I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore. They’ve always felt temporary, like promises made with good intentions and broken once real life kicks in. What I focus on now are intentions. Intentions give me direction without the pressure of perfection, and at this stage of my life, direction matters more than anything else.
Building Steady Income and Creative Growth
One of my biggest intentions for the new year is continuing to grow and stabilize my income. I’m always looking for ways to expand my income streams because relying on just one source has never felt smart or secure. I have several things in the works for Southern Bred Crime Junkie, and I’m hopeful this is the year those efforts truly start to pay off.
Mama Crow’s Wax Melts is always close to my heart. I want more sales, more consistency, and more people discovering the products I pour so much time and care into. Above all, I want work to remain steady. No feast-or-famine cycles. Just reliable work that allows me to plan, breathe, and move forward with confidence.
Hoping This Is the Year We Move to the Country
One of my strongest hopes this year is finally moving to the country. I want space, quiet, and room to grow in ways that just aren’t possible where we are now. I want land, less noise, and the kind of peace that comes from not feeling boxed in by the world.
Along with that dream comes a growing interest in homesteading skills. I don’t want to depend on the government or outside systems more than absolutely necessary. I’m not a conspiracy theorist, but I am a realist. The more self-sufficient we can be, the better prepared we are for whatever comes next.
Learning the Skills My Grandparents Lived By
I’ve always loved growing things. That’s something my grandparents passed down to me early, even if I didn’t fully appreciate it at the time. Gardens were part of my childhood, and so was the quiet rhythm of planting, tending, and harvesting.
My grandma canned vegetables like it was second nature. She could pull jars off a shelf year-round from one good summer garden. I wish I had paid more attention back then, but maybe this is life bringing me back around to lessons I wasn’t ready to learn as a kid.
Why Self-Sufficiency Matters More Now
Between my age, the economy, and my health, this interest in self-reliance isn’t a trend or a phase. It feels necessary. It feels grounded. I’m not preparing out of fear. I’m preparing out of awareness and experience.
I want to know how to grow food, preserve it, and rely more on what we can do for ourselves. That kind of knowledge feels empowering, not extreme.
Health, Spirituality, and Connection
Good health is always part of my intentions. Not just surviving or getting through the day, but actually feeling well enough to enjoy the life I’m building. I also want more spirituality this year, not in a rigid or performative way, but in a deeper, more connected way.
I want to slow down, listen more, and strengthen my connection to the universe. Less rushing. Less noise. More trust in the process.
Celebrating 17 Years Together
This year marks our 17th anniversary, and that feels like a quiet but meaningful milestone. It’s not flashy. It’s solid. It’s built on choosing each other over and over again, even when life gets messy.
A stronger relationship is always on my list. Growth doesn’t stop just because time passes. It takes intention, just like everything else worth having.
Moving Into the New Year With Purpose
So this is what I’m carrying into the new year: steady work, deeper roots, better health, stronger faith, and the willingness to learn old skills in a new season of life.
No resolutions.
Just clear intentions—and the commitment to show up for them.
Lisa Crow contributed to this article. She is a true crime junkie and lifestyle blogger based in Waco, Texas. Lisa is the Head of Content at Gigi’s Ramblings and Southern Bred True Crime Junkie. She spends her free time traveling when she can and making memories with her large family which consists of six children and fifteen grandchildren.