5 Lessons I've Learned In 2024 That Will Make 2025 A Better Year

Insights for a year of growth and clarity

Photo by Christine Donaldson on Unsplash

2024 was not the year I expected. It was messy, enlightening, painful, and beautiful in ways I couldn't have predicted.

There were days when I felt on top of the world, and others where I barely had the strength to face it. I faced challenges I didn’t think I was ready for, found strength in moments when I was sure I’d crumble, and learned lessons that left permanent marks on my heart and mind.

Looking back, it’s clear that this year wasn’t just about getting through—it was about growing. It forced me to ask hard questions about myself and the life I want to build. And while I’m not sure I have all the answers, I’ve walked away from 2024 with clarity, a bit more wisdom, and the determination to make 2025 a year where those lessons truly matter.

In this article, I want to share with you 5 lessons from this past year that stood out to me. I’m sharing them not because I’ve mastered them, but because I’m still learning how to live them.

My hope is that they will inspire you to take stock of your own journey—where you’ve been, what you’ve learned, and what you want to carry forward.

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1. There’s a season for everything. (You don’t reap the fruits in the same season you plant the seeds.)

2024 taught me the quiet wisdom of patience. It reminded me that life isn’t always about constant progress or immediate results.

There were moments when I felt like I was pouring everything I had into something—my work, my relationships, my personal growth—without seeing any tangible payoff. And it was frustrating. It felt like shouting into the void, like running a race with no finish line in sight.

The hard truth is, the seeds we plant today don’t bear fruit overnight. Some seasons are for planting, some are for tending, and others, eventually, are for harvesting. And just because we aren’t yet reaping the rewards, it doesn’t mean the work we’re doing is meaningless. It simply means we’re in a different part of the cycle—a part that requires trust, patience, and the willingness to keep showing up even when the results aren’t immediately visible.

What I also came to understand is that each season serves its own purpose. The planting season forces us to dream and plan. The growing season teaches us consistency and care. And the waiting? That’s where we learn resilience. It’s easy to lose sight of this when we’re surrounded by a culture that glorifies speed and instant gratification, but nature doesn’t rush, and neither should we.

As I step into 2025, I want to honor the season I’m in, whatever it may be. If it’s time to plant, I’ll plant with hope. If it’s time to wait, I’ll wait with faith. And when it’s time to harvest, I’ll embrace that joy fully, knowing that it didn’t come out of nowhere—it came from the quiet, persistent work of all the seasons that came before.

2. Sometimes, the most powerful thing we can do is surrender. Especially in times of struggle and uncertainty.

For most of my life, I believed that surrender was the same as giving up. It felt like weakness, a lack of effort, or an admission that I wasn’t strong enough to handle what life threw at me.

So many times, I fought tooth and nail to control outcomes, to bend situations to my will, and to push through challenges with sheer determination. And time after time, I found myself exhausted, overwhelmed, and still stuck. The harder I pushed, the more it felt like I was fighting against a tide that wouldn’t let me move forward. And the more I fought, the deeper I sank.

It was in those moments—when I had nothing left to give, and finally surrendered—that life would suddenly work its magic. Answers I had been desperately searching for would appear out of nowhere, as if the Universe had been waiting for me to reach a point where I was finally open enough to receive them. It was as if all along, the answers weren’t hidden from me—they were simply waiting for me to stop fighting long enough to listen.

Now I know surrender doesn’t mean we stop trying; it means we stop resisting. It’s about releasing the constant need to control every detail and trusting that life will meet us halfway. Which brings us to the next lesson…

3. There’s a greater power supporting us - IF we let it.

There’s a power that moves through everything. This power knows what we need before we do. It knows the right timing, the right path, the right people to place in our lives. It doesn’t matter if you call it God, the Universe, or simply Life Force, it’s real—and it works in ways that defy logic or planning.

But we, as humans, struggle with that. We want answers. We want to feel in control. We want to feel safe. So we push, plan, and try to micromanage every detail, convincing ourselves that our efforts alone are what shape our destiny. And sure, they do shape our paths in countless ways. Effort, commitment, and intention are all crucial. But they’re not the whole story. There’s a point where effort alone isn’t enough, where we have to step back and trust that something bigger is working alongside us.

