My 2025 Intentions: Rituals of Reverie, Journaling and Writing a Book

Novel project plans, reading goals, and the quest for mindful reflection

Seven tulips look back at me. They stand in front of me on the table, all dainty whites and soft pinks, curled edges, light green curves and fresh hope.

Tulips represent all that is good in life, I muse. Frivolity and beauty and self-care. Spring and rebirth and caring about making everyday life just a little bit better.

On New Year’s Eve, I said: I vow to buy more tulips this year.

So far, it’s looking good.

How I enter 2025

In 2024, I realised that mindful reflections are a direct path to connecting with myself, my creativity and my happiness.

I realised that my rituals for entering that state of mind - tarot, journaling, walks, lit candles - they are a portal worth protecting and nurturing in my everyday.

And tulips have become a symbol of that energy, because when I remember to connect with myself in mindful reflection, I remember to buy tulips. I find myself gazing wistfully at them and marvelling at their beauty.

As I enter 2025, this is on my mind.

More tulips. Honing my mindful rituals. Going deeper into the world of journaling and memory keeping. And, of course, that flow of writing the first draft of my novel.

My word is Reverie

In the first quiet days of 2025, I search for the right word. A word of mindfulness, rituals and flow. Of story and reflection and a sprinkle of spirituality.

Searching, I start saving images on Pinterest. Dappled light and notebooks and thoughtful women and tulips and books accumulate. A soft dreaminess. Also, tarot cards and lit candles and stars.

Screenshot of my Pinterest board

I dwell on the word Pensive. It showed up in one of those “made for you playlists” on Spotify during last year. I have listened to that playlist a lot, and I’m very fond of the word. I mean, it has the word “pen” in it - how appropriate for a writer like me. But I have already carried it with me for over six months, and I crave something fresh.

I consider Enchanted, pulling associations from the Romantic era and dreaminess and spiritual vibes of tarot. But it feels a little too heavy handed, a little too musical romantic fantasy film from 2007.

And then, I discover something very unenchanted and 2024.
ChatGPT has mad skills in this department.

Usually, I use Thesaurus.com in my word of the year searching. Now, I describe my Pinterest board, the vibes I’m going for, the associations I want, and get many very interesting suggestions.

One of them, Reverie. A word I’d never think of on my own.

I look it up.

Reverie (noun): a state of being pleasantly lost in one's thoughts; a daydream.

The origins are French and its etymology is connected to revelry, to madness and imagination and delirium.

It feels very spot on. The joys of reflection, the flow of exploring a new story.

Pondering this word, I search for it on Pinterest. The first hit is a gorgeous dot grid journal, designed by an artist in France. On the cover, etched in gold, the word Rêverie and artfully drawn tulips.

I know in that moment that I have found my word for 2025.

Keep writing the first draft of my novel with magic, joy and intentional project navigation

Embrace writing rituals, project phases, and my writing journal.

In 2024, I sought the magic, joy and delight of fiction writing. I found magic - but I found it through, well, good project management.

Maybe it says something about me, that I need structure for my brain to work properly, but I know I’m not alone in being boring like that.

In 2025, my first intention is to keep writing and keep up the excellent project structure I’ve set up for myself.

• Nourish my writing habit of going to a café to write in the weekends.

• Keep dividing up the project into shorter project phases.

• Alternate periods of writing with story development when needed.

• Track, manage and reflect around the project in my writing journal.

• Keep joy at the heart of the project.

I’m not setting any word count goals. I don’t know what kind of issues I’ll run into further along in the story. And I don’t expect to finish the draft this year. I know my pace, it’s not fast, and I’m 100% okay with that.

I look forward to working on this novel so much. 2024 was a year to set up and get started with the project. This year, I hope to move forward with it.

Delight in rituals of deliberately conjuring a pensive, reflective state of mind

Explore journaling, practice soul care, and playfully enchant my everyday life.

My second intention comes from my realisations of last year. That I need to protect and nurture the rituals to invite a different state of mind than the productive, practical, busy mindset I slip into during the workweek. (Or for that matter, the doom scrolling, horizontal-on-the-sofa sluggish paralysis state of mind.)

Tied in with this intention is a big permission slip for myself to go further down the rabbit hole of journaling.

My 2024 planner was a big source of joy. Part regular calendar, part dot grid, it has acted as a way for me to set weekly intentions, plan, make to-do lists and have fun with memory keeping. I’ve played with washi tape and stickers and polaroids.

It has been so much fun that I’m branching out a little.

In 2025, I plan on keeping a range of journals, including the same type of planner as last year, my writing journal, a reading journal, and a journal for vision boards, creative ideas and regular journaling. That last one will of course be the Rêverie one with tulips on the cover.

Such joy.

Read books with devotion and delight

Finish 25 books and play with my reading journal.

My final intention is a bookish one: I want to keep up with the good reading I’ve done this past year.

Having a reading goal helps me to not get stuck in books when they’re a bit slow or I get distracted. When I do get stuck, my reading mojo dwindles, so to stay inspired, I need the gentle nudges. 25 books per year is a sweet spot where I don’t feel like I’m rushing, nor am I spending too long on each book.

I also want to keep devoting energy to finding books I’ll enjoy and bookish inspiration.

Since I find pleasure in tracking my reading, and I want to go deeper into journaling this year, I want to try out a reading journal. I plan on having fun with it.

In the cards for 2025

Having chosen my word of the year and set my intentions, I draw three tarot cards.

First, Knight of Cups. A romantic card symbolising an emotional and spiritual quest. I see this card as my mission to stay in touch with my emotions, good or bad, to explore them in journaling, to keep introspection a part of everyday life.

Then, Queen of Wands. The embodiment of creativity, creative vision and passion. I take her confidence with me as I keep writing my story and seeking flow in fiction writing.

Finally, Ace of Pentacles. A new beginning in the physical world, an opportunity, a sowing of seeds. A new year. What does it mean? I’m not entirely sure yet. Maybe simply to stay open to the possibilities of 2025.

And I’m excited. I’m excited for a year of reverie, of tulips, novel writing, and an abundance of journals.