I am a naturally reflective person, so it seems only natural that I would feel pulled to reflect at the end of a year. Yesterday, I wrote down all the things that happened in 2025 and in all honesty, I was completely mind blown by it all. I was profoundly blessed in 2025 and experienced a lot of personal and professional growth. In truth, I feel I returned to myself this year after losing myself for quite some time. Being in school, becoming a mom, working full time, and trying to keep some semblance of a personal life about did me in. Today, as many of you set goals and resolutions for next year, may I encourage you instead to consider your daily practices?
I have lost almost 40 lbs since May of this year. How did I do it? I started in the typical way of dramatic change at first – removing many things from my diet, intense exercise, increasing protein…you know the drill. But it has been maintained by a change in my mindset, intentionally choosing my health over my comfort. Prioritizing movement over sitting. Today, I walk and lift mostly and I try to limit the amount of sugar and carbs I consume (mostly for blood sugar balance more than wanting to restrict a food group). I try to consume more vegetables and less fried food. I want to be healthier and feel better so I try to make choices every day that align with that.
This year, I have worked to challenge my mindset and have grown healthy patterns in my mind. How did I do that? One day, one thought, one challenge at a time. My mindset had become very negative because I stopped tending to it. Our minds are a powerful tool. We must tend to and care for our minds just like we do our bodies. We must be careful not to be consumed by the negativity that surrounds us. Sometimes, we can’t change the people we encounter on a daily basis so we have to change ourselves. Sometimes we have to be the voice of reason in a sea of drama and the light in an otherwise dark and negative room. If your environment doesn’t feed you, you have to feed yourself.
Do you know that you don’t have to buy into the drama? That you may be surrounded by it but you don’t have to be consumed by it. You can make a different choice. For many years, I have risen early and spent 30-60 minutes reading things that challenge me. I abandoned that habit after Jak was born and I was knee deep into my school work. I felt the negative effects of that deeply. I was consumed with negativity, my mindset had become negative. This year, I returned to my daily practice of reading every morning. When a negative thought pops in my head, I challenge it I don’t just spiral with it. We have more control than we realize, we have to take captive our thoughts and challenge them to align with what we truly believe.
This year, as you reflect on 2025 and set intentions for 2026 may I encourage you to start small. Many resolutions fail because they are too large and require too great of a change. Start small. Many of us use the excuse that we don’t have the time, in truth, we all have the same amount of time, we just don’t always utilize it in the best way. Commit to reading a one page devotional every day, commit to a 20-30 minute walk, and set a 15 minute timer and tidy up the house at the end of the day. Commit to one hour of time for growth broken down into whatever bite sized pieces work best for you. Think about the food you consume, think about the media you consume, think about what you’re reading and what you’re listening to and how you’re spending your time. Does it align with the life you want? Does it feed your mental and physical health in a positive way? If not, change it. Make a different choice. Next time you have a moment to spare, read something good rather than scrolling social media. Break the habit of mindlessly scrolling. When you get home at the end of the day, put your phone on the charger and be present with your family. You have a beautiful life, pay more attention to your own life than the life of others. Much love and much happiness to all in 2026.
