The end of the year is a time to look back and take stock of what has come and gone. 2024 was a good year for me. My last 5-year plan began winding down, and I started plans for the next 5-years. January is an ideal time to assess your blank slate for the coming year. I started setting the tone for 2025 by choosing a word for the year. This year the word is SCALE. As a libra, this word holds some symbolism. I’m not really into astrology. I just know my sign, which is a scale. For those in the know – all of you who are into astrology – as a libra, I am always looking for balance. How do I plan to find balance this year? By using the scale.
Scale up my writing business
I tentatively began this business in 2021 not really sure how it would go. I started by dipping my toe into writing during the pandemic. Then, slowly wading through the changes with the implementation of AI while working on the art of networking and marketing. Last year, my business began to take off. While I didn’t quite reach the goals I set for 2024, I got close. Now that I have a good grasp on my business and what it takes to succeed, I’m ready to scale it up. I've scaled up my goals and adjusted my business plans. My new goals for 2025 are a bit more aspirational but doable. I’m excited to work with my existing clients while scaling up to make space for new ones!
Scale down my clinic work
Yes, I still work in a clinic. Caring for others is in my blood, and I don’t think I will ever give it up. My clinic work as a primary care provider for over a decade has involved a considerable amount of time and stress. Primary care requires knowing a little bit about everything. Anyone from a newborn to a nonagenarian can come in with one or more puzzles for the provider to solve. While that experience gives me a large knowledge base, the continuously growing workload in primary care is overwhelming in ways that could fill an entirely different article. I am excited that this year, I am scaling back to the core of why I got into healthcare in the first place. I get to focus on women’s health. This is my comfort zone and is typically less stressful for me. I have also managed to wrangle a telemedicine gig that allows a better balance of working from home. Because balance is what being a libra is all about.
Scale up my self-care
Being a caregiver takes a lot of you. Frequently, we caregivers tend to put so much into caring for others that we put caring for ourselves on the back burner. I am no exception. Between long hours, eating at my desk to keep up with work, and the physical changes that come with menopause, my body has suffered. This year, I plan to take back my health. I plan on scaling up my exercise and healthy nutrition habits. I have scheduled time for fitness and put my husband on notice about the food.
Scale up my mood
Self-care is not only physical care. Mental health is just as important. My last 5-year plan included a move to the coast. I love it here. I live in one of my favorite houses in a quiet community. What I don’t love is the Oregon Coast in winter. Gray. Oh, so gray. It influences many of us out here. All the gray has negatively impacted me, and changes must be made. Plans are in motion not to eliminate my life here on the coast but to scale up to snowbirding somewhere with more winter sunshine. Where? Still in the investigating options stage. But winter sunshine is in my future!
Setting intentions is an act of ownership and belief in yourself. Have you taken this on? I find it is a powerful tool for personal and professional growth. I know that with my intentions set, I am ready to dive into 2025 with purpose. Here’s to using the scale to find balance with both my work and personal health.
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