Fill 2025 with purpose and passion
- Melinda Hill, OSU Extension Wayne County
- January 9, 2025
- 433
Another year in the books and we are greeting 2025 with new anticipation of good things to come.
As I review all that happened last year, it’s remarkable to note the achievements and activities that were packed into the 52 weeks, both professionally and personally. The question that might guide the new year is “did we achieve what we desired in 2024?” What changes would we like to make to ensure we can be successful and accomplish the things we desire this year?
This column could go in many directions from here, but many of you already know how to set goals that are specific and measurable (look up SMART goals if you’d like more details). These are great to use if I want to reach goals like increasing the savings in my bank account or paying down debt after the holidays. They also might work well if we want to increase the healthy habits in our homes, like incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our diet or exercise into our daily routines.
What I’d like to offer for your consideration today is something a little deeper, something that impacts the direction and the choices we make in life. If you were asked, “What’s your purpose in life” or “what do you value with passion,” what would you say? Sometimes we answer without much thought, but here are a couple of prompts to help:
—What drives you in daily life? What kind of issues matter to you?
—Is there something that energizes you that you would sacrifice other things to achieve?
—Who is it you would like to help, or what are projects you would like to help with?
When you think about those answers, research indicates having a strong purpose in life is associated with all kinds of benefits, like better health, longevity and even having financial success. For most of us, this is not a topic we ponder in our daily busy life, but when we pause and identify our purpose or passion, we tend to live life more intentionally and make better decisions about accomplishing those goals.
During conversations over the next few weeks, talk with your friends and/or mentors about what things you are good at or special skills that could be beneficial to others. There are other tools out there like questionnaires that might be helpful in identifying particular traits that could be used to assist others.
If you aren’t sure about where to start, try volunteering someplace where you have an interest. At a recent conference, I heard less than 22% of our population gives back to their communities by volunteering in some way. Thus children are not exposed to the concept of making contributions. By working alongside others who support a common purpose, you may find personal reward and satisfaction.
As you pause and think, imagine yourself in 10, 20, 30 years out, and if everything has gone well, what would you be doing? What is really important to you and what do you really care about it?
In surrounding ourselves with positive people who can contribute to our success in these situations, we can all gain insight to setting ourselves up for a positive future. Ultimately, it is up to each of us to make room in our lives for these tasks that bring us joy and a sense of fulfillment. These are great conversations to have with our families, our children, our faith community and our work teams.
What is it we want to accomplish in 2025 and how are we going to get there? Don’t delay in asking the questions to help you make it a year filled with purpose and passion.
Melinda Hill is an OSU Extension family and consumer sciences educator and may be reached at 330-264-8722 or hill.14@osu.edu.