25 Valuable Life Lessons for 2025
The end of the year is a great time for reflection. It’s an opportunity to look back on what you have learned and what lessons you can take with you into the new year. Some life lessons might be brand new as we gain new experiences, while others are important reminders that we all need from time to time.
This will be the fifth year the Eric Golban Blog will list life lessons that you can take into the new year with you. Here are past year’s articles for your convenience:
Without further ado, here are some impactful topics to think about with the new year approaching.
1) Giving > Receiving
You get more by giving than receiving.
Every Thanksgiving, I volunteer with Operation Turkey and deliver food to families who need a Thanksgiving meal. It’s something I genuinely look forward to it every year. I don’t always have the opportunity to volunteer and give back, so it is a great feeling when I do.
The positive feeling and personal satisfaction from giving is extremely powerful. Especially if you are in a position to do so.
So, instead of trying to find what you can do to benefit you, look at what you can do to help others. You’ll find that you end up getting more that way, and you’ll be happier as well.
“Only be giving are you able to receive more than you have.” -Jim Rohn
2) Success requires hard work
One day, I was chatting with the top salesman at my company. He had come from a completely different industry and quickly became the most successful salesperson in a space where he entered knowing essentially nothing. Eager to soak up any knowledge or wisdom he might have to offer, I asked him how he did this. His answer was simple, but it really stuck with me. He said:
“It’s hard work.”
He didn’t fall back backward into being the top guy. He didn’t get lucky. He put in the extra hours, the long nights, the studying and learning … the hard work to achieve this.
If you want to be successful at anything, it’s going to require hard work.
“Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” -Tim Notke
3) You learn more about yourself every year
This probably seems like a no-brainer, but I’m not sure if we appreciate this enough. You know more about yourself now than five years ago. And in five more years, you will know yourself even better.
As you grow, you learn what you like and dislike, the type of person you are, the type of people you want to be surrounded with, and so much more.
This is powerful because once we know who we really are, we can make better decisions, have more confidence, and overall be happier.
If you haven’t yet, take the time to really think about what you know about yourself. You have years of data points that you can apply to figure out what direction you want to take your life in.
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle
4) We’re complex creatures
Life isn’t black and white. It’s beautiful shades of grey, and just for fun has some splatters of pink, purple, yellow and teal – because life doesn’t always make sense.
That’s because we as humans don’t always make sense. We’re not always sure what we want. We contradict ourselves. We aren’t always able to control our emotions. We have days we feel on top of the world, and days we’re down in the dumps. We can have two different reactions to the same situation just depending on our mood. We’re extremely complex, and that’s totally fine.
A frequent reminder of this can help put our minds at ease and not be so hard on ourselves.
“Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple, and the simple thing is the right thing.” -Oscar WIlde
5) Take care of yourself (even when life gets crazy)
This is one lesson I had to learn the hard way this year. All of September and most of October I was traveling nonstop, working hard, and extremely busy. During that time, I got very sick, but due to my busy schedule, I wasn’t able to take the proper time to rest and recover. Because of this, the effects lingered for much longer than they should have, both mentally and physically. One lasting effect is I had a cough that didn’t go away for months. If I had taken better care of myself, I could have gone to the doctor sooner and gotten the medicine I needed. Instead, I kept putting it off for weeks and weeks, dealing with an annoying cough and not giving my body the care or respect it deserves.
Life will always be crazy. And there will be periods where it will be especially crazy. Through all this, it’s crucial to take care of yourself or you won’t be able to deal with the craziness for very long.
“Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live.” -Jimh Rohn
6) Sleep is underrated
One major factor in taking care of your body, and your mind, is sleep. More and more studies are coming out on the benefits of sleep and how crucial it is for us.
Aim to get 7-9 hours of sleep per night. In addition, waking up at the same time every day is a great way to put your body into rhythm and ensure consistency.
Sleep helps us be more cognitive, build more muscle, and overall have a more impactful and enjoyable life. So don’t neglect it, prioritize it.
“Sleep is the best meditation.” -The Dalai Lama
7) Life happens when it’s supposed to
Things don’t always happen when you want them to, but they happen when you need them to.
There are many paths life can take you on, and many times things won’t go the way you planned. This doesn’t mean things won’t work out for you; Quite the opposite, they will work out exactly the way you need them to.
There are many routes to get to your destination. Sometimes it’s a straight line, sometimes it’s a bunch of curves, and sometimes it requires driving the wrong way in reverse for a little bit.
