Forget Resolutions: How to Plan an Epic 2025

I was recently listening to a podcast episode called How to Plan an Epic 2025, Without Setting Goals," and it really got me excited about the year ahead.

The guest, Jesse Itzler, introduced three powerful ideas that I’m already putting into practice. I thought they might resonate with you, too:

1. The Misogi: Your Year-Defining Challenge

Forget broad resolutions. Instead, Itzler suggests choosing one big, hard, year-defining challenge. He calls this a "Misogi," which stems from an ancient Japanese water cleansing ritual. Your Misogi can be personal or professional - anything that will push you outside your comfort zone and make 2025 truly memorable.

For me, I've decided to dive back into flight training (I’ve had my pilot’s license for a little over a decade) and go for my seaplane rating.

At Mem, our Misogi as a startup is crystal clear: finding product-market-fit. It's the challenge that keeps us moving forward and it’s all that matters, really.

The cool thing about the Misogi is it's scalable. You can also pick mini-misogis on shorter timeframes. This month's was ensuring we smoothly transition over 100,000 more users from Mem 1.0 to Mem 2.0—which we did!

2. Mini-Adventures: Injecting "New-ness"

This one is pure fun. Itzler's philosophy is to inject “new-ness” into your life with a handful of mini-adventures throughout the year. Think 1-2 day experiences, spaced out every couple of months.

These don't have to be complex; it's about experiencing something different. I've already planned out 6 with my wife Georgia. Here are a few we're excited about:

• Finding the perfect spot to watch the Perseids meteor shower in the fall.

• Taking a reconnaissance trip to Colorado to explore the possibility of raising a family there long-term.

• Foraging for sea urchin in Half Moon Bay and hosting our own uni feast!

I love the idea of creating these pockets of novelty throughout the year - it keeps things fresh and exciting.

3. New Habits, Not Resolutions: One Thing at a Time

Traditional resolutions are notorious for being abandoned by February. Instead, Itzler's approach is to focus on adding one new habit per quarter. It’s a far more realistic way to create lasting change, because it allows you to really hone in on one thing at a time. Think about this, that’s 20 new habits in five years!

This quarter, my new habit is just to reach out to one friend per week.

I want to build stronger habits around reading and running, too, but those can come next.

The best part is I don’t need to track the rest of my reading and running habits yet. The focus is really honing in on my Q1 habit to start. I've found that when I'm doing that one thing consistently, it’s easier to add other good habits down the line.

Making it Actually Stick with Mem

This is one of the things I love using Mem for. It's my central hub for the year's journey, where I'll capture my thoughts, plans, and reflections as I pursue my misogi, mini-adventures, and new habits.

I've already saved my favorite tips from the podcast in Mem and started planning out my upcoming adventures in it, so I know I'll be able to quickly pull things up when I need them down the road.

I’m really excited to see how this approach to 2025 unfolds, and I hope these ideas inspire you to take action this year. I'd love to hear what your own "misogis," adventures, and new habits look like—just hit reply!

Happy planning, and here’s to making this an epic year!

—Kevin, Founder at Mem