Happy New Year! I hope you’ve had a wonderful Christmas and you’re feeling renewed, refreshed and ready to begin 2025.

I’ve been thinking about what I want to accomplish this year, particularly as I’ve started working as a freelance writer, and I’m looking to grow my client base. As well as making a list of New Year intentions, I’ve also chosen a single word to guide me: Focus.

Focus isn’t just about paying attention to what I’m doing – it’s also about being clear about what I want to achieve, being intentional and making the most of the time and energy I spend.

As someone who makes endless to-do lists, I’m also easily distracted, so I want to make 2025 about honing in on what truly matters and letting go of what doesn’t.

Goal-setting can be quite overwhelming, and at times, it can feel like I’m spreading myself too thin. Choosing a word of the year not only helps to simplify my goals but also helps me to align my actions with the areas where I want to make the most impact.

Why Focus?

2024 was a mixed bag; if I’m honest, it felt a little scattered. I had lots of ideas, projects, and commitments, but I was trying to be and do everything at once. Consequently, I struggled to give some projects my best while others fell by the wayside causing me to feel overwhelmed and discouraged.

I realised that multitasking my way through life isn’t a sustainable or even healthy way of living. The brain isn’t designed to focus on more than one thing at a time. This year I want to commit to giving my full attention to the things that are most important – whether it’s my work, personal growth or time with my friends and family.

Focus is my way of hitting the reset button.

How being focused will shape my intentions

Here’s how I see Focus influencing my plans and goals this year:

1. Helping me to prioritise
   • Rather than saying “yes” to everything and anything, I want to choose and focus on projects that align with my goals and values.
2. Holding space for deep work
   • I’m committing to carving out distraction-free blocks of time each week to dive deep into writing, brainstorming, and creating without interruptions.
3. Being present
   • No matter what I’m doing – whether work or leisure, I’m going to commit to being fully present. No multitasking, no half-hearted attention—just true focus.

How I’m going to stay focused

As I mentioned earlier, I’m easily distracted, so to help me stay focused on my goals and intentions, I’m going to do the following:

• Daily intentions: Each morning, I’ll write down one priority task for the day.
• Removing distractions: When I need to get down and focus on a task, I find that working outside of my home, like in a cafe or a co-working space is really helpful, as I can’t distract myself with household chores or Netflix!
• Regular reflection: I’ll check in with myself on a regular basis: “Am I staying focused on what matters or am I distracting myself with things that are not leading me to where I want to be?”
• Celebrate my wins: I’ll celebrate my wins – no matter how small – as they signify the progress I’m making and will help to keep me on the right track.

What’s your word of the year?

Have you picked a word to guide you this year? If not, I highly recommend it! It’s a powerful way to set intentions and create a clear vision for the months ahead. Share it in the comments or message me—we can inspire each other.

Here’s to a year of clarity, transformation and Focus!