“Things don’t always happen the way we think they will, but I’ve learned that they happen exactly the way they’re supposed to happen.” -James R. Doty
8) Don’t lose appreciation for the necessities
This one is a simple reminder to appreciate what you do have. A roof over your head, food on the table, a loved one next to you.
We never appreciate an unstuffed nose until our nose gets stuffy.
Appreciate everything you do have instead of focusing on what you don’t.
“Don’t take the simple things for granted, for they are often the most precious.” -Unknown
9) You can be better than most people, at most things, with consistency
Just showing up makes all the difference. If you want to learn a new skill, practicing consistently will pay incredible dividends. Even if you are awful at it at first.
Most people, won’t put in the time and effort it takes to become really good at something. They either get discouraged quickly, get too busy, or simply don’t care enough.
So if something is important to you, simply put in a little extra effort to learn it and pretty soon you will be better at it than most people. Even if it’s just 15 minutes a day, that adds up over time!
“To be successful at anything, the truth is you don’t have to be special. You just have to be what most people aren’t: consistent, determined and willing to work for it.” – Tom Brady
10) Your twenties are still young
Getting older is weird. I turned 28 this year, and it’s a strange feeling pushing 30. When I was 15, or 20, or even 25, 28 felt like a lifetime away. Now it’s a reality.
However, we have an issue in our culture where we think getting older is a bad thing, but it’s really not. We should celebrate not just our birthday, but actually the joy of growing older. We are one year wiser. We have another year filled with endless opportunities. In many ways it’s an accomplishment.
As long as we are taking care of our body and mind, the act of aging isn’t a negative thing.
“Aging is not ‘lost youth’ but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” – Betty Friedan
11) Take time to stop and pet your dog
AKA stop to smell the roses.
We get so caught up with the fast-paced, everyday grind of life that often we don’t take the time to stop, relax, and decompress for a second.
Take that extra time. It’ll help you get rid of overwhelm, anxiety, and stress.
Bonus points if you do have a dog and take the time to stop, pet them, and play with them. Because 1) petting dogs has been proven to reduce stress & anxiety and 2) dogs need love too!
“Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” -Ferris Bueller
12) You don’t need motivation
Motivation is temporary. It’s super easy to get motivated about something. You start talking up a new idea with your buddies or dive deep into a new subject that you find fascinating. The thrill is captivating and you’re excited to pursue this idea or skill because of the novice and motivation. However, staying motivated is difficult. Once that motivation passes, you’ll often find yourself disinterested.
You’ll need something else – mainly discipline – to stay consistent once the motivation fades.
I’ve been working out consistently for years. Most of the time I do it, but I am not motivated to do so. I do it because I built up the habits, know it’s good for me, and have acquired the discipline to do so.
Motivation is a great way to start something. But if you rely solely on it, chances are you will not finish anything.
“Don’t worry about motivation. Motivation is fickle. It comes and goes. It is unreliable – and when you are counting on motivation to get your goals accomplished, you will likely fall short.” -Jocko Willink
13) Have a support system
Life is hard. You need people close to you to help you through the tough times and the tough decisions. Having a close few people that you can undeniably trust is a huge help. It allows you to confide in them and gain valuable insight and perspective. They can see things from a point of view that you can’t always see while having your best interests in mind.
“Surround yourself with people who lift you up, not drag you down – that’s the key to a strong support system.” -Anonymous
14) It’s OK to not have it all figured out
The truth is, nobody really does. Fake it till you make it is a real thing, and we’re all trying to figure it out as we go. Once you realize this, it’s very freeing.
“If you had it all figured out today there would be nothing to learn tomorrow. Enjoy being a work in progress.” -Anonymous
15) Don’t be in such a rush
I have been guilty of this many times. Maybe it’s the New Yorker in me. We’ll get so busy that we feel we don’t even have a spare minute to talk to anyone. But that’s almost rarely ever the case.
Take a second to say hello, thank you, and ask how someone else is doing. You don’t need to have a 15-minute conversation with them, but just being kind and polite can go a long way, no matter how busy you think you are.
“No matter how busy you are, you must take time to make the other person feel important.” -Mary Kay Ash
16) Keep moving forward
It’s easy to start to feel complacent with where we are in life. Once we become stagnant and stop trying to learn, grow, and challenge ourselves that’s when we really begin to die. Constantly find new ways to grow and move forward, even if it’s just a baby step a day.
