As yet another year starts, I am once again embracing the possibilities that a fresh start offers. While I know and have said before that each day is a fresh start, somehow moments like this – the new year, a birthday, or other significant event – do add to that feeling that we can plan and work on ourselves, work towards our dreams (small and big), and look forward to a wondrous year ahead!

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I have picked my word(s) of the year, followed Gretchen Ruben’s example of 25 for 25 and created a list (will post it soon), and now am ready for this year. With all that said, here are my

Five Ways to Look Forward to a Wondrous Year Ahead

1. Dream Big, Plan Boldly

Dust off those dreams tucked away in the corners of your heart, forgotten or ignored in the maze of your amazing mind. Whether it’s a skill to master or a place to explore, this is the year for you!

• So, first make that list (if you haven’t already) you want to conquer/achieve/work towards this year. Maybe you are only using a word of the year, and that is fine. Or you are someone who is good at following through towards the resolutions you make!! As for me, as mentioned earlier, I have words of the year and a 25 for 25 list of big and small things.
• Next, draft the steps to make them happen. This does not need to be very specific but at least an idea of what to do. For example, if you are thinking of attending a music festival this year, check out ones in your area so it is more possible and mark them on your calendar. If you can get tickets for them, then do so to make it concrete.
• Remember, even small strides lead to big milestones.

2. Savor the Present

In the middle of making these lists, picking WOTY, crafting resolutions and goals, let’s not overlook the beauty of NOW. Pause to appreciate simple joys—a good book, a kind smile, or a quiet moment of reflection. For these are the threads that weave a wondrous year.

3. Nurture Connections

As the year spans out, reach out to old friends, bond with loved ones, or join a community that sparks your passions. Building meaningful relationships adds richness to every moment and creates a support system for your journey. My list of 25 does include specific interactions to enhance this (one is writing a letter to someone).

4. Embrace Change with Curiosity

Life’s twists and turns are inevitable. Instead of resisting, approach them with curiosity. Each detour might lead to an unexpected delight, a laugh, or a momentous memory that adds to the wonder of your year. BTW, curiosity is also my WOTY.

5. Celebrate Every Win

I do believe that no achievement is too small to be cheered. As a parent, I have always wanted to ensure that my kids’ (and ours as well) successes (even completing tasks that required commitment and effort) got their due praise, like a ‘good job’ or ‘you worked hard at it!’ to going out for a family celebration, depending on what it was.

Celebrating successes, big or tiny, keeps us motivated and reminds us how far we’ve come. Gratitude for progress is the fuel for even greater things.

The Bookish Five: Marked Man and More

(1 & 2) Book Beginnings and First Line Friday

BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY is hosted by Rose City Reader. What book are you happy about reading this week? Please share the opening sentence (or so) on BOOK BEGINNINGS ON FRIDAY! Add the link to your blog or social media post and visit other blogs to see what others are reading.

Happy Friday and welcome to the FIRST LINE FRIDAY, hosted by Reading is My Superpower! It’s time to grab the book nearest to you and leave a comment with the first line.

3 Friday 56

THE FRIDAY 56 is now hosted by Anne at HeadFullofBooks. To play, open a book and turn to page 56 (or 56% on your e-reader). Find a sentence or two and post them, along with the book title and author. Then link up and visit others in the linky. 

4 Book Blogger Hop

The purpose of THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, and befriend other bloggers. THE BOOK BLOGGER HOP is hosted by Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.  

 It’s 2025; are you looking forward to any highly anticipated book releases or reading events in January or the following months?

With a preponderance of upcoming and previous releases that embiggen my TBR each minute of each day, I know adding more to this list seems crazy (and I know you can relate to this). And while these might not be the ones being shouted out from the rooftops, I do look forward to some reads and will post them in next week’s Top Ten list. But for now, here is one of them: Fredrik Backman’s My Friends releasing May 2025.

As for events, I haven’t attended any but have also planned to/hoped to attend some in the past. Given plans for this year, I hope to be able to attend at least the local ones, like the Bay Area Book Festival in Berkeley.

Note: words like preponderance and embiggen made their way here as part of my commitment to learning and using new words. While I knew preponderance in context, I realized when I saw it by itself that I really did not remember the meaning, so learning it by using it here!

5 Quotes from Authors to Inspire Us for the New Year

1. “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?” ― L.M. Montgomery
2. “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot
3. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” — Mark Twain
4. “Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better man.” – Benjamin Franklin
5. “What a wonderful thought it is that some of the best days of our lives haven’t even happened yet.” – Anne Frank

And Now, the End of This Post

Dear reader, let us start our journey toward a wondrous year today! Share your favorite tip, set an intention, and let’s make this year unforgettable together!!

Also, have you read the featured book? Or heard Frank Serpico’s story? Maybe you have seen the movie starring Al Pacino? Or any similar reads?