2025 New Year Intentions

Instead of having New Year Resolutions, set New year intentions.

New Year Resolution provides good directional guides to our actions, yet allow enough openness for life to unfold in its natural way.

Here are 5 intentions I have set up for 2025:

• Intention 1: choose creation over consumption
• Intention 2: deep connection with myself
• Intention 3: action over anxiety
• Intention 4: find the Middle Way
• Intention 5: choose positivity and gratitude

Intention 1: Choose Creation over Consumption

I struggled with creation in 2024. I set goals of writing x number of blog articles, creating x Instagram posts, completing x painting… but it makes it feels like a box-ticking exercise.

By setting an intention, I found new energey source deeper inside.

There is a certain alignment to this identity that I want to build - “I want to create more than I consume”.

It’s also a catchy phrase to remind myself easily when I start to indulge in consumptions (e.g. mindless scrolling, binge watching on Netflix).

I am not setting specific goals about what I am going to create, but as long as I keep the intention to always choose creation over consumption, I could let my creativity take me.

Intention 2: Deep Connection with Myself

Related to Intention 1, I intend to be inspired to create from the space of deeper connection with myself.

I used to think a lot about what kind of product / content I should create for others, what would others want.

But the result is usually overthinking and inaction.

In 2025, I intend to change that by turning the focal point inwards:

• “What do I really care about?”
• “What inspires me?”
• “What touches me?”
• …

Intention 3: Action over Anxiety

Looking into goals that I didn’t achieve in 2024, I noticed that it is a result of overthinking.

Overthinking and worries breed anxiety.

And “taking action” is the best antidote.

I also pondered a lot about “who” do I want to become, what new identities do I want to take on. These “pondering” did not bring clarity, but brought more anxieties instead.

Until I learned that our identities are not defined by what we SAY or THINK, but what we DO.

We are defined by our actions.

So in 2025, I intend to reshape who I am with actions.

Intention 4: find the Middle Way

The middle way is an important philosophy in Buddhism. It encourages avoidance of extremes and refers to the balanced view of reality, not clinging to the idea that things are either eternally fixed or completely impermanent.

Personally, I often find myself struggling between picking from two options.

• should I quit my job or continue my career path
• Should I invest actively or passively
• Should I take the risk or stay put…

With this intention, I would like tot see life less in the form of duality of “either-or”. Maybe there is a middle path that works better and I just need to find it.

Intention 5: choose positivity and gratitude

Honestly, despite 2024 being a good year, I spent most of my 2024 expecting more from life. It always felt not good enough.

As I sat down looking back at my 2024, I realised that maybe I have been looking at the world with the wrong filter.

Life has definitely been generous and encouraging.

• we successfully transfered Mika to our school of choice
• Mika completed her 2nd dance performance successfully. She even performaned on the stage together with my wife.
• Nikki gradudated overcame her fear and performed on her graduation concert with confidence
• And the list goes on…

All I need is to choose to see it through the lens of positivity and gratitude.

This post was inspired by one of my favourite creators Sahil Bloom and his recent post on his 2025 intentions.