em><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); letter-spacing: var( --e-global-typography-text-letter-spacing );\"> \u201cLearn three new Italian words each day\u201d works better than \u201cLearn Italian.\u201d \u201cWatch a classic movie every Sunday night\u201d works better than \u201cHave more fun.\u201d Actions are concrete, achievable, and help us make progress toward the more distant outcomes. <br \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Take into account whether you\u2019re an <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/four-tendencies\/\">Upholder, Questioner, Obliger, or Rebel<\/a>. (Don\u2019t know? <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/quiz\/the-four-tendencies-quiz\/\">Take the free quiz here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Obligers\u2014find an accountability partner for tackling the \u201c25 for \u201925\u201d list, or find a form of accountability for\u00a0 individual items; also, the \u201c25 for \u201925\u201d list may itself serve as a form of accountability<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Questioners\u2014consider tracking your aims, customizing a plan, or articulating clearly why you\u2019ve decided to put something on the list<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Upholders\u2014spell out your items clearly and add them to your calendar, if possible (I find that I do much better with an item when it actually appears on my schedule)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Rebels\u2014remember, this list isn\u2019t a \u201cto-do\u201d list but a \u201ccould-do\u201d list, and it\u2019s meant to help you do what you want, when you choose, to put your identity into the world<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Many people fill their lists with things they <em>should <\/em>do and don\u2019t include items they <em>want<\/em> to do. But feel free to add fun items to the list\u2013in fact, some people choose to make a list of <em>only<\/em> fun things! (Obligers, in particular, can use their \u201c25 for <span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); letter-spacing: var( --e-global-typography-text-letter-spacing );\">\u2019<\/span><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); letter-spacing: var( --e-global-typography-text-letter-spacing );\">25\u201d list to create outer accountability for making time for enjoyable activities.) <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); letter-spacing: var( --e-global-typography-text-letter-spacing );\">For example\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Plan a whimsical adventure, like \u201cVisit five quirky roadside attractions\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Have fun with the number of the year\u2014\u201dListen to 25 new songs\u201d or \u201cTry 25 new hikes\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>Include things you\u2019ll <em>stop<\/em> doing<\/li>\n<li>Make your list in the form of \u201cbingo\u201d\u20142025 makes for a great bingo card of aims, with a 5\u00d75! Gamifying the list makes it more fun to tackle. Download a <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/resource\/25-for-2025-list-bingo\/\">blank bingo card for your list here<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Crossing things off your list always feels great, and it helps build momentum toward the more challenging ones. I always include one item I can cross off right away (this year, it was \u201cWatch <em>Die Hard<\/em>\u201c), plus a few more easy items, like \u201cVisit The <em>New York Earth Room<\/em>\u201d to balance out more difficult ones, like \u201cCatch up on photo albums.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>To achieve your aims, it\u2019s useful to keep your list somewhere where you see it often\u2014and some people enjoy decorating their lists in imaginative ways.<\/p>\n<p>I keep my list posted on the cork-board beside my desk. A friend uses her list as the screensaver on her phone.<\/p>\n<p>If you want a template, print out the <a href=\"https:\/\/gretchenrubin.com\/resource\/24-for-2024-list\/\">free \u201c25 for \u201925\u201d template.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>If you try and fail to cross items off your list, don\u2019t be hard on yourself. Never once have I managed to achieve every item on my list.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019ve had many items repeat year after year until I finally managed to achieve them. (Ask Elizabeth how many years she included \u201cMake a will\u201d on her list!) I\u2019ve had items that I\u2019ve crossed off, because I decided I didn\u2019t, in fact, want to do them. I\u2019ve had items that ended up being impossible to do. I had one item shift from my 2024 list to my 2025 list because of a mistake; I had the wrong date for the anniversary of my children\u2019s-literature reading group.<\/p>\n<p>As Voltaire said, \u201cDon\u2019t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.\u201d With a \u201c25 for \u201925\u201d list, or anything else.<\/p>\n<p>Good luck with your <span style=\"color: var( --e-global-color-text ); font-family: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-family ), Sans-serif; font-size: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-size ); font-weight: var( --e-global-typography-text-font-weight ); letter-spacing: var( --e-global-typography-text-letter-spacing );\">list, and happy new year!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/hop.clickbank.net\/?affiliate=infohatch&amp;vendor=J1R2C\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10614 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png\" alt=\"Profit Gen\" width=\"400\" height=\"217\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px.png 400w, https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/profit-gen400px-300x163.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The start of a new year offers a terrific opportunity to reflect on what we want from the next twelve months. Making a New Year\u2019s [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9744,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[19],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9743","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-habits"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9743","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9743"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9743\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/9744"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9743"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9743"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parmaks.com\/Resources\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9743"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}