2025: The Year of “No”

For me, it’s not about a grand “yes” to new opportunities, trends, or pressures. No. 2025 is all about saying “no.”

Ahhh, it’s the start of a brand-new year. There’s no other feeling like it, except maybe if your “brand new year” starts as you become a year older. But it smells like a reset for everyone as a whole - people pledge to start eating healthier, going to the gym, putting themselves ‘out there’ more, or mend relationships that they neglected the last 12 months. It seems like January 1 is a world-wide chance to shift gears, make a change, and dive headfirst into something new.

2024, personally, was all about embracing the unknown. I had no idea what trimesters two or three held in store for me, let alone birth or actually raising the child I had somehow made from my own flesh and blood. Like every first-time parent, although we poured over dozens of pregnancy and birthing and parenting books, nothing really teaches you like the experience of a screaming newborn in the middle of the night when you, yourself, are running on an hour of sleep and are so tired you’re seeing cross-eyed. So… the unknown, and letting it take me down whatever path it deemed necessary, was largely in charge last year. (And that is terrifying for a Type-A perfectionist)

But 2025? It’s not about me “getting my bod back” or “going back to old Meli.” For me, it’s not about a grand “yes” to new opportunities, trends, or pressures.

No.

2025 is all about saying “no.”

And let me tell you, it’s been a long time coming.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been chasing something. At first, it was literally chasing things - I’ve been in competitive running since I was five-years-old and I can still remember the thrill of my feet hitting the pavement, hearing my parents cheer me on, and sporting a shiny gold medal around my neck. (Spoiler alert: all the medals were gold-coloured)

As I grew up, it was validation. Then, it was success. And then, I found myself in this never-ending loop of chasing social media algorithms, trying to keep up with the ever-changing tides of what’s trending, what’s “hot,” and what’s right now. How could I turn memes and songs into educational content? How could I relate Skibidi Toilet and ‘no cap’ to marine conservation? It’s exhausting! The constant scramble to be relevant, to fit into boxes that don’t feel right, to keep up with things that never truly belong to me… it all started to feel like noise. A noise that drowned out my peace, my purpose, my clarity.

It wasn’t until I was forced away from all that noise thanks to my newborn that I realised I was surrounded by noise. It’s like I had become so attuned to it, the stress had become white noise that I almost needed to soothe me into a false sense of productivity or relevance. And that’s when I realized: it’s time to say no.

I’m saying no to the anxiety that comes with trying to please an invisible force that doesn’t even care about me as a person: social media algorithms. If you think about it, social media algorithms are like wild animals — you never know which way they’re going to turn. One minute, your post is being pushed to thousands of people. The next? Crickets. And no matter how hard you try to game the system — optimizing hashtags, timing your posts, throwing out viral trends — it's always fleeting. Always.

So I’m no longer bending myself into the shape of an algorithm. I’m done seeking the approval of a system that changes its mind every few months. I’m choosing to show up authentically, on my own terms, and to trust that what is meant for me will find its way to me without needing to constantly chase it.

I want to be real, not “clickable.”

Which is why I’m saying no to things that aren’t in alignment with who I am becoming. And trust me, this has been a hard lesson. I’ve spent so much time in the past saying yes to things I thought would bring me validation, to opportunities that looked shiny on the surface but didn’t fit into the fabric of my values, my goals, or my sense of self. I said yes to projects, people, and situations that drained me, simply because I thought I should — because they seemed like the logical next step or the thing that was “expected.” But here’s the thing: if it doesn’t light you up, if it doesn’t spark something real inside you, it’s okay to let it go!

Even if everyone else around you is chasing the same thing.

Even if it looks good on paper.

If it doesn’t feel aligned with your vision, your soul, or your purpose, it’s time to release it. No more following trends that I know aren’t for me - I don’t want to relate conservation to some guy poking his head out of a urinal or toilet! I don’t want to learn a viral TikTok dance for me to get an educational message across some 13-year-old’s FYP! No more forcing myself into spaces that don’t feel like mine, muchas gracias, mate.

The above is really really hard for me to say because I’ve always been a people-pleaser, and as much as I’m learning to embrace that part of me, I’ve also realized that it’s not my job to say yes to everyone else’s needs and priorities at the expense of my own. This is especially true when I can barely fill my own cup because I’m trying to fill that of my kid, my dog, my husband! I only have so many hours in the day and I can only do so much… so I’m saying no to overcommitting my time. Time is the one thing I can’t get back, and I can’t afford to keep giving it away to things, people, and tasks that don’t serve me. I’ve spent too many years putting others’ needs first, saying yes out of guilt or obligation, and ending up burned out, depleted, and frustrated with myself for not having the time or energy to focus on what truly matters to me.

2025 is my year to reclaim my time. To protect it like the precious resource it is. To spend it on things that bring me joy, growth, rest, and peace. To be ever-present for the fleeting time I have with Leo being a baby or a toddler or a little kid - six months have already flown by, what about the next six? They won’t slow down! I want to cherish every second I have with him. So, no more feeling obligated to attend every event, answer every e-mail, or take on every project. I’m saying no to the guilt that comes with not being everything to everyone, and I’m learning to say yes only to what nourishes me and aligns with my values.

There’s power in no. There’s freedom in it.

For so long, I thought saying no was a rejection of possibility, an unwillingness to grow, or a lack of ambition. But in 2025, I’m realizing that saying no is the ultimate act of self-respect. It’s an act of carving out space for the things that really matter. It’s about protecting my peace, prioritizing my purpose, and saying yes to the things that make my heart beat a little faster—not just what’s expected or what looks good from the outside. It makes me a little sad that it took 31 years to get here, but I’m excited to be taking control of my own narrative. To be stepping into a life that’s more aligned, more intentional, and more authentic than ever before.

If I’ve learned anything in this past year, it’s that I’m enough without the hustle, without the chase, without the approval of an algorithm or the pressure to fit into a mold that isn’t mine.

This year, I’m reclaiming my time, my energy, and my peace. And I’m saying no to anything that doesn’t respect that. Who’s with me?