Every year, as long as I can remember, I choose a word to guide me.

Not a resolution. Not a rigid goal. Just a word. Something to return to when life feels loud, fast, or overwhelming.

For 2025, my word was Soften.
Ease. Grace. Intentionality.

And I’m happy to report back: I did, in fact, soften.

I loosened my grip. I planned less. I said yes more freely and no when I needed to. I gave myself more grace than ever before. I stopped forcing timelines and started trusting flow. Somewhere along the way, I became a little more Type B… and a lot more at peace.

This year wasn’t about doing more or proving anything. It was about allowing life to meet me where I was. About letting moments unfold instead of managing every detail. And somehow, even with less planning, less pressure, and fewer expectations, I still had one of the most full, meaningful years.

As I look back on 2025, I see a year shaped by softness through lessons learned, moments that shifted me, and experiences that weren’t on my bingo card but ended up changing me anyway.

This reflection is my attempt to capture that: the lessons, the surprises, and the quiet becoming that happened when I chose ease over control.

25 lessons from 2025:

1. Girls nights are medicine.
   Never underestimate the healing power of laughter and connection with the girls.
2. Tend to your own garden.
   Everyone is in a different season of life. Don’t let comparison distract you from your growth.
3. Let them. Let me.
   Release what you can’t control and refocus on your own happiness.
4. Life gives you what you need, not always what you want.
   You receive what you need when you’re ready, even if it doesn’t look how you expected or hoped.
5. Your emotions are information.
   When you slow down and listen, your body will tell you when something is off or deeply right.
6. Love isn’t only romantic.
   It’s friendship, self-trust, community, kindness, and the small moments that make life feel full.
7. Stay open, you never know who you’ll meet.
   Some of the most meaningful connections arrive unexpectedly.
8. Rest is necessary.
   Slowing down is essential for clarity, regulation, and longevity. Rest before the burnout, not after.
9. New experiences create new perspectives.
   Say yes to new places, new things, and spontaneous adventures.
10. Choose experiences over things.
    Music, travel, and shared moments outlast anything you can buy.
11. Who you surround yourself with matters.
    Spend time with expanders, supporters, and people who believe in your growth.
12. It’s never too late to pivot.
    You can change careers, dreams, paths, or versions of yourself at any time.
13. At the end of the day, you always have yourself.
    Everything else is secondary to your relationship with you. Show up for yourself.
14. You are not responsible for others’ happiness.
    You don’t have to fix, carry, or absorb what isn’t yours. Boundaries matter.
15. Someone is always watching.
    Keep showing up and staying real, it matters more than you know.
16. Balance is something you create, not something you find.
    It takes intention, boundaries, and regular recalibration.
17. Slow down before life forces you to.
    Notice the signs early and listen before you’re forced to pause.
18. What’s falling apart is often making space.
    Endings clear room for what’s meant to stay and make room for what hasn’t arrived yet.
19. Sometimes all you need is a hug.
    Not advice. Not fixing. Just presence and being held as you are.
20. Work friends matter.
    They make the everyday lighter, more human, and more fun.
21. Give yourself grace when starting something new.
    Progress may feel slow, but growth is happening beneath the surface.
22. Quality over quantity, always.
    This applies to friendships, food, clothes, workouts, experiences, and commitments.
23. Lead with grace.
    Be the bigger person, leave people better than you found them, and remember you never know what someone is carrying.
24. You can reinvent yourself as often as you need.
    You’re not stuck. Try, evolve, release, repeat.
25. Relationships are built one conversation at a time. Mentorship, networking, and friendship all begin the same way: showing up as yourself, asking questions, and being genuinely interested in others.

Things that were not on bingo card:

1. A new job opportunity that practically fell in my lap (with the help of networking)
2. Hosting + co-hosting multiple community events (more of this in 2026!)
3. Becoming a rave girl (I went to 10+… so fun!)
4. Speaking on two panels (and actually enjoying it)
5. Landing social media clients outside of my 9–5
6. Getting a new car (because the last one got totaled)
7. Friendship shifts + unexpected new friends
8. Dog sitting 14 dogs (it’s my side personality now)
9. Making a group of friends at my apartment (college roommate vibes)
10. Work friends becoming real-life friends
11. Becoming known for journal prompts + self-reflection
12. Hitting 1,000+ followers on TikTok + Instagram
13. Trips to Costa Rica, San Diego, Wisconsin Dells, Eau Claire, the UP, London & Oxford
14. Being a podcast guest on Deep Talk
15. A 26th birthday surprise (I feel so loved)
16. Joining a board as an ambassador helping connect professionals across the Twin Cities
17. Tapping into tools like Human Design, astrology, and intuitive tarot to better understand myself, my gifts, and how I’m meant to move through the world
18. One very educational situationship (a good reminder that my heart still works!)

Top 10 Moments That Changed Me:

1. Two Friends Concert – what unexpectedly sparked my love for raves, joy, music, movement, and being fully in the moment.
2. Cost Rica Retreat – A reset for my nervous system. Space to slow down, reconnect with myself, and remember what it feels like to be grounded and present.
3. Co-Facilitating a Circle – The first time I led journaling prompts in a group setting. A new gift unlocked. Holding space and guiding reflection felt natural and right.
4. Social Media for The Dot – Reawakening a creative outlet I didn’t realize how much I missed. This brought me back to storytelling, creativity, and using my voice again.
5. Situationship – A reminder that my heart is open and capable of love again after a long-term relationship, even when it’s messy, confusing, and unfinished.
6. Getting My Car Totaled – A true breaking point after already feeling like I had crashed out. A wake-up call about slowing down, rebuilding stability, and the importance of having a safety net.
7. Bubbles & Bouquets Party – A true breaking point after already feeling like I had crashed out. A wake-up call about slowing down, rebuilding stability, and the importance of having a safety net.
8. Solo Concert – Learning I can do things alone and still have an amazing time. Quietly empowering and confidence-building.
9. Starting a New Job – Trusting myself enough to admit my old but familiar role was draining instead of energizing. Networking, putting myself out there, and watching that effort turn into something new.
10. Outgrowing Friendships – Accepting that not every friendship is meant to come with me into every season. Learning that making new friends in adulthood takes courage, sending the DM, saying yes, and showing up, and trusting that the right people will meet me there.

When I chose Soften as my word, I didn’t know exactly what it would ask of me. I just knew I needed more grace, more room to breathe, to feel, to change my mind.

Looking back now, I see how that softness showed up everywhere. In how I moved through relationships. In how I let go of expectations. In how I allowed life to surprise me. This year reminded me that you don’t have to grip life tightly to live it fully.

As I carry these lessons forward, I’m taking the ease, the trust, and the intentionality with me along with the reminders that some of the best moments come when you stop trying to force them.

If you’re reflecting on your own year, I hope you ask yourself not just what you did but how you moved through it. Where did you soften? Where could you next year?

Here’s to the years that shape us in ways we only understand in hindsight and to stepping forward with a little more grace, clarity, and trust than before. 🤎