I’m starting this new year a little different, and instead of working on a list of goals, I am writing a list of things I’m looking forward to over the next 12 months.

And yes, I’m posting this in February because I took January to think about this topic, and because there’s no right or wrong timeline for a list like this. We can pause and look ahead and decide what we choose to focus on at any time of the year. I hope this resonates with my fellow spoonies, as we’re often made to feel like we’re “behind” in so many ways. So whether you’re chronically ill or not, this is me giving you permission to pause and think about what you want to focus on in the coming year, whenever you feel ready to.

(I’m going to write another blog post soon about why I am waiting to set goals until later in the year, which I think is helpful for anyone, but especially for those of us with chronic illness.)

Brainstorming for this list has helped me to feel more excited and positive about the coming year. Last year, I experienced some small but meaningful milestones in my healing, but I’ve also experienced some intensely rough stretches of time over the last several months, and lots of ups and downs in 2025. So this list has been a really useful way to look ahead with anticipation and to keep my spirits up during the difficult winter.