2025 Goals!
A final retrospective on my 2024 accomplishments, and what I hope to conquer in the upcoming year
The White Cape is a newsletter that shares the interests, evolution, and changing perspective of my little white Cape Cod-style home, and the people (mostly me) inside it.
It’s been a while! I have been taking full advantage of the December holidays, spending every second with my daughter, husband, and dog, and enjoying friends, family, rest, and fun. I finished three books this past week, enjoyed some stupid TV, and embarked on the world’s hardest puzzle.
Some highlights from the week:
Books:
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors - This one was everywhere this summer/fall, so I felt peer pressure to pick it up. It’s a look into the lives of three sisters on the first anniversary of their fourth sisters’ death. The story grapples with grief, addiction, forgiveness, and ultimately finding your way back home.
Hardly Strangers by A.C. Robinson - This was the first novella from 831 Stories that I’ve read and it was delightful. The story takes place over one single night, where Shera meets Max, an Irish rock star and extreme flirt, and the two get to know each other over a huge rollercoaster of emotional discourse. Very similar to the movie Before Sunrise, which I found charming.
We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman - For some reason I have read quite a few memoirs and stories about the dying process. While I have unfortunately lost many, many young friends to drugs, accidents, and sickness, I don’t feel overly compelled to analyze dying as much as I have. Alas, this book tells the story of Ashley who is the lead caretaker of her best friend, Edi, as she awaits her final moments in Hospice. Newman’s signature wit and humor are drenched throughout the book, and I found this story both beautiful and enjoyable, despite its heartbreaking plot.
TV:
No Good Deed on Netflix - Multiple families try to buy a house in Los Angeles despite the murder that occurred there. An ensamble cast that was pretty good.
Be My Guest with Ina Garten on Food Network/Discovery+ - After reading her memoir, I’ve been obsessed with Ina and her amazing life in the Hamptons. In this show, Ina invites celebrities or other Important People(TM) to her home to talk about their lives and cook something. Chef’s kiss (ha ha).
Revenge on Hulu - A deep cut, I have re-watched the first two seasons of this show probably 15 times. Along with my obsession with Ina, I am into the idea of the Hamptons right now. This show still holds up despite its overdramatic narration.
Shopping:
I purchased two new dresses that were worn during the holiday festivities. Both from Tuckernuck: Faherty Long Sleeve Isha Dress and Blackwatch Royal Shirt Dress
2024: A final retrospective
The past decade has been filled with milestones, accomplishments, and adventures galore. From graduating from college a year early, to living abroad alone for five months, to moving to a new city by myself, to building and maintaining and loving the life I made there. From feeling heartbreak to falling in love, to landing in a peaceful partnership that hums with a steady heartbeat. From getting engaged, to shutting down during the pandemic. From getting married, to buying our house, to making it our home. From miscarriage to pregnancy to motherhood. From being cracked open to finding myself again.
My twenties were like the month of March: In like a lion and out like a lamb.
Which is why I think of 2024 as a transitional year. I did a lot of setting up for the milestones that lay ahead.
My main focus, of course, was my daughter. Making sure she experienced joy throughout the transition into toddlerhood. But I also spent a lot of energy on work. I transitioned to a new sector of my company and threw myself into learning, growing, and proving myself. I had big goals for my career that didn’t fit the timeline I had in my head, but that’s okay. I am confident they will come. Putting this level of energy into work while maintaining my focus as a mother is the ultimate, impossible balance. There were times when Dad needed to step in as the primary parent, and there were times when I told work they just had to wait. It is a dance that will continue for the rest of my career.
However when reflecting on the goals I set for myself for this year, I really did accomplish a lot that seems to fade into the background of a lack of real milestones.
I learned new skills that have brought joy to my life.
I fulfilled a longtime dream of enjoying my 30th birthday in Napa.
I turned 30 and didn’t really think about it!
I became the strongest, physically, of my life.
I planted the most lush vegetable and flower gardens yet.
I bought a new car and completed the administrative phase of our garage renovation.
I took my daughter for runs, to Target, to swim class, etc. while my husband continued to make our house beautiful.
I prepared for the growth of our family.
2024 was transitional, sure, but it was also full of accomplishments and—more importantly—joy. I already know most of what lays ahead for us in 2025, thanks to a clear renovation roadmap and a lot of planning. A year from today I hope to look back and say, wow, what a year of growth.
My 2025 Goals
As I’ve shared before, I keep track of my goals in a Notion dashboard and reflect on what has been accomplished each month. Some of these goals are more long-term, so those will remain unchecked until the final review at the end of the year. If a goal from last year was too lofty and wasn’t accomplished, I evaluate whether that’s something that is actually valuable to my life, and adjust accordingly.
I organize my goals into six categories, in no particular order:
Habits
Projects
Self
Motherhood
House
Work
Habits
Get up earlier (4:30-4:45) to have meaningful time to myself in the morning
Speak with more intention (reduce swearing, filler words, and immature words like “like” and “totally” and “awesome”)
Develop a more intentional workout routine
Maintain sleep consistency
Spend time resetting for the week
Spend more of my free time reading and writing and not on Instagram — I just deleted all social media from my phone, I hope it lasts.
Put things away the first time instead of just down — This is such a big one! I have a bad habit of just dropping things down and find myself de-cluttering about 15 times a day
If something will take less than 2 minutes to complete, just do it and move on
Vacuum nightly — My new Dyson will made this fun
Projects
Continue remaining consistent with Substack
Get kids book published — I wrote one! I have no clue how to get it published!
Complete interior design course — This was a “ha ha” from last year. We’ll see if it happens this year.
Plan and launch spreadsheets product — Hoping this is a Q1 thing!
Write novel outline — Another “ha ha” but if the inspiration calls, it calls
Read 30 books
Self
Rebuild deep core strength and bladder control — The moms understand this one
Run one race before the end of the year
Build back running mileage
Romanticize my life each day
Learn new skills:
How to use a curling iron
How to freestyle swim
How to play tennis
Motherhood
Embrace and enjoy each phase we’re in
Support daughter through next year transitions
1:1 focus on Scout (dog) once per day
Dedicated Mom & Daughter days
House
Garage remodel - phase 1 (completion) and customization
Redesign existing office/guest room
Remove wall in living room to open up stairwell
Paint living room
Paint kitchen
Paint upstairs bathroom
Paint stairs/walls in stairway
Work
I won’t bore you with these :)
Even if none of these things get done next year, I know that I have a beautiful, lucky, privileged life. I will continue to embrace this fact and love every second of the journey.
As always, thank you for being here, and Happy New Year.
Kelly
You’ll be lucky if you only vacuum once a day now that you have a dyson!🤣