My Word For 2025

Every year at this time I sit and reflect on the previous year.  I reflect upon all that went well, things that didn’t go as planned, and what to focus on in the upcoming year.  In all honesty, 2024 was not a good year.

Life happened, as some might say when things didn’t go as planned.  Life did indeed happen.  Nothing I would have ever expected.  Especially under the circumstances.

It took me a long time to wrap my mind around the situation, what had happened.  I was lost for quite awhile, but eventually I came out of my funk and started to find a groove in September, 2024.  The last quarter of 2024 could not have gone any better than it did.

However, the past few weeks have left me pondering a few things about my life, and the lives of the athletes I’ve been fortunate enough to coach this year.  After our initial discussions about training, programming, and sports performance, much of what is discussed between me and my athletes is left up to them.  Essentially, they have a choice in whether they are going to follow through with what we discussed or not train for a day or two because of whatever reason they come up with.  Life is made up of a series of consecutive choices.  Some are made for us, and some we make on our own.


In my case, the choice was made for me.  I didn’t have much say, if any, in the decision that was made that turned my life upside.  I wasn’t consulted.  Nobody shared their plan with me until it was literally dropped off one March night.


For that reason, my word for 2025 is CHOICE.


I find this word fitting because for most of the past 16 years I haven’t really had much of a choice in anything that directly affected my life.  I mean, everyone has a choice, but given the circumstances, I gave in more than I probably should have, which didn’t leave me with much discretion in moving forward with my life’s goals.  Now, in 2025, I don’t have anyone in my life that needs to be initially consulted about the direction I want to take my life.  I’m going to make the choice.