2025 Reflections: My 4 Powerful Lessons — And How They’ll Support YOU!
As a high-achiever, how often do you rush to the ‘next thing’ without pausing to consider how far you’ve actually come?
I’ve certainly been guilty of it in the past!
But in recent years, I’ve become intentional about reflecting as I go. When I do my quarterly planning, it always starts by looking back and noticing what I’m learning along the way.
And at the end of the year, that pause matters more than ever.
Because the pace of change isn’t slowing down. People are feeling stretched and overloaded as they race towards the end of year finish line. They’re juggling December deadlines, Christmas commitments and all the joys of the silly season!
All of this makes it even harder to step off the hamster wheel and create space to think.
So at the end of each year, I reflect on what I learnt — and what I’ll be taking with me into the next one.
Read on to discover my 4 game-changing lessons (and honest confessions) for 2025. Find out what worked, what didn’t — and how these lessons can support YOUR career!
LESSON #1 — THE POWER OF THE PAUSE
Right now I’m hearing the same thing from my clients: They’re busier than ever and feel like they never switch off. I’ve experienced it myself — the constant noise, distractions and filling every spare moment with activity. When I found myself reaching for my phone while watching TV, I knew something needed to shift.
Because wearing ‘busyness’ like a badge of honour reduces productivity and your ability to think strategically. So this year, I’ve been intentional about creating space in my schedule for deep thinking and taking time to pause.
And even though I work out every day, I also wanted to get more incidental movement into my days. So on my non-running days, I’ve made it a priority to get outside for an afternoