From Grounding to Blooming: The Power of Reflection and Intention Setting

I do not set goals (or resolutions for that matter) in December. While others rush to pen their resolutions amid holiday chaos, I prefer to use December for pause and rest. January, with its fresh start energy and quiet mornings, feels more natural for forward-looking intention setting.

This year, I found that this approach proved especially useful. I spent the last two weeks of December with my family, with no intention to be productive. I played with my niece & nephew, ate all the food, read a beautiful book (The Gilded Hour by Sara Donati -I highly recommend), enjoyed board-games with my family, watched movies, and caught up with friends. It was a wonderful, nourishing and much needed break.?

Looking back…

Before sitting down with The Reset’s annual reflection exercises, if someone had asked me to summarize 2024 in one word, I would have quickly said "rough." But that wouldn’t have felt right actually – I know it wasn’t all rough. In fact, not at all. It was also beautiful, exciting, boring, hot, full of growth, joy, laughter, visits and play. But “rough” felt right in December, and well, recency bias….

Honestly, the year felt conflicted – challenging on a personal level, yet successful professionally. As I worked through my reflection process, a different word emerged: "Grounding."

Even through major disappointments, I found myself more deeply rooted in relationships – with friends and family – than ever before. My vision for my life solidified. Professionally, we laid incredible groundwork for future growth and impact.?

One of my favorite quotes by Simone Weil kept popping up: "The sea is no less beautiful because we know sometimes boats sink." Yes, some boats did sink in 2024, but what a beautiful view the ocean still provided.

The year brought fantastic highlights: kicking off the year in Marrakech, graduating from the Happiness Studies Academy, hosting friends, finding new friends, eating amazing dinners, celebrating weddings and new babies, enjoying wonderful moments with family, loving the quality time with my sister, reaching new career heights, and experiencing those incredible moments of laughing until crying.?

Most of these were not events I crossed off a “to-do” list – they happened because of genuine connection and being present in the moment. Not entirely coincidentally, as these were some of the goals I had set for 2024.?

Blooming into 2025

Now, after going through this reflection, I'm ready to move from "Grounding" to "Blooming". I chose Bloom as my “word” for 2025. Having a word of the year might sound cliché (I can feel some of you rolling your eyes), but I genuinely think there’s a lot of power in having an anchor word for the year. That is, if you apply it in daily practice.?

For me, "Bloom" encompasses hope, beauty and a readiness to flourish. But also, the need to nourish, nurture, and fuel growth, acknowledging the importance of stepping back and allowing things to unfold naturally.

Inspiration & Permission

This word wasn't randomly chosen. It emerged from hours of intentional reflection: examining what I learned in 2024, what I want to carry forward, and what I'm ready to leave behind. I assessed what my life would look like if I were 100% satisfied across all its different aspects, honestly evaluated where I’m at right now, and visualized where I want to be by December 31st, 2025.

I've painted this word on my journal, making it one of the first things I see each morning. It serves as both inspiration and permission. Inspiration to grow and flourish, and permission to withdraw and rest when needed. Just as flowers need both sun and shade to thrive, this word reminds me that growth isn't linear but will unfold nonetheless.?

From this foundation, I created my vision for the year and narrowed it down to my main personal goals. These aren't resolutions born from a sense of lack (I have a strong opinion about setting resolutions to make ourselves better because we’re not [....*] enough (*fill in the blank - thin, rich, fit, successful, etc. etc.), but I shall stay off that particular soapbox for now). These goals I set are positive aspirations aligned with my vision, with "Bloom" as my anchor.?

These goals will transform into daily and weekly habits. Because sustainable change happens through small, consistent actions aligned with our deeper purpose.

Intentional Growth

This approach to goal-setting is one we’ve developed with The Reset, and I absolutely love it. It feels different. It feels good – inspiring, sustainable, and motivating (how often do people say that about resolutions?) It's not about harsh self-improvement or rigid resolutions. Instead, it's about intentional growth, guided by reflection and anchored in a word that resonates deeply with where I am and where I want to go.

If this approach resonates with you, I encourage you to try it. Take time to reflect on your 2024 – not just the challenges, but the beauty, the learning, the connections. Let a word emerge that captures both where you've been and where you're heading. Sometimes, all we need is a different perspective to see the potential in our journey more clearly.

Here's to blooming in our own time, in our own way, in 2025.?

In Joy,

Sophie

p.s. If you like to go through this process in a guided manner, you can book a deeply personal and impactful 1:1 (virtual, or in-person in Lisbon) session here)