Ways I Plan to Invest in Myself in 2025

I love a fresh start.

As someone obsessed with self-improvement, I have always been inspired by the concept of a new year being a fresh start. I had not planned to write a newsletter about the new year, but then I started writing a list of things I’d like to improve about myself in 2025 and, on a whim, I’ve decided to share them here. For that reason, apologies that this newsletter is a bit more disjointed than usual. That being said, below are some musings about the previous year as well as some of my aspirations for 2025.

Master the Art of Conversation

If you’ve read multiple works of mine, you’ll notice a very common theme — a general hatred, nay, abhorrence, for our dependency on our phones and scrolling. Lately I have begun to sense, with optimism, a general reckoning within our society as to truly how harmful this addiction has become (as evidenced by the coining of the term doomscrolling to accurately refer to the mindless consumption of social media content).

A few months ago, a friend lamented to me, “I hate being by myself. I wish I could convince my friends to come over just to provide me company. We don’t even have to talk; we could just scroll on our phones.”

This left me stunned. Getting dressed, leaving our cozy homes, venturing across the city…all just to sit in silence and scroll on our phones? Have we really somehow managed to convince ourselves that this counts as spending time together simply because we’re in the same room?

Her comment affirmed to me just how serious the loneliness epidemic really is, but also that we still have somehow not grasped the very reason behind it— the phones the fucking problem. Our phones are the reason we all feel so awkward around each other. We depend on small talk, which we all hate, but suffer through it because that’s what conversations have become— necessary evils to suffer through.

To be a conversationalist is to ask meaningful questions and provide meaningful responses to those questions asked of you, answers that are longer than four syllables. It means showing that you, a fellow human being, are interested in their experiences. We crave connection. Instead of asking, “How are you?” ask, “What did you do this weekend?”

If there is a conversation lull, allow it to lull. Be comfortable with silences without assuming they are inherently awkward. Being a great conversationalist also helps to boost your charisma, so people truly enjoy your company.

Expand My Cultural Knowledge

Being a good conversationalist also means being well-versed in a variety of topics, which means becoming more cultured.

Next summer, I am going on a food and wine-tasting tour of southern Italy, and I am very much looking forward to it for obvious reasons (food and wine). We will be doing some sightseeing, too, and, as someone who has never been to Italy, I am making it my personal mission to learn as much as possible about the history of the cities and towns we visit. I am also resolving to study the Italian language before our trip, so that I am (probably pitifully) able to converse in the language a bit while I am there.

My upcoming trip aside, I also want to study culture more in my spare time next year. I love the arts, so why do I never attend art exhibits or shows? I love movies, so why do I never go out of my way to expand my horizons and watch foreign films? Going to museums, the theater, attending restaurant openings, visiting art shows, taking art classes, and reading foreign literature are all extremely doable ways to immerse myself in culture.

Practice Mindful Wellness

TW: Eating disorders

For as long as I can remember (and we’re talking, like, ten years old, sadly), my New Year’s Resolution has been to lose weight. I’ve never actually been overweight, but I have a naturally curvier body type, with wide hips, so, in the years when heroin-chic was all the rage, I suffered badly with an eating disorder as a teenager. My brain has never quite fully rewired itself to not constantly think about my body and the way it looks.

This year, however, I am trying a new approach, that being one of self-compassion, with my health at the forefront, rather than my size.

This is, of course, not a novel concept. While typically I enter a new year with a mentality centered around calorie restriction and a rigorous, miserable, workout routine that will inevitably fall off somewhere around mid-February, this year, it will be all about balance. I will exercise in ways that make sense for my body on that particular day, whether it is a long run, a light jog, a yoga class, or just a simple morning stretch.

Mindfulness is all about intention, and, as someone who lives in a big city, there is no reason why recreation should not be part of my everyday lifestyle. Instead of hopping in an Uber, I will walk to destinations when it is possible and practical. Instead of ordering groceries to be delivered to me via Instacart, I will take a walk to a local bakery for fresh bread, or to a farmer’s market for fresh produce. This will also help to ensure that most of my meals are prepared with fresh ingredients and aren’t overly processed.

Investment Shopping

When it comes to furniture, shoes, bags, and clothes in general, next year I will only purchase items that really resonate with me. While basics are great, and, in my opinion, should be the foundation of your wardrobe, they are so easy to buy, that, if you’re anything like me, you end up with a closet full of basics but no real interesting pieces.

I have plenty of pairs of jeans, white tee shirts, blazers, black ankle boots, and simple sweaters. Looking ahead, I will only buy investment pieces— those jackets, dresses, and bags that are a bit more costly, but that I will wear season after season.

This will also be the case when it comes to homeware and furniture. Part of personal style is spending time evaluating what belongs and what doesn’t when it comes to your taste, rather than buying things because influencers on Instagram tell you to. I want each piece in my home and wardrobe to be carefully curated, hand-selected and dwelled upon, so that, when friends see them, they think, “Ah, yes, that makes sense, that piece is so her.”

This may mean spending a few extra hours perusing thrift stores for the perfect vase rather than ordering one on Amazon, but I am willing to invest my time. Hell, at the very least, they’ll make great conversation pieces (see what I did there?).

Make Space for Silence

I deleted the Instagram app off of my phone last week and, since doing so, I’ve found myself becoming more comfortable with boredom and silence. When we’re bored, we scroll. This practice never truly allows our minds to become silent, still, and just be. Think. How can we know who we are and what we like if we never spend real time with ourselves?

In 2025, I want to make room for silence and contemplation where possible. I am not a particularly religious person, but connecting with a higher power helps to ground me and make me feel less alone in the universe. My spiritual practice fell largely by the wayside in 2024, so I want to start prioritizing it where possible.

Making room for silence also means being comfortable sitting with my own thoughts. This does not have to mean sitting alone at home staring at a wall, of course. It could mean going for a walk to a local coffee shop, sitting down on the terrace, and simply people-watching, or journaling.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you have a fabulous 2025! Happy New Year!