A new year, a fresh start. Or maybe just a continuation. Or maybe just a pretext—to pause, to change pace, to stop doing some things and begin others.

Personally, I like to think of the new year as an invitation to retreat a little, like a lobster, to reflect on what I’d like to change in how I’ve been doing things, what I’d like to bring into my life that’s new, and what I’m ready to let go of.

You see, lobsters grow, and when they feel they’ve outgrown their shell, they retreat, shed it, wait for a new one to form—and then reemerge into the world. I think it’s a great strategy. It’s like taking a sabbatical—you step back, study, refine your approach, and then step back into the world. I highly recommend sabbaticals from time to time. I had such a year once—it was spent in libraries, theaters, and concert halls. It was a delight for both my mind and my soul.
Now, I “steal” a few hours here and there for those kinds of activities.

Back to the broader idea of change: we humans often believe we can shift gears and change course at any moment. In reality, it rarely works like that.
It requires some self-reflection.
You might say we don’t need a new year to reflect—and you’re right. We can do that at any time. I often do it on my birthday. That day, I usually travel, just to experience what it feels like to be somewhere else in the world, as if life grants us a yearly chance to be reborn in a new place.

But let’s be honest—although we can reflect at any time, few of us actually do.
Why? Because life happens. Time presses on. We get swept up in the current, instead of steering it ourselves.

So this year, I propose we look not only at what we want to have or do in 2025, but also at how we want to be in 2025.

Over 2,000 years ago, Archimedes said, “Give me a place to stand, and I will move the world.”
Is this still valid?

The world is changing rapidly, society has long since lost its fixed reference points—or is in the process of redefining them. Terms like VUCA and BANI have dominated the business world for years now.
VUCA: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, Ambiguous
BANI: Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear, Incomprehensible
These terms, coined by top global business schools, aim to describe our current reality.

So where should our reliable place to stand be?
Within ourselves.

That’s why I invite you to reflect on how you want to be this year. Here are a few thoughts:

  • Healthy – Yes, this may sound like something for older people. At least that’s what I used to think. When you’re young, you want adventure, action, energy, pleasant surprises, travel. You want to conquer mountains, jump out of planes, love and be loved. Health seems like a given. But it’s not.
    It’s critical to care for your body, your emotions, and your mind. That means eating mindfully, hydrating well, moving your body, sleeping enough, finding joy, laughing, crying (hopefully, mostly tears of joy).
  • Energetic and enthusiastic – It’s important to keep your energy up, to not let every breeze knock you down. This comes from what you do with your body and your mind.
    I have a former professor who, well into the fourth quarter of his life, has more enthusiasm than many in their second. He writes, reads, swims, travels extensively, works, meets with lots of people. Every time I visit Paris, we go out to eat, then talk for hours while walking through Saint Germain or the Jardin du Luxembourg—no matter the weather.
  • Curious – About the world, politics, nutrition, literature, wellbeing, human history, art, music, AI, the cosmos—everything that has ever moved or been created.
  • Tolerant – Everyone is who they are. It helps to understand others, to be open, to show new perspectives and accept theirs, and maybe even create new possibilities together.
    That takes attentiveness, calmness, and gentleness—especially when someone could benefit from our compassion.
  • Firm – Sometimes, we need to set boundaries. Being everything to everyone is a one-way ticket to burnout. Ironically, few people will even appreciate the effort.
    In my experience, people who don’t set limits end up exhausted and undervalued. No one builds them a statue—not even a snow one next to the snowman.
  • Connected to those who matter – I thought a lot this past year about those who sent a message, called to check in, who really listened, who made me feel they cared. These people are rare.
    Most people ask how you are only so they can talk about themselves, complain, or self-promote.
  • Selective – With people, events, and activities. We don’t have to be everywhere, with everyone.
    But let’s not be grumpy, either.
    A friend once told me: be careful not to walk around with Procrustes’ bed, trimming the world down to only those who meet your exact criteria. That way, you risk ending up in emptiness, in cold, in darkness.
  • Freethinkers – My father used to say he wanted to think freely, not as dictated by any political party. To do that, we need to fill our minds with quality literature, music, art, and the great films of the world.
    Then, surround ourselves with people who bring value and share common principles.

So here’s a possible list of “how to be” in 2025:
Selective, tolerant, firm (when needed), connected, curious, enthusiastic, energetic, freethinking, and healthy.
These could be our anchors—our inner levers, like the one Archimedes spoke of—for a year likely to be just as dynamic and uncertain as the one we’ve left behind.

via: Forbes