25 Things I Learned in 2025

I know we are seeing everyone posting 2025 recaps, but I think reflecting on the past 365 days is important for growth. Looking back and taking inventory and what went well and what was hard…what worked and what did not.

Personally, it was a year of adventure and travel for our family, but also had its challenges. We went skiing in Sun Valley, took the girls to Disneyland for the first time, and snuck away to Mexico for a wedding. I went on a handful of girls trips: Heather and I went to Scottsdale, I met a friend in Austin and stayed at Miraval for the first time, and took a trip to the Bay Area to see some dear friends. I celebrated 25 years since being the first national champions of my soccer club growing up in Orange County and saw so many teammates and families I haven’t seen in YEARS. Over the summer we stayed local and filled our days at the pool, on the boat, on the soccer field, and/or pickleball court.

Those were the highlights. In between, we were navigating some big challenges. I took the summer off social media to really focus on spending quality time with the girls and be present with the family. It was such a necessary break from social media and sometimes miss being more disconnected from all the noise.

One personal accomplishment I’m most proud of is finally getting my private practice started up again. This has been on my vision board for years and the right opportunity finally presented itself and it felt like the perfect time to jump back in. Before having Quinn, I had a very successful practice in the bay area and it was sad to leave that behind when we moved to Seattle 9 years ago. Things have changed significantly since I had a practice almost a decade ago, so it’s been a learning curve getting up to speed on the technology side of running a practice these days. I’m not the most tech savvy, but this millennial mom is trying her best 😉

Here are 25 things I learned in 2025:

1. If not now, when? There is never a perfect time to start something you’ve been dreaming about.
2. It’s important to find something that fills your cup outside of family and work life. Pickleball continues to give me a fun, yet competitive outlet. It’s something I can continue to work at getting better at and see my progress.
3. Make time to stay in touch with friends. Life is busy for everyone, but if you’re thinking about someone send them a quick text. I also love sending friends cute cards out of the blue. Social connection is critical for mental and physical health.
4. Take social media breaks, control your social media algorithm, mute/unfollow accounts that don’t positively impact you. When I came back to social media after 2.5 months off, on my personal account I either unfollowed or muted SO many accounts. I really curated an algorithm of what I want to see on social media.
5. Experiences over possessions. As I get older I want less. I’m constantly decluttering and grossed out by excess. With the girls we are trying to give them more experiences or bigger ticket items than more “stuff” none of us really need.
6. An audible book is still reading! However, reading a real book is so good for your brain and it also helps me fall asleep, so I always read a few chapters of a physical book before bed too 😉
7. You don’t have to jump on every influencer wellness trend. Save your money and invest on things that will actually move the dial.
8. You don’t have to drink to fit in socially. Alcohol does nothing for me anymore and I’ve become confident in ordering a diet coke or club soda and lime when out. If someone has a problem with you not drinking with them, then they are the one with the problem- not you.
9. Rest days, mobility work, and stretching isn’t optional it’s necessary for longevity and injury prevention.
10. It’s never too late to make new friends. I’ve made some really great friends since moving to Gig Harbor and know we will be close friends and family friends for a long time.
11. JOMO (joy of missing out). I’m a homebody and honestly feel very little fear of missing out when I see things on social media or hear of other’s plans that did not include me. Jealousy isn’t cute.
12. Be your friends biggest cheerleader. Encourage your besties to be their best self, be excited for their wins, build them up, and cheer them on.
13. In the same vein, cut out the friends/acquaintances that don’t reciprocate. It’s never too late to make new friends, and it’s also OK to let go of old friendships that no longer serve you.
14. Doing less is OK. This holiday season we did not do all the things. It just felt overwhelming for me and I focused on the basics with the family. Yes, I felt some mom guilt seeing what others were doing on social media, but my kids were happy and that’s what matters.
15. Prioritize meal planning and prepping. When I have nutritious foods ready to go for meals and snacks it makes the week run so much smoother and I feel the difference physically.
16. No fasted workouts. I think this is the first full year I had more than just coffee before my early morning workouts. I wasn’t trying to workout fasted, I just didn’t prioritize eating before when it’s so early. It makes the biggest difference on my workout intensity, recovery, hormone balance, energy levels, etc.
17. Strength > Shrinking. I have always been muscular because of soccer and as I age I’m so thankful for my strength. I used to be embarrassed. Having lean muscle mass is so protective as we age and I know I wouldn’t be able to do all the things I do if I didn’t maintain my strength by lifting weights consistently 3+ x week. I’m lucky I was introduced to a weight room in college, but it’s never too late to pick up weights and gain strength.
18. The grass is not greener on the other side. I’ve stopped (it’s always a work in progress) comparing my life to others…thinking about what I don’t have, what I need, etc. My life is so full and when you put the time and energy into nurturing what you have it’s pretty damn green over here.
19. Getting ready for the day improves how I feel during the day. I’ve made an effort to get out of my workout clothes and put on real clothes during the day. If I actually put on jeans and a sweater and pull myself together it really does improve my mood and energy.
20. Less impulse purchases. It’s so easy to impulse buy trendy stuff online and forget about it a month later. I’ve started putting things in my cart and waiting a bit. I’ll go back and view my cart and half of the time I’m so thankful I didn’t purchase it. I realize it was not a NEED but a WANT in the moment…the moment passed and now when I see it it’s a MEH!
21. Buy yourself flowers. My husband is good about buying me flowers here and there and special occasions, but I love having fresh flowers in the house. Go to Trader Joes (the only affordable place to get weekly flowers) and make yourself a pretty bouquet to look at all week. It really is a mood lifter.
22. Play a family card game after dinner. If we have time after dinner (mostly only on weekends with sports) the kids love playing Uno or War after dinner. We set our plates in the sink and sit around and play 1-2 rounds of whatever game they choose. It’s something that really helps us connect, makes us laugh and have fun together.
23. Ask for help. I’ve learned to lean on my husband and friends when stuff feels hard. I ask my husband for help more around the house and lean on my friends for support with hard stuff. It’s so much more manageable when you have a team around you.
24. Do the little things that bring you joy. Get the fun coffee while running errands, meet a friend for a walk and yap, get a pedicure and read a book, schedule a girls brunch, go to the pilates class…make time for the fun stuff.
25. Do what makes you happy. I’ll be 42 this year and while I know that is still young..it’s scary how fast time is moving. I used to think “when my kids are this age then we can do this” or “once I have this then I’ll feel this way”…what a waste of time. Make the life you want and enjoy it.

Happy New Year. Let’s make 2026 one to remember!

xx, A