The Promise of New Beginnings

 

There’s a sense of hope in the air— the kind that stirs quietly within, anticipating what’s yet to unfold. It’s not just about the faith that those unfulfilled promises, the ones I’ve held close for so long, are still on their way. That’s the beauty of a new beginning: it keeps the heart of hope alive, reminding me that even in the waiting, something is being lovingly prepared beyond what I can see.

January is already coming to an end, and I’m honestly blown away by how fast this month has flown by. After taking a much-needed break, I’m finally sharing my first post of the year—on the very last day of the first of twelve months of 2025.

I wanted to start with a little thought of my own, one that perfectly sums up how I feel about each new year: A year ends, but that ending leads to a new beginning—still filled with hope for the things that may or may not come. It's a feeling that feels inevitable, yet I know I’m not alone in it. I recently talked about this with my family, and we all agreed—it’s that mix of hope, uncertainty, and quiet anticipation.

As much as I feel hopeful, I also prefer to let God surprise me. I expect the unexpected, and more often than not, that turns out to be a good thing. I don’t make resolutions or detailed plans for the year because God’s plans are my plans—not the other way around. And honestly? That’s something I had to learn the hard way. I used to plan everything, but has anything ever turned out exactly as I envisioned? Not even once. So, I take things day by day, setting realistic goals that fit into my lifestyle—things that feel like natural habits rather than just another box to tick off a list.

That being said, nothing much has changed, but here are my goals for 2025:

Reading: This includes reading the Bible— which I do first thing in the morning when I wake up, and I just want to finish it and start it all over again because each time, I learn something new. Also, the other day I was looking through my archives and realized I have no idea where all my PDF book files went. Did I delete them all? No clue. So, I had to re-download two or three books I was so eager to read last year but never got around to. Hopefully, I can turn reading into a habit—not just to cut down on screen time, but because I genuinely want to enjoy it. I’ll try to share updates here to keep myself accountable—who knows, maybe it becomes a new hobby of mine.

Self-reminder: Dropbox that PDF file so I can read it on my phone. (I always forget to do this while on my laptop.) Did I say to my phone? Oops, well, I meant instead of playing games, or on Instagram, I rather read, right? Don't blame me. :')

Fitness: I started strength training, meaning I’ve added dumbbells to my workouts! Alongside that, I’ve been doing a mix of Cardio, HIIT, LISS, Pilates, Calisthenics (bodyweight exercises), and recently added Barre workouts—all from the comfort of my humble abode (aka my bedroom).

Have I noticed changes? Yes! My legs, arms, and back are more toned, and my waist has cinched down a few centimeters. That little belly pouch? Slowly disappearing. (I swear white bread was the culprit—it always bloated me! I’ve since switched to sourdough, one slice a day, and increased my protein intake to three eggs for breakfast. I feel so much better.)

Even though I’m not the biggest fan of core workouts, I’ve been trying to up my game. And while I still haven’t achieved a proper push-up, I’ve been working on knee push-ups—it’s progress! Baby steps. I also want to get a new pair of dumbbells at some point, but we’ll see.

Food & Health: Speaking of bread and eggs… I have tummy issues and can’t eat certain things, so dinner for me has always been “light” (ahem, cereal). I’ve had cereal for dinner for years I already lost count, but I’ve noticed that corn-based foods don’t sit well with me. My dad even got me a gluten-free corn cereal, but nope—I still end up bloated. And then, by midnight, my stomach is empty and making all kinds of noises, growling as if I never had any food throughout the day. Don't even get me started on how I feel after I eat beef of any type, bistek, mince, shredded, 'en posta', etc. 

So, being the Pinterest girl that I am, I’ve been searching for better food alternatives a.k.a recipes and been pin-ning and saving them. Honestly, this food topic could be a blog post on its own! I know my current routine isn’t the healthiest, but I’m trying to make small, sustainable changes and also with what I can actually afford. 

Finances: As I mentioned in my last post, I’m so close to reaching my first savings milestone! I plan to keep working hard and saving until I hit that goal. A couple of months ago, I also started an emergency fund, and my goal is to build it up and never touch it—like, pretend it doesn’t exist. For now, I’m feeling incredibly inspired and motivated. Younger me would be so proud of the woman I’ve become.

Social Media & Instagram: After years of being active, I’ve decided not to post much anymore—or maybe I will? I did share my first post on January 1st, but after that, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep going. Right now, I mostly log in to like and save posts from my favorite accounts. (Instagram, please let me favorite more than 50 accounts.)

There’s no particular reason for this—I just feel like why not? But who knows, maybe I’ll end up posting something again. I’ve also been debating whether to archive all my previous posts, change my username, or just leave things as they are. For now, my account is private, with only family and close friends, and I actually love it this way. I’m also trying not to spend too much time on the app.

Blogging: Aiming for one post per month, it's something that I truly don't know if I would stick to, I have tried and most of the times, I've failed. So, for 2025, I want to blog whenever I truly feel like sharing—no pressure. That’s been my ‘motto’ for a while, and I plan to stick to it. I might pop in here once in a while or very sporadically… we’ll see. But this is my safest and most favourite place to come back to. 

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That’s it—my first blog post of the year. A little late, but breaks are necessary. Here’s to taking things one day at a time and letting God surprise me. ✨

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How has 2025 been treating you so far? How was the first month of the year for you? I’d love to hear what you’ve been up to in the comment box below! I’ll also be catching up on some of my favorite bloggers and showing them some love. Wishing you all a beautiful day and a wonderful start to February! Until next time! xx