Tired of New Year’s Resolutions? Try a Weekly Ritual Instead
Five rituals to keep in 2025 + my most anticipated books of the year.
Hi and Happy New Year! I’m a Capricorn, and we’re known for being ambitious overachievers. Yet here are two things I’m not a fan of: the first Sunday before the beginning of the January work and school week (it’s the king of the Sunday Scaries) and New Year’s resolutions.
Let’s face it: Resolutions are rarely kept, let alone remembered by February. So instead of a yearly resolution, try a weekly ritual. Not only do they require much less time and effort, they’re also much more rewarding. Some of these I’ve kept for years, and some I’ll be trying this first time this year. By the time I reach the final day of December 2025, I know I’ll have a unique record of the past year.
At the end of every week, try one (or more) of the following:
Write down a weekly personal highlight.
If you know about “roses” and “thorns,” then I’m simply suggesting that at the end of the week, write down your “rose”—a moment of happiness, gratitude or pride. By year’s end, you’d have 52 positive moments to remember and celebrate.
Write down the best sentence you read while reading.
I’m an outlier in that I don’t underline or mark up my books, even when a particularly noteworthy sentence lingers in my brain. Inspired by
’s newsletter entry about the most beautiful sentences she read in 2024, I love the idea of keeping a list of standout sentences from a year’s worth of reading.Choose a song of the week.
Every Saturday, I note a song that that represented the past seven days for me, whether it is discovering a new song or having it accompany a particular time or experience. At year’s end, you can put all 52 songs into a playlist, giving you a personal snapshot of the past twelve months. (For example, I shared my playlist for 2023 here.)
Choose a word to define the week.
Unlike the rest of the items on this list, the ritual would take place at the beginning of each week. Last year, my husband and I started a ritual of choosing a word for the week based on our goals or what was on our minds. And then when something positive happened, I’d chant the chosen word to hype us both up. It has been a silly and fun way to approach goal setting for the week.
Send a note of appreciation to a friend, loved one or someone you admire.
Bring a bit of sunlight to another person’s life by sending them a note of thanks or appreciation. I find that doing so is the quickest path to happiness, because in expressing admiration for someone else, you give yourself a serotonin boost that lasts much longer than any kind of external validation. When you tally your list of accomplishments at year’s end, among them will be the fact you lifted a lot of people’s spirits.
My Most Anticipated Books of 2025
One bright spot of 2025 is that this year will mark publishing my third book in five years. 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽📚📚📚
The Other Lata will be out April 1 (a very significant date to me), and I’m pleased that Lata has received some very kind blurbs, including this one from Kirstin Chen, the New York Times bestselling author of Counterfeit:
“As lively and refreshing as a chilled glass of champagne, The Other Lata is a sharp, surprising exploration of identity, class, and what it means to truly belong. Kirthana Ramisetti has done it again!”
But there are so many incredible books coming out in 2025, and here are some I’m looking forward to1:
Death of the Author, by Nnedi Okorafor (January 14): I can never resist a metafictional novel, especially one that “blends the line between writing and being written”
(February 4): Already a fan of the Keep It podcast, so I know I’ll gobble up this collection of pop culture essays (March 11): A delightful, slow-burn YA romcom set during HoliGoddess Complex, by
(March 11): A novel that tackles reproductive choices, fertility and identity, and said to have an incredible twistAudition, by Katie Kitamura (April 8): To be honest, I’ve heard that the less you know going in the better, but it’s supposed to be amazing
The Last Session*, by
(April 1): A thrilling page-turner set at a mysterious New Mexico wellness retreatThe Guilt Pill*, by Saumya Dave (April 15): A smart and suspenseful examination of motherhood, ambition and guilt
(June 10): A magical murder mystery that invites the reader to solve riddles along with the charactersMaggie; Or, a Man and Woman Walk into a Bar, by Katie Yee (July 22): Intriguing title + fascinating premise: A woman names her tumor after her husband’s mistress***
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Any other 2025 reading recs, please let me know! Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful week.
My books | My Instagram | My other Substack, Ministry of Pop Culture
The asterisks indicate books I have read and blurbed.
Love this, and thank you!! So happy we have the same book birthday this year 🥳😁
Thank you for the shoutout! I like your suggestions <3