Questions, Not Resolutions This Year
BONA | 007
BONA, derived from the Zulu greeting to a multitude of people, 'Sanibona' - directly translated as 'we see you' - forms the premise of this publication, by Tebo Mpanza
A new year is a leveller for us all. It carries the lessons, the scars, and the victories of the previous year, but also the quiet hope of something new. I’ve got some quiet hopes — huge ones, actually. But this year, I don’t want to make lists or set goals. I know what I need to do. I always know, and so do you. What I want instead is to focus on questions — questions that might shape my choices, challenge my comfort zones, and remind me of what matters most.
Will this year be more about what I do or who I am? That’s the first question I’m sitting with. The beauty of starting again is the chance to decide: will I approach this year with openness, vulnerability, and curiosity, or will I let last year’s disappointments — my missed fitness goals, business goals, spiritual practices — shape me into someone closed off and cautious?
How will I treat people this year? Will I show patience and grace, especially with those I think are wasting their potential? I get frustrated when I see people sitting on their gifting because they’re scared. But perhaps I should mind my own business — it’s not like I’ve cracked it, whatever ‘it’ is. Life is hard, complex, and unpredictable. Will I trust again? Give again? Will I let my guard down?
What will frustrate me this year? Will I wrestle with how long things take (always the bane of my existence), or will I learn to chill more? Will I hold people and opportunities lightly, understanding that everyone is playing their own game? How will I navigate setbacks — by shutting down, or by seeing them as opportunities? I want to mature in how I respond to challenges, to listen and understand rather than reacting for the sake of being ‘right.’
How will I stretch myself this year — physically, mentally, creatively? I want to be at my best — not just for me, but for my family. There’s something about becoming a father that has made me even more intentional. I was interviewing Laura, founder of the Jewellery Brand, Laura Vann, recently, and she talked about how motherhood had scaled her ambitions. I asked Keith last week (we became new fathers 5 days apart): Does something dramatic have to happen for us to become who we’re called to be? Has becoming fathers not done it? Or are we still succumbing to our trauma?
What will my priorities be? My faith, my family, and the future — those feel clear. Will I deepen my faith, not letting it run on autopilot but building it with intention in the fast-paced context I live in? Will I show up consistently for my family — not with grand gestures, but in the small things? And how will I build for the future — personally, professionally, and spiritually?
I’m not looking for quick answers. These questions are about setting the tone for how I want this year to unfold — with intention, curiosity, and grace for myself and for others. Quiet hopes, not loud resolutions, will guide me forward in 2025.
What are you asking yourself this year?
Happy New Year.
What I listened to over the Christmas break:
Dante Bowe: The Break Is Over |🎙️Mavericks on the Mic (interesting BTS)
What I’m reading to start the year:
Buy Back Your Time - Dan Martell (keen to understand what some know about the value of time)
Write Dumb - James Dowd (keen to improve my writing)
Some pics from the holidays (London, Birmingham & Sheffield):