The past couple of years have taught me to trust this power to a point where I don’t even question it anymore.

I don’t overanalyze every twist and turn. I don’t second-guess whether I’m on the right path or whether things are unfolding as they should. I don’t cling to timelines or obsess over when things will fall into place. Instead, I’ve learned to lean into the flow, trusting that even the detours and delays have a purpose that will reveal itself in time.

This doesn’t mean I don’t occasionally feel sad, frustrated, or lost—I’m human, and I have human emotions. There are still moments when I wish things would move faster or fall into place more smoothly. It just means I don’t let those feelings consume me or convince me that everything is falling apart.

So, if you’re in that place right now (fighting, struggling, pushing against everything) my advice would be… Stop. Stop fighting. Let go of the struggle. Take a step back and allow Life to guide you instead. Because Life is ready to guide you—but only if you let it. It doesn’t push or demand; it waits for you to create space for it to work.

4. The small acts of self-care matter way more than we imagine.

This year taught me that the biggest shifts in our mental, emotional, and spiritual health don’t come from massive changes or dramatic decisions—they come from the quiet, consistent acts of love we give to ourselves, day in and day out.

Ten minutes of sitting still in the morning can change everything. Taking a walk outside can clear your head and reset your entire mood. Spending an hour with a good book, completely unplugged, can bring a sense of calm that lasts for days. Even something as simple as drinking your coffee slowly, without distractions, can feel like an act of self-respect in a world that constantly pulls us in a million directions.

These little things don’t seem like much, but they can shift your entire state. They’re like planting seeds of well-being that quietly grow into a stronger, steadier version of yourself. And the more I prioritize these little rituals, the more I realize they aren’t little at all—they’re the foundation for everything else.

“These habits may seem small or insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but they’re not. They act as an anchor, a reminder that even when life feels chaotic, there are still pieces of stability within our control.

It can be tempting to push these grounding practices aside, especially when life feels overwhelming. Believe me, I’ve made that mistake countless times. We tell ourselves we’ll get back to them when things “settle”, or that we’ll do it once we have everything figured out. But the truth is, things don’t always settle neatly, and we’ll never have everything figured out.

The key is to make time for these grounding practices now—in the middle of the mess, when it feels the hardest. They won’t solve everything, but they will create space for you to catch your breath, regain a bit of balance, and remind yourself that you have what you need to keep going.”

in When Your Old Self Has Died But Your New Self Hasn't Fully Emerged Yet

5. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel isn’t some lucky accident - it’s a choice.

It’s a difficult choice, one that feels almost impossible at times, but it’s still a choice we can make, over and over again.

It’s the decision to hold onto hope even when it feels like everything is working against you. To believe in a better outcome, not because you can see the evidence, but because the act of believing is what keeps you moving forward. To know that even if the road ahead feels long and uncertain, there’s a light at the end of it that’s waiting for you.

This choice doesn’t erase the pain or make the struggle disappear. It doesn’t shorten the tunnel. But it gives you the strength to keep going. It shifts your focus away from the overwhelming darkness and toward the possibility of something better—and it reminds you that you’re still capable of moving forward.

Because sometimes, the light isn’t something you see… It’s something you believe in until you reach it. It’s a belief, a quiet knowing that even if you can’t see a clear path, there is one.

You don’t have to see it to walk toward it. You just have to choose to believe in it, step by step, day by day.

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With the start of a new year, there’s often this pressure to set goals, make resolutions, and have everything figured out.

While I don’t subscribe to that pressure, I do believe in the power of self-reflection, inner alignment, and moving forward from a place of clarity and authenticity. I believe that by grounding ourselves in who we truly are, we can approach the year ahead with purpose and presence.

So, as we step into this new year, I hope we can all find space to reflect, adjust, and embrace the journey ahead with trust. I hope that, no matter what the year holds, we can stay grounded and focused on what truly matters.

That’s all we need – the courage to keep going, and the faith that each step forward will lead us exactly where we’re meant to be.

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Thank you for reading 🤍

If my words resonated with you, I’d love for you to explore more of my writing at www.consciouslyy.substack.com 🫶🏼 (If you’re on your phone and you have the Substack app installed, this link will take you to my profile page, not my website. I highly recommend using a laptop for a smoother browsing experience!)

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