2025 New Year’s resolutions: Ring in the New Year with Ooma
 | November 10, 2024 | 3 min read |
Key Points
Ideas to make the most of your new year:
- Call parents more often
- Practice active listening
- Take breaks from smartphones and live in the moment
- Spend more time outdoors and explore nature
- Reach out to old friends
- Create a sense of comfort and joy
- Cancel traditional cable or satellite TV service
- Take care of yourself
While 2025 sounds like it should be light years off, it’s just a blink away. You know what that means: New Year’s resolutions.
It can be a lot to think up of goals you won’t abandon six months from now, so here are some resolutions to inspire you.
Call your parents!
This is something most of us could probably do more often. After all, what parent doesn’t love hearing from their sweet, lovable child (you!)? Anytime is the right time to catch up, share a funny story, ask for a little advice, or even share some—like how to avoid phone scams.
Listen.
Communication is a core life skill, and we can always benefit from learning how to communicate better with friends, family, lovers, colleagues and even strangers. Start by practicing active listening. Rather than planning on what you’re going to say next while someone is speaking, fully take in and acknowledge what they are saying first. Then take a moment to think about how to respond.
Disconnect.
Take a break from your smartphone. A constant barrage of notifications is mentally draining. It’s OK to unplug your smartphone every once in a while and live in the moment. Want some tips for a digital detox? Don’t worry—if someone really needs to get in touch with you, they can leave a message or call your home phone.
Go outside.
Why don’t we all resolve to go outside a little more? There are great hikes, trails, parks and natural wonders all around us just waiting to be explored. Breathe in that fresh air, listen to the birds and enjoy nature at its most beautiful.
Reach out to old friends.
When was the last time you spoke to your college roommate or your favorite aunt? We all have the best intentions of connecting with those we share fond memories, but life gets busy over the holidays. Don’t wait for that milestone birthday or anniversary. Pick up the phone and give that special someone a call to see how they’re doing and let them know you’re thinking about them.
Create some hygge.
Hygge, a Norwegian word pronounced “hue-gah” (rhymes with tuba), is that warm feeling you get when you’re happy and content. While winter is the typical season to promote comfort and joy, there’s nothing stopping us from embracing hygge throughout the year. For example, to make movie night special, light a scented candle, dim the lights, and sink into a comfy sofa with a friend and a big bowl of popcorn. For some phone-centric movie ideas, check out these posts:
- The best phones in ’80s movies
- Celebrating Mother’s Day with the 6 best calls to Mom in the movies
- 8 best calls to Dad in the movies to celebrate Father’s Day
- 6 movies where a VoIP phone would have changed the plot
- Pick up on some of the scariest phone calls in movies
Cancel your cable.
Speaking of movies, if you still have traditional cable or satellite TV service, now is a good time to cut the cord and stream your entertainment. Have you seen how much good stuff is coming out in 2025 on streaming services? From the “White Lotus” season 3 on HBO and Max to “Stranger Things” season 5 on Netflix to Amazon Prime Video’s “Blade Runner 2099,” there is a lot to look forward to.
I know it sounds scary to cut your cable, especially if it’s part of a bundle, but we have a guide to help calm any fears.
Take care of yourself.
Last, but certainly not least, pamper yourself. You deserve to carve out time to recharge your batteries. This is vital for all of us, but especially those who are responsible for caring for others. By the way, the Ooma Senior Phone Bundle removes some of the stress of caring for aging parents who live independently, but I digress.
In a nutshell, find joy in the little moments and be sure to treat yourself like the amazing treasure you are.
Resolve to make 2025 your best year ever!
Jim Gustke, vice president of marketing at Ooma, has a wealth of experience at the intersection of consumer and technology marketing. As vice president of marketing for Intuit, he helped lead the reinvention of Quicken and launch the first SaaS version of the popular personal finance software. Prior to Intuit, he was responsible for business unit management, global branding and product marketing at Lexar Media, helping grow the flash memory company to over $850 million before its acquisition by Micron Technology. He also served as the founding vice president of marketing for Ofoto, an online photography service, acquired by Eastman Kodak in 2001. A pioneer in internet marketing, he joined America Online in 1996 as the marketing leader for GNN, the company’s first Internet Service Provider, and in 1995, as a marketing manager at Polaroid Corporation, he led the team that launched the company’s first corporate website.
