Some very realistic, NOT DUMB resolutions for 2025
My first holiday season as a parent, and setting a low-ish but NECESSARY bar for the year
What’s up bitchessszz! A little late, better than never. Welcome to 2025, a year of fascism and collective revolt, a year of aliens and multidimensional awakening, a year of creativity and community. We cannot forget the importance of gathering together and exercising our divine right to imagine a better, more loving + beautiful world.
But today’s post is focused on the micro shit. The little things and behaviors that make life livable, sustainable, and more enjoyable. Because…if the world is literally on fire, might as well stay hydrated while we can…amiright?
After subscribing and reading through several substacks, I’m realizing I might be taking this entire enterprise too seriously. The vast majority of people I read on this platform use it as a way to get their thoughts into the ether, without tons of proofreading or editing. Their substacks sound like the freewheeling thoughts of reading someone’s journal or texting a chaotic friend. And I just. don’t. have. mental. energy. to be perfect. right now. (or ever, probably, but it’s especially glaringly obvious in recent times).
So here I am, your chaotic friend who also(!) has most of her shit together. A paradox!
I wish I had more time to devote to my writing, but I simply do not. If I really bought into productivity culture and biohacking, maybe I could force the time. Cut out TV! Cut out social media! Take cold showers! Wake up earlier! But seriously, dude, with an almost 1 year old daughter who is constantly finding new ways to try to seriously injure herself, I just DON’T WANT TO. And you know what? I’m actually cool with that. Like - existing, parenting, feeding, relating, and building my home/family - these are my artistic practices right now. Surviving a 4 hour delay in a cramped airport and 3 hours in the plane with a sick child who won’t sleep - that is my meditation. Apparently.
Creativity is a way of being, not just a product.
But the truth ALSO is, even if i didn’t have a small child, I’m kind of lazy. Like I’ve always been kind of lazy, I just went insane trying to fight it for a really long time because I thought I’d be worthless if I didn’t achieve a certain level of external success. I have, in my older, wiser age, surrendered to my own laze. Laze is truth. Laze is life.
I need a LOT OF TIME to do NOTHING and to be USELESS. Yes, I am smart. I am capable. I can do a lot when I push myself!
And I am, to my CORE, a solid B student. If the essence of Juniper could be captured in a letter of the alphabet, my essence would be B. Could I get A’s? Yes. Is it worth the effort? In my experience, not really. That’s my vibe, bro. Just wanna be good enough. Excellence is overrated.
So what that means is, no, I’m not cutting out Netflix or Youtube for my New Years Resolutions. I’m not gonna finish a draft of a book this year (or if I do, it will be by accident ha). I’m not going to chisel my body into pre-pregnancy sizes.
So what are my New Year’s Resolutions? I do have a few! And I’m generally not a resolutions type of person. But when I was reflecting, I was thinking more along the lines of -
What are DOABLE, REALISTIC things I can do to MAKE MYSELF FEEL *slightly* BETTER ON A DAILY BASIS?
What can I ADD to my life rather than TAKE AWAY? Adding things will probably naturally lessen some of the other crappy habits (i.e. spending too much time on my phone).
That’s it. Also, this is the first time I’m making resolutions with a partner. I’ve ALWAYS AVOIDED THAT SHIT. Like, I felt like it invited weird dynamics to keep your partner “accountable” to change. I wanted to change MYSELF, not rely on my partner to help me like a codependent weakling!!! Also couples who make goals together are GROSS, right?!
But that’s kind of dumb and needlessly prideful of past me, no? Who influences my day to day life more than my husband? We are tribal creatures and our home is our den. So we’ve made a pact. It’s been 4 days and it’s been fun. I even bought sticker charts. I’m not sure what to reward myself with if I fill out the sticker chart, but brainstorming right now. Ok ok, ON TO THE RESOLUTIONS:
Our Realistic New Year’s Resolutions (with my husband):
Drink 64 oz of water a day. I’m more motivated to drink water when I have a clean, reusable water bottle that keeps my water ice cold. About 3 bottles = 64 oz.
Meditate 10 minutes a day: I got 50% off the Chani app for six months so we’ve been doing the meditation in bed before we go to sleep as part of our ritual (rather than just scrolling through social media). Chani is a queer astrologist, and I love her approach + ethos. I like the meditations, but they’re almost…too complex? Mentally activating? Will probably switch to more simple mindfulness meditations after my 6 months is up.
Walk 5,000 steps a day (haha jk, I wrote this before I sprained my ankle. My ankle is sprained now, so this is on hold): When I can walk again, I’m gonna usea cheap step tracker & going on walks around my neighborhood as much as possible (i.e. in between meetings, 10 minutes in the morning, etc.) with an umbrella during the rainy months. Also, 5,000 steps a day is more motivating because I KNOW it’s doable. 1’d probably fail 10,000 steps a day and just stop walking for the rest of my life. (jk hyperbole)
Eat probiotics, Vitamin D and Omega 3’s every day: I’ve never had a legit pill organizer, and I suspect it could be life changing??? Especially if I keep it on the coffee table where we watch TV.
These are our resolutions! Nothing crazy, but just enough to make a difference in our lives. Most importantly, I really feel like we can do these things and I’m not setting us up for failure.
Thoughts so far:
On drinking water: Wow, getting enough water feels so good. Like I was constantly thirsty or feeling dry before. But I wouldn’t drink enough water. Why? Why? Why? Drinking enough water is like…really nice.
Having the right water bottle has been everything for me. Easy to wash = the key. Being able to reach the bottom of my water bottle with my hand matters a lot to me. My germaphobic self needs to be able to scrub the bottom with my OWN BARE HANDS.
On meditating together: As a married couple with a kid, we realized something very quickly: there is NEVER enough time for sex. And definitely not enough time/energy for sex AND meditating. So we choose one. If we have sex, we don’t meditate. If we meditate, then we don’t have sex. If we do both, we reach a level of nirvana that few have experienced, and we are superior to every other couple. And we can become one of those couples who markets retreats in exotic locations and helps people to heal their relationships. (That is a jk in case it’s not clear).
I look forward to meditating with my husband in bed. Knowing I have a meditation app that I trust and love makes a huge difference. It’s been much more grounding + connecting than getting lost on our phones.
On walking 5,000 steps a day (before I injured my foot): The perfectionistic part of me loves having a step tracker. It’s highly motivating and has already gotten me outside a few times. And I’m surprised at how fast 5,000 steps adds up - 5 minutes here, 10 minutes there, some pacing around the house. It makes me less likely to complain if I have to run up and down the stairs to get stuff. Studies also show that with just 4,000 steps a day you can reduce your risk of heart disease & diabetes. Getting outside, no matter the weather, helps my mental health.
On supplements: I have PCOS and my husband has high cholesterol, and Omega 3’s are supposed to really help with both of those things. All three supplements are supposed to have a positive impact with serotonin, mitigate depression/anxiety, and help with overall mental clarity and focus. I don’t know if I’ve seen any sort of impact (or if I ever will), but it feels good to intentionally take care of our bodies with these things, especially because I don’t always eat as balanced as I’d like.
Do you ever do New Year’s Resolutions? Do you choose a word/theme you want to focus on for the year? Do you plan a big trip? Are you thinking about the coming revolution, where all of us, together, rise up against billionaires?! Do you have goals? I’d love to hear from you ^_^.
It’s such a pleasure reading you!