Year of embracing curiosity

Resolutions don’t work. Though it may be limited to my own social bubble, it seems like most people have come to this same conclusion. What does seem to work, though, is themes. You choose a theme and use it as a guiding principle for the countless decisions you’ll face throughout the year.

This will be my 4th year of using the theme-based resolution method. I usually take the holiday break to think about what sort of theme would truly make a difference in my life were I to focus on it for a whole year. For the past two weeks, I’ve thought deeply about this and have come up with my theme:

Year of embracing curiosity

To those unfamiliar with this method, it may seem oddly vague. The absence of metrics, accountability, or even a clear goal makes it feel like just another sentence. But this is the whole point of a theme: the antithesis of the familiar disappointment that typical resolutions bring – a guiding light on the unbeaten path of a new year.

So, why this theme? Phrases like “I just don’t understand,” “that’s over my head,” or “I’m not smart enough for this” have always left a bitter taste in my mouth. Yet, I often find myself relying on them. I’ve denied myself knowledge with the underlying notion that my brain wasn’t wired to understand certain things.

Over the last decade, I’ve done away with certain phrases that I didn’t want to be associated with anymore:

• I’m bored

• I’m lazy

• I regret xyz

I don’t say these anymore – ever. Phrases like that carve the version of you that exists in your head. This year, I’ll be discontinuing any phrases that hint at an aversion to embracing curiosity. Instead, when I come across something unfamiliar or daunting in complexity, I want to approach it with curiosity. I want to ask more questions about it, do research, and maybe even master a few topics.

I’m starting 2025 by learning Vim, an open-source method for editing text and code. It’s something that I always found intimidating due to its complexity and steep learning curve, but I’m 2 weeks in and am already getting the hang of it. Throughout the year, I plan on tackling other areas that I found to be too hard for me to understand or master. Things like higher-level math, C (programming language), kickboxing, the tax code, and sales.

With enough time and effort, anything can be learned.

2025 - Year of embracing curiosity

2024 - Year of dedicated focus

2023 - Year of leap of faith

2022 - Year of travel