Looking Back at My 2025

My journal entry for December 31, 2025 starts with this lone sentence:

"Last day of 2025: such an odd year it’s been.

That pretty much sums it up on so many fronts. There, end of blog post. Okay, not really. 😉

How My Intentions Went

My two main intentions for 2025 were the following:

• Go Slow: take the time to do the things that matter the right way.
• Keep It Simple: keep it as simple as possible (whatever “it” may be).

While I’m not certain how much I slowed down, thinking back, there was definitely a noticeable shift. I didn’t slow down just for the sake of slowing down though—I made it a point to be intentional and thorough with various areas of my life. I had to remind myself multiple times throughout the year that going slow will result in better results. Because they did. The times I was feeling stressed and rushed, when I slowed down or left the "thing" for the next day, the solution or result came to me faster and better had I just pushed through. This isn’t surprising given that it’s been proven; it’s just difficult to remind ourselves to actually slow down.

As for keeping it simple, this was way more obvious throughout the year. A lot of it was practical in nature, such as getting rid of stuff I don’t use anymore, ditching apps that no longer serve me, streamlining processes and systems, and trying to not add more unnecessary crap in my life. Keeping things simple has given me more clarity and has allowed me to focus more on what’s important and what matters most.

Everything Else

• I wrote at the beginning of 2025 that 2024 was the worst year ever for my business. Well, apparently 2025 saw that as a challenge and said, "Hold my beer." While I was absolutely more proactive with sales and marketing (yay), I think the year as a whole for most people was tough (boo). I spoke to a few people during 2025 and, at least in our industry, it was a rough year.
• I started to spread myself thin again but was able to reign myself in, thanks in large part to reminding myself to keep things simple. That allowed me to think about what I really wanted to focus on. So I ditched side projects altogether.
• I had surgery in early April that, although it went really well, it limited my activity greatly for two to three months. Those months were tough. Thankfully I was able to get back to walking daily and going to the gym which helped in ways I can’t fully describe.
• Unlike 2024, I wasn’t so hard on myself in 2025. Sure, I had my moments, but I was able to talk myself out of being a jerk most of the time.
• And then there’s all the stuff going on in the world and especially in the US. I won’t go into details but as an immigrant and an out member of the LGBTQ+ community, 2025 required a much more delicate balancing act of staying informed and staying sane.

What’s In Store for Me in 2026

I’m cautiously excited for 2026. I have a plan to give my business a much-needed boost while keeping my existing client roster happy with the work I provide them. On a personal level, I think my intentions for 2025 are now more of a mantra or core values: go slow and keep it simple.

Here’s to a good 2026, whatever that may look like for you. ✌️ 😎