Why My 2024 Resolutions Didn’t Work (And How I'm Fixing Them in 2025)

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I made this app because I wanted to share the to-do list system that has helped me stay accountable and get things done.

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2024 really taught me that you get what you focus on.

Looking back, I started with big goals spread across multiple areas for the year:

• Career
• Business
• Fitness
• Breaking (breakdancing)
• Finance
• Relationships

I even broke each of them down into the daily activities that I would need to do in order to accomplish them.

But, life doesn't work that way and I'm not a machine.

Periods of intensity, working like a machine for a couple of months, is fine so I was able to stick to the plan at the start. But, after the first month, some of the habits that I was creating just felt too forced and so I iterated. I iterated so much that my original plan just became useless.

And the biggest flaw? I thought that I could focus on all of my goals at once. When in actuality, the only thing I really hit the mark on are my business goals, which is to publish two apps out into the market, because it took over my focus for the year.

When I would be eating, I'm coding in my head.

When I would be taking a shit, I'm coding in my head.

When I'm hanging around family or friends, I'd get lost too developing my app in my head.

My business goals took over my focus that every other goal suffered from it because I didn't really focus on them, despite doing the short term actions that I had planned out for them.

My relationships and breaking goals suffered the most.

And I don't think my focus is the problem.

This year proved that I can get hyper focus on things for a long time. Even my childhood proves that... with my capability of pulling all nighters playing video games.

But, what I'm missing out on is balance and intentionality. Instead of trying to improve all areas of my life at once, I need to design my focus more strategically.

//2025 in Quarters

For 2025, instead of outlining my entire year and assuming the daily actions that I will be capable of doing, I'll only focus on the first three months and treat the year in quarters.

So, for the first quarter (January, February, March), I plan my focus to be mainly on breaking because it's something that I've neglected.

At the end of it, I'll reassess what worked, what didn't, and where my focus should go next.

And with this approach, it gives two benefits:

1. Flexibility: Since you only need to plan for the next 3 months, you can adjust based on what life throws at you.
2. Clarity and focus: for each quarter, you can allow myself to go all-in on one main goal without getting distracted by the fact that another aspect of your life is in just maintenance mode

I believe this is an upgrade and I'll just have to find out!

//Theme of the Year

In addition to planning in quarters, I'm also keeping the same theme of financial freedom from 2024 to 2025.

By theming your years, you give yourself an anchor that makes decision-making easier for the year. So, for me, financial freedom is the answer to most of my “should I or shouldn’t I” questions.

Should I keep my apartment after my breakup? No—it didn’t align with my financial freedom goal. Moving back in with my parents will save me thousands of dollars that I could use to pay off school loans and build myself back up. It's a blessing and a privilege.

Should I go out for pho? No, but saving for a trip to Vietnam where I can experience authentic pho? Absolutely.

Should I upgrade my old laptop or phone? No, I can make do with what I have for now. Instead, I’ll prioritize saving for experiences that truly matter, like visiting Italy.

Wait. How is going on a trip to Vietnam and Italy in 2025 going to get me closer to financial freedom? For me these trips are the balancing act that will help me stay the course–similar to how people take a cheat meal after a month of eating clean food. They're purposeful indulgences that give me something to look forward to and keep me motivated.

And of course, moving back in with my parents plays a huge part in making this decision easier. The money I’ll save by not paying rent and bills creates space in my budget to fund experiences that truly matter to me.

I also really just want to travel so this me reasoning with myself.

But, for real, the key here is intention.

These won't be impulsive decisions—they’re calculated, meaningful investments.

Just like how I'm going to be more intentional with where my focus goes in 2025, I'm also going to be more intentional with my spending by cutting out what doesn't matter and prioritizing the things that do.

This is about designing a life where every decision reflects a bigger vision.

I rambled a lot in this one, but I do hope it gives you food for thought on how to approach your resolutions for 2025.

Whether it’s by focusing on one goal at a time, anchoring your decisions to a guiding theme, or simply being more intentional with how you spend your time and energy, the key is to design a system that works for you.

That's it for this one.

I yapped a lot in the video version as well. Eh. Word to showing up.

– Renz