2025 Is Going To Be A Big Year
This coming year has a lot in store, and I can feel the mix of nerves, excitement, and motivation bubbling up already. Four major things are happening in 2025:
The Big Four:
Graduating with my undergraduate degree
Launching my startup
Running my first marathon
Starting my travels around the world
Graduation Game Plan
I am on track to graduate with my BME degree and Marketing certificate. Throughout my time in university, I have always had a jam-packed class schedule, leaving little room to do anything else, but this semester is different. Here's where it gets interesting - I've got enough credits to graduate but not enough to keep my full-time student status. The silver lining? I have an opportunity to take an extra class that interests my passions outside of school, something just for me. Currently, I am waitlisted for 2 classes: social media marketing or video production. Both could be game-changers - social media marketing would help with my startup plans, while video production would feed into my side passion of photography.
Additionally, there's my CREATE-X capstone decision: should I develop my startup during my class or keep it separate? The biggest concern is getting paired with teammates who aren't as passionate about the idea - meaning I'd do all the work but still have to share the company. But there are definite perks: dedicated class time to work on it and maybe even finding the right co-founder for CREATE-X Launch and someone to help support the company with me when I travel (I still will be working on it while I travel no matter what).
Startup Launch
I applied a couple of months ago for the CREATE-X Launch Program, which is a startup accelerator program. I have an interview for CREATE-X Launch within the next month to see if I will be accepted or not.
Whether through the CREATE-X Launch Summer program or solo, I am launching my company. Six months from concept to prototype to launch - aggressive? Yes. Necessary? Also yes. I want to fail fast if I'm going to fail at all, though "fail" might not be the right word. It's more about rapid iteration and improvement.
Marathon Journey
I'll be running my first marathon in September, and if I'm being honest, I can't even run a 5K right now - at least not outside (treadmill doesn't count!). Some might say, "Girl, you are doomed," but I have been doing some research. I learned that marathon training programs typically take six months, which works out perfectly since I've got about eight months until race day. Those extra two months will be used to build up to a 10K, which will help me start the actual marathon training program, reducing my risk of injury. I'm an ex-athlete and I believe that muscle memory, my dedication, and determination will help me with my running journey.
World Travel Kickoff
The journey begins in Ireland with the marathon, and after that? The possibilities are endless. I need to start planning some potential routes and have backup plans ready. I'm really excited to explore and immerse myself in different cultures.
Beyond these major milestones, I've got some equally important journeys ahead. I call them my side quests, but they're really the foundation that will help make everything else possible.
Handle on Health: First up is getting serious about my health, specifically nutrition and sleep. This isn't just about marathon training - it's about building a foundation that can support all these big dreams. I need to learn how to eat right and finally fix my sleep schedule. None of this 4-5 hours of sleep anymore. If I want to handle everything coming up and stay healthy, I need to get a handle on my health.
Video Documentary: I'm also excited about my new DJI Pocket 3 camera and the stories I want to tell. I've been thinking about practicing by documenting these last months of college and maybe the startup journey. But more than that, I want to develop my own editing style now, so when I'm traveling, I can focus on capturing adventures rather than figuring out how to edit them. The goal is to create travel and life content so I have something to look back on.
Building This Space: I want to maintain this website and create more content. The past 2 months, I've been combining my old blog drafts and getting them posted, but I want to do more than that. I want to keep sharing current thoughts and eventually turn this into a resource for others, especially when it comes to travel itineraries and experiences. A lot of times, I get spurts of energy when it comes to this website, and I become fixated on it. Throughout next year, I want to post at least 1 blog a month, but I'm striving for bi-weekly blogs.
Learning Spanish: Lastly, I'm committing to learning Spanish - one chapter per week from my new Spanish book. Throughout my life, I've met so many people I couldn't fully connect with or help because of the language barrier. No more passive learning - it's time to actually do this. Plus, it'll definitely come in handy during my travels.
That's a lot for one year, but I'm really looking forward to it all. No more holding back or slacking off. It's time to let loose, try things, and actually accomplish these goals and objectives.
SK
