How to Let Go of 2024 (Without Feeling Pressured to Rush Into 2025)

We’re almost ready to say “that’s a wrap!” on 2024.

Yay, us.

But the real question is: Are your seatbelts fastened for 2025? Because whether you’re ready or not, this new year is about to arrive like an overenthusiastic morning person bursting into your room at 5 AM with a green smoothie and a 10-step plan to revolutionize your life.

So… what if 2024 essentially sucked? What if the thought of another unpredictable year feels exhausting rather than exciting?

What if your strategy for handling 2025 is playing ostrich—head firmly in the sand—rather than buying into all the “New Year, New You” noise?

Let’s be real: 2024 wasn’t just a year—it was a masterclass in unexpected plot twists.

Between global chaos, personal challenges, and the everyday symphony of just trying to keep life together, many of us feel more like we survived 2024 than conquered it. So maybe, just maybe, we need a minute before launching full speed into whatever 2025 has in store.

What If You Didn't Have to Fix Everything in January?

Here’s a radical thought: What if you didn’t have to January at all?

Our culture's obsession with instant transformation is like expecting to go from couch potato to marathon runner overnight. Spoiler alert: That’s not how bodies, minds, or life changes work.

We’re programmed to treat January 1st like this magical reset button that erases all our past experiences, habits, and emotional souvenirs. (Spoiler alert #2: That button doesn’t exist, and if it did, it would probably just trigger another software update you don’t have time for.)

But here’s the thing: You can’t just Marie Kondo your way out of an entire year’s worth of experiences just because the calendar changed.

How to Close Out the Year (Without Forcing an Extreme Makeover)

Instead of forcing yourself into a January reinvention, here’s how to step into 2025 without emotional whiplash:

1. Reflect, Don’t Rush

Before you start writing checks your future self might not want to cash, take inventory of what actually worked in 2024:
✔️ Maybe you finally mastered the art of saying "no" without over-explaining.
✔️ Maybe you discovered elastic waistbands count as business casual if you believe in yourself.
✔️ Maybe you kept at least one houseplant alive.

These count as victories.

2. Release the Pressure to "Start Over"

Life isn’t an Etch A Sketch—you can’t just shake it up and start fresh.

Your experiences from last year are like browser cookies you actually want to keep—they help you navigate better next time. Instead of chasing a completely new version of yourself, maybe just aim for being yourself, but with better boundaries and more naps.

3. Honor What You're Carrying Forward

Some things from 2024 deserve VIP status in 2025.

✔️ Maybe you finally found a therapist who gets your humor.
✔️ Maybe you discovered that walking meetings are superior to conference room meetings because the calories burned balance out your morning’s everything bagel with lots of cream cheese.
✔️ Maybe you learned that burnout isn’t a badge of honor, and you're making space for more rest.

✔️Maybe you simply made it. Alive. Seriously, after the year we all had, surviving is more than enough.

Keep the good stuff.

4. Choose Small Intentions, Not Grand Resolutions

Instead of declaring that 2025 will be the year you finally become the person that represents your version of superhuman, perhaps recognize that you already are amazing, and implement some changes to become even more amazing in bite-sized pieces:

✔️Maybe keep two houseplants alive instead of one.
✔️ Maybe pick one habit at a time, rather than an entire life overhaul.
✔️ Maybe your only goal for January is to recover from December.

Sometimes, the smallest shifts lead to the biggest changes. Like switching from regular to chunky peanut butter—life-changing, but manageable.

The Truth About Stepping into 2025

As we stand at the threshold of a new year—looking like survivors of a year that felt like a combination of obstacle course, improv show, and a starring role on Impractical Jokers—let’s remember this:

You don’t need to have your entire life figured out by January 31st.

The pressure to transform overnight is about as realistic as those 5-minute craft videos that actually take three days and an engineering degree.

And if we’re honest, some days will probably feel like an unhinged episode of The Eric Andre Show—and you’re just gonna roll with it.

Making it through to bedtime —alive — is enough.

So before you rush into 2025, ask yourself:

💡 What’s one thing from 2024 that actually deserves a standing ovation before you move forward?
✔️ Your resilience?
✔️ Your ability to make it through endless Zoom calls without turning into a digital zombie?
✔️ Simply the fact that you survived (mostly) intact?

Remember, the new year isn’t a race to self-improvement enlightenment—it’s more like a casual stroll where it’s perfectly acceptable to stop, take pictures, and occasionally question your life choices.

Take your time. 2025 isn’t going anywhere.

And neither is that pile of "to be read" books you swear you’ll get to someday.