“2025 isnât just around the cornerâitâs pounding on the door, asking if youâre ready to step up or step aside. The question is, are you prepared to kick open the doors to opportunity, seize whatâs yours, and build a future youâre proud of? If youâre done waiting on the sidelines, this is your moment to take charge. Let’s get to work!”
Alright, folks, here we areâ2024 is packing its bags and getting ready to check out, and 2025 is about to stomp right through the door like Cousin Eddie showing up for Christmas dinner. This is the time when we all get a little reflective, right? And, as I think back on all my dadâs wise words (and trust me, the guy could drop a metaphor like nobodyâs business), I canât help but hear him talking about life being a hallway full of doors. But today, weâre going deeperâlike two floors deeper on an elevator left wide open.
Look, Iâve lived a bitâIâve opened some great doors, found a few locked, and even face-planted into a couple. But hereâs the deal. The doors donât open themselves. Nope. You have to show up every single day and turn those handles. And trust me, sometimes you hit a dud door. You open it, step in, and find yourself in a room full of people who make you feel like youâre at a dentistâs officeâwhy are we even here? The question is, do you sit in that uncomfy chair waiting for something to change, or do you walk back out and find the door that takes you where you ACTUALLY want to go?
See, the biggest mistake we make is thinking those doors owe us something. Spoiler alertâthey donât. What they do respond to is effort, determination, and a whole lot of hustle. You know what keeps those doors open? The work. The grind. The choices you make every. Single. Day. You canât just sit back, binge-watch Netflix, and expect opportunity to knock while youâre elbow-deep in a bag of Doritos. Success doesnât do pop-ins, my friendâyou have to send the invitation!
Now, quick pause for some real talk. How deliberate were you with your time in 2024? Did you shut the door on distractions, wasted energy, and people who just arenât on your team? Or did you cozy up in a room you knew wasnât right but stayed because it was “comfortableâ? You know the one⌠the job that sucks, the friendship that drains, or the relationship that feels like eating a soggy sandwich day in and day out. And listen, if you just winced because this hit too close to home, GOOD. It means youâve got steps to take. Open that door, walk through, and donât look back.
But wait, before you roll your eyes thinking Iâm just preaching here, Iâve been there. Heck, Iâve parked myself in a few bad âroomsâ longer than I care to admit. But hereâs what Iâve learned, and listen close because this is goldâif you linger too long in the wrong room, all those other doors in your hallway start closing. And theyâre not just closing; theyâre slamming so hard you feel it in your teeth. A bad choice today can ripple through your hallway for YEARS.
And yet, thereâs good news. The beauty of life is that itâs not over until itâs over. If a door closes, another WILL open. But youâve got to be scanning that hallway with intention, not wandering around like you canât find the light switch. Are you removing temptation from your life? Cutting loose the people who donât build you up? Are you setting yourself up to win, or are you hoping someone will just hand you the keys?
Now, before we gear up for 2025, I want you to think about something. The worldâs most successful peopleâtheyâre not winging it. Oh no, theyâre out there attacking those hallways like theyâre in an action movie. Theyâre running full speed, kicking down doors when needed, and they sure as heck arenât crying over the ones that closed. Compare that to our average Tuesdayâare we even in the same hallway, or are we stuck in the janitor’s closet? Be honest here.
Look, Iâm fired up because I believe in you. I believe youâve got what it takes to own your hallway. I know 2024 was a mixed bagâit was for all of us. Some doors opened; some slammed shut. Some dragged us into rooms we shouldnât have stayed in. But hereâs the kicker⌠YOU can decide what 2025 looks like. Youâve got the keys, my friend.
Hereâs my challenge as we wave goodbye to the old year and throw open the doors to the new one (yes, pun totally intended):
- Reflect on your hallway. What worked? What didnât? What doors did you open, and what doors slammed shut because of choices you made?
- Decide what kind of year 2025 is going to be. What do you want at the end of next yearâmore open doors, or a hallway of regrets?
- Act with intention. Every day. Donât coast. Stop waiting for success to happen and start building it. Close the door on bad habits, negativity, and unfulfilling people or situations. Focus on moving forward, every single day.
One last thingâremember, lifeâs doors will surprise you. Some open when you least expect it. Some close when you think theyâre going to stay open forever. The hallway can be unpredictable, but the energy and mindset you bring to it? Thatâs all you, baby.
Hereâs to 2025âthe year we kick down the right doors, leave the wrong ones behind, and walk boldly into every room that pushes us toward our best selves. Go get it, and Keep Shining while you’re getting it!