What I’m Leaving Behind in 2025 as a Business Owner and Leader (and What I’m Taking With Me)

There’s something special about the space between years.

That quiet pause after the rush of the holidays, when the world exhales and you finally have a second to reflect on what worked, what didn’t, and who you’ve become along the way.

This is the season where I ask myself two questions:

What needs to be released for me to move forward in the next year?
What deserves to come with me that I need to continue into next year?

Because growth isn’t just about adding more, it’s about letting go

What I’m Leaving Behind in 2025

1. The myth that being busy equals being successful 

For years, I wore “busy” like a badge of honor. The overflowing calendar, the endless to-do lists, the late-night emails. The hustle made me feel important, validated and necessary.

Underneath all the demand, all it really did was burn me out.

I’ve learned that busyness doesn’t mean progress.

It’s often a distraction from the real work. The uncomfortable work of working in alignment. The work of saying no, setting boundaries, and creating systems that protect your energy instead of drain it.

In 2026, I’m done measuring success by how much I can juggle.

I’m measuring it by how calm, clear, and connected I feel in the process.

2. The pressure to be everything to everyone

As a business owner, a mom, and a human who genuinely cares, I’ve fallen into the trap of over-giving time and time again. Whether to clients, to patients, to projects and to people who weren’t mine to carry, I overgave like a badge of honor. 

But I’ve realized something powerful:
“ You can’t be everything to everyone and still be true to yourself.” -Robert Lacey

So, I’m leaving behind the version of me who says yes out of guilt or fear.

I’m keeping the version who trusts that my “no” creates space for the right “yes.”
Because aligned growth requires discernment — not more doing, but more deciding of what is truly right for me.that

3. The chase for external validation

In 2025, I made peace with something I used to resist: not everyone will understand your vision.

Some people won’t get why you left a safe career.
Some won’t see the strategy behind your pivots.
Unfortunately, some will never clap until the crowd does.

The truth is, you don’t need applause to stay in alignment.

You just need to stay anchored in your purpose and values. I’m done outsourcing my worth to numbers, metrics, or other people’s opinions.

The only validation I need is the quiet knowing that I’m living and leading in integrity.

4. The belief that growth has to hurt

There’s a difference between growth and struggle.
For a long time, I believed they had to coexist. I thought that expanding meant exhaustion, and that “hustle” was a rite of passage.

But this year I’ve learned that ease can be a growth strategy.
That systems can simplify what used to feel heavy.
That structure creates freedom.

In 2026 I’m releasing the idea that the next level has to cost me my peace.
I can rise without the chaos.

You can too.

What I’m Taking With Me into 2026

1. Systems that protect my energy

I’ve seen firsthand how structure can free up your mental and physical energy for what truly matters. Actually growing your business, not just working IN it. 

Systems don’t stifle creativity, they make room for it. They give your ideas somewhere to land, your team something to rely on, and your goals a roadmap instead of a guessing game.

As I move into 2026, I’m keeping the systems that simplify my life — from the automations and delegation that save me hours, to the routines that anchor my schedule.

“Clarity isn’t found in chaos; it’s built through consistency”

– Author Unknown.

2. The courage to start before I’m ready

If there’s one truth entrepreneurship keeps teaching me, it’s this: you’ll never feel fully ready.
Every pivot, every leap, every new idea comes with uncertainty, but that’s where growth lives.

In 2026, I’m choosing courage over perfection.

Clarity doesn’t come from waiting. It comes from doing.

The bold moves. The messy first drafts. The “I’ll figure it out as I go.”
That’s where the magic happens.

3. Spaciousness for what matters most

I’m tuning into my energy and what drains me and what energizes me.
Time to rest, reflect, and reconnect with what truly matters.

I want my business to feel like something I get to build, not something that runs me.

I’m protecting my time the same way I protect my purpose — intentionally.

4. Gratitude as a growth strategy

Gratitude has been my quiet superpower.
It softens the pressure of “what’s next” and anchors me in “what is.”

When I lead with gratitude, I make better decisions. I show up more grounded. I create from overflow, not obligation.

In 2026, I’m carrying that energy into every room, meeting, and opportunity.
No strategy outperforms a grateful heart aligned with purpose.

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A Closing Reflection

Every new year asks us to evolve — not into someone new, but into a better version of ourselves. It’s a new opportunity for growth and evolution. 

The leader who is more in tune with what actually matters.
The leader who knows that growth doesn’t mean adding more plates to spin — it means deciding which ones are worth holding.

So here’s to 2026:
To clarity over chaos.
To aligned growth over endless hustle.
To peace that doesn’t need permission.

It’s time to find the courage to leave behind everything that no longer serves the person you’re becoming.

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If you’re ready to enter your next chapter with clarity and systems that actually support your growth, book a discovery call with me today. 

It’s a simple, powerful way to identify what’s holding you back and where to focus your energy next.

Sometimes, the best way to elevate is to release.