Good morning fellow New Year novices!
We have arrived! Welcome to a year of positive change, big dreams and closeness with those you love! I for one am tingling with excitement for what this year brings, having concluded my rigorous end of year/new year analyses and planning! So, sharing some of this as well as a selection of social tips, tricks, thoughts and talking points, all of which I’ve come across or re-discovered over the past two weeks, please enjoy this first 5 Bullet Friday of 2025!
1. What I’m reviewing: My 2024 Consumption List – A couple of years ago, I started keeping a ‘consumption list’, a place to record the series, books, films, exhibitions and concerts I consume throughout the year. Why do I keep one? I find it’s so easy to consume and wanted to redress the balance between creative consumption and production. This keeps me accountable for low-quality consumption, triggering me to be more selective and spend more hours actively producing rather than passively consuming. Briefly, then: top book of 2024 was Klein’s Doppelganger, best series Lost Boys & Fairies and favourite film Casa en Flames.
2. What I’m releasing: We All Stand Together – A Warn Family Christmas Song – For those who haven’t already seen it, we had a blast this Christmas recording and filming our annual family Christmas song. I’ve written a little piece on the production and significance of this family tradition on my blog. Please enjoy these festive frogs!
3. What I’m taking back control over: Google’s MyActivity Settings – Ever the technophile/technophobe, I was delighted to discover and deactivate everything I possibly could on myactivity.google.com. Google is one of the worst offenders when it comes to massive data collection and manipulation. Here, you can take back control quickly and effectively by disabling Web & Activity tracking, Location History and YouTube History. Customise your Google experience for a more private and less dystopian present and future!
4. What I’ve quit: Facebook and LinkedIn – I left Instagram and Twitter a couple of years ago, but these two held out. I rationalised them for historic friendships and professional necessity (respectively) but I feel like a weight has been lifted from me with both permanently deleted as I enter the new year! I am excited to be 100% social media free and to embrace the challenge of finding more meaningful ways of connecting and staying in touch with friends and colleagues.
5. What I’m preparing for: 2025! – Aside from these digital changes, the last week of December and first week of January are always busy with planning and envisioning. Some of my favourite reflection activities include: reviewing my 2024 calendar to pick out which activities brought me energy and joy, and which didn’t, to plan in more of the good ones in the coming year; renewing my commitment to certain values and lifestyle approaches (eg. veganism, slow travel, and second-hand clothes buying – this year I’m also aiming to abstain from use of generative AI such as ChatGPT); setting about 10 goals split between personal, creative and professional headings; updating my no-pressure ‘bucket list’ of things I’d love to do this year, but with the freedom to do next year if so be it; and doing all this alongside a dear friend for accountability!
📣 Opportunities from me and my network
📵 It’s back! Sign up today to the Phone Free February 2025 challenge!
📖 Don’t forget to order your copy of Remnants of War, Migration, Love by Taha Salim.
🎨 Looking for fabulous art to gift? Support my brilliant friend and artist Nadine here.
⭐️ Know someone critically-minded? I’d love to nominate them for Aspen Rising Leaders.
💻 Time for a new website? Pick us, the non-profit agency for a more sustainable and fairer world.
That’s it for this fortnight! As ever, please let me know your thoughts and feedback – and send anything you’d like me to include in upcoming editions this way.
