I recently came across a challenge online that suggested a different approach to the typical list of New Year’s resolutions. Instead of creating a long checklist of goals — which often feels overwhelming or forgotten by February — the idea is to pick a single word for the year. One word that serves as your anchor, your guide, and your grounding point as the months unfold.
It’s a simple but powerful concept: one word that encapsulates the energy you want to carry into the year. After reflecting on what I need most, the word I chose for 2025 is Restoration.
Why I Chose Restoration
For a long time, the default in our society has been to replace, renovate, or expand — always chasing something new instead of nurturing what already exists. Whether it’s our homes, our health, or our relationships, we’re often encouraged to start fresh rather than appreciate and honor the beauty of what’s already here.
I confess, as an ambitious, action-oriented person, I too have fallen into the trap of constantly looking to the future — focusing on the gaps between where I am and where I think I want to be. However, when reflecting on my word for this year, I’ll admit — a part of me wanted to choose something familiar, like Adventure! But as I sat with myself and considered my true needs, the word Restoration emerged.
The Difference Between Restoration and Renovation
To me, restoration is fundamentally different from renovation or replacement. Restoration is about honoring the essence of something. When you restore an old house, you preserve its character. You don’t gut it and modernize it into something unrecognizable. You appreciate the original craftsmanship, the patina of its history, and the details that tell its story. Restoration says: This has worth, even in its imperfect state.
It reminded me of the Japanese art of kintsugi, where broken pottery is repaired with gold. Rather than hiding the cracks, kintsugi celebrates them as part of the object’s story, making it even more beautiful in its repaired state. Restoration, like kintsugi, invites us to see imperfections not as flaws, but as markers of resilience and history.
In contrast, renovation or replacement often strips something of its identity in the name of progress. In a fast-paced, capitalist culture, there’s often pressure to gut what doesn’t work, buy something new, or chase after the latest version — whether it’s a home, a lifestyle, or even a relationship. The message is: Why bother fixing or restoring when you can just start over?
But I think we lose something important when we abandon restoration. We lose connection to our history, our roots, and the richness of what we’ve already built. Restoration requires patience, effort, and an ability to see potential where others see decay. And I think that effort — the doing the work to bring life back to something — is what makes it so rewarding.
Why Now?
To be honest, 2024 felt like a whirlwind — a year where everything seemed to speed up, leaving me constantly behind and unsure of how I got there. Does that resonate with you? Sometimes, life moves so fast that it’s easy to expand your responsibilities and goals without realizing how overwhelming they’ve become. It’s like adding to a to-do list that never ends, leaving you feeling perpetually behind.
That’s why this year, I’m choosing restoration.
This feels like a year to slow down. To take stock. To focus on what matters. There’s a movement I’ve seen called “No-Buy 2025,” where people commit to avoiding unnecessary purchases for an entire year. While I’m not committing to that, I resonate with the spirit of it. What happens when we stop chasing more and start cherishing what we already have? What kind of beauty might we discover in the lives we’ve already built?
For me, restoration isn’t about rejecting growth or change — it’s about shifting the focus. Instead of always looking ahead, I want to look around. Instead of asking, “What’s next?” I want to ask, “What do I already have, and how can I bring it back to life?”
Restoration in Health, Home, and Relationships
This theme of restoration applies to so many areas of life, especially in a society that prioritizes constant growth and consumption.
Health
Rather than overhauling my habits or chasing the next wellness trend, this year I want to focus on restoring my body and mind to a state of balance. Not through extreme diets or exhaustive routines, but through gentleness — restoring energy, sleep, and the joy of movement. Restoration reminds me that I don’t need to reinvent myself; I just need to care for the version of me that already exists.
Home
In a world where the pressure is to upgrade, expand, or redecorate, restoration asks: What can I do with what I already have? This year, I’m focusing on appreciating the spaces I already live in, finding beauty in small improvements, and breathing new life into the things I’ve neglected. Maybe it’s restoring an old piece of furniture, deep-cleaning a space to make it feel new, or simply rearranging things to see them in a fresh light.
Relationships
This is where restoration feels the most profound. In relationships, there’s so often an emphasis on replacing — if something isn’t working, just move on. But restoration asks us to slow down and put in the effort to reconnect, repair, and nurture the bonds we already have. It’s about looking at the foundations and asking: What can we build back together? Rather than giving up, restoration is the choice to work through the hard stuff because you see the beauty in what you’ve created together.
The Bigger Picture: Why Restoration Matters
Restoration can feel like hard work. And in a society where the message often is, “Why put in all that effort? Just replace it — it’ll be here in two days with Amazon Prime,” it’s easy to fall into the habit of discarding and starting over. Why bother restoring something when replacing it feels faster, easier, and shinier?
But restoration challenges us to slow down. It asks us to invest effort into the things that truly matter, the things that hold meaning. That’s not to say everything is worth restoring — sometimes, the answer is to let go. Restoration is also an opportunity for a gut check: If you don’t feel moved to restore something, does it really have a place in your life?
For example, are you holding on to things you’ve already emotionally checked out of — maintaining them out of obligation or fear of letting go? Maybe it’s time to donate or pass them on to someone who might find value in them. Not everything is meant to be restored, and that’s okay.
But when you choose to restore something — when you take the time to repair what’s broken, nurture what feels neglected, or bring life back to something you’ve loved — it becomes an act of care, commitment, and meaning. Restoration isn’t just about fixing; it’s about choosing what deserves your time, attention, and love.
My Hope for 2025
My hope is that this year will feel like a deep breath. A year where I slow down and allow things to bloom naturally. A year where I don’t hustle or overextend, but instead nurture, repair, and restore what’s already in my life. Restoration is my way of saying: This is enough. I am enough.
If this resonates with you, I’d love to hear: What in your life could you restore this year? A relationship, a part of your home, your health, or even your own sense of self? Let’s see what happens when we put in the effort to care for what we already have.
With Love,
Kristal DeSantis, M.A., LMFT, CCTP, CSTIP
Psychotherapist & Author | STRONG: A Relationship Field Guide for the Modern ManSchedule a call: https://calendly.com/kristal-desantisPractice Website: www.austinstrongrbc.comBook Website: www.strong.loveInstagram @atxtherapisthttps://linktr.ee/atxtherapist
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