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” -Confucius
17) Have a good skincare routine
This is one I admittedly am still working on, but your future self will thank you for it. You want to be 60 and look 40, not 40 and look 60. Taking care of your body and mind is super important, and your skin is a part of that.
Healthy habits around a solid skincare routine in your 20s and 30s will prepare your skin for aging and allow you to age gracefully.
“Do not hesitate to invest in your skin, it is going to talk for you for a very long time.” -Unknown
18) Be active
It doesn’t matter what you do – just do something to keep yourself active. Just like a good skincare routine, your future self will thank you for it.
Not a fan of running? Try going for long walks or a bike ride.
Don’t like the gym? Join an organized sports league.
Is yoga too boring for you? Try martial arts.
There are endless opportunities to stay active. Find what works for you.
“Once you are exercising regularly, the hardest thing is to stop it.” -Erin Gray
19) Find your community
As humans, we crave social interaction. We have a tribal mentality dating back to our ancestors. Today’s tribes include sharing the same cultures, hobbies, interests, and more. All this gives a sense of a collective identity.
Having your own community is a great way to get rid of the lonely feeling, especially since loneliness rates have spiked since the pandemic.
Some ways to find your community include:
- Through religion
- Organized sports league
- Volunteer work
- Networking events
- Support groups
“Alone, we can do so little; together, we can do so much” – Helen Keller
20) Reach out to the people you care about
Send them that “How are you?” text. Check on them randomly. Let them know you’re thinking about them. Life is short and unpredictable, you don’t want to let a busy life get in the way of the people that are most important to you.
“Life is short but love your loved ones. Love them, kiss them every day because you don’t know what’s going to happen.” -Angelina Pivarnick
21) Don’t judge
You don’t know someone’s story. You don’t know what they went through or what they are going through at that moment. Some people are having bad days, and others have had tough lives. It doesn’t justify their actions, but it does mean we shouldn’t be so judgmental.
Have compassion, understanding, and grace. Try to be kind and make their day just a little bit better.
“There isn’t a person you wouldn’t love if you could read their whole story.” – Marjorie Hinckley.
22) Give others grace
Giving grace is something I’ve heard a lot in 2024. Honestly, I didn’t fully understand the power of grace in the past. Why should you give grace to someone after they wronged you, hurt you, or did something bad? But ultimately, that’s what grace is. Grace is undeserved.
So give it anyway. If not for them, for you. It will make you feel better and when it’s authentic, let any resentment fade away.
“The greatest gift you can give someone is the gift of forgiveness, which is essentially giving them grace.” -Anonymous
23) Give yourself grace
Continuing the theme, give yourself grace as well. We as humans will make mistakes, mess up, and even do things that we are ashamed of. We will not always succeed or live up to our own expectations. Still, give yourself grace. It doesn’t mean forgetting about these things. We can still learn and grow from them. But if we really want to grow from them, we will have to give ourselves grace eventually. Remember, grace is undeserved. Sometimes we won’t feel like we deserve forgiveness, empathy, or compassion for what we did, especially when we are tough on ourselves. But that’s where grace comes in. Give it to yourself anyway, because even though it’s undeserved, you need it.
“Grace, like water, flows to the lowest part.” -Philip Yancey
24) Let others help you
Asking for help can be challenging. We don’t want to seem like a burden to others. Additionally, we want to seem capable and be able to do everything on our own. However, it’s important to get rid of these preconceived notions.
There are people in your life that want to help you. And there is nothing wrong with accepting their help. In fact, doing so can strengthen your bond. Not to mention, it will make your life a whole lot easier and reduce stress.
So, even though it may be difficult at first, accept someone’s help when they offer it to you. It can start off with something small such as letting someone make a cup of coffee for you.
If they are offering, they want to help. Don’t deprive them of that joy.
“Accepting help is its own kind of strength.” -Kiera Cass
25) You only live once, so try new things
If somebody invites you somewhere, don’t overthink it. Just go.
Book that vacation. Go skydiving, bungee jumping, swim with sharks.
For those of us who are less adventurous, try going to a new restaurant or even taking a new route home from work.
It doesn’t matter how big or small it is, just try something new! You have no idea how much you might enjoy it, and how much it might help you grow.
Just try new things. Don’t be afraid. Step out of your comfort zone and soar, all right? -Michelle Obama
Happy holidays and have a great new year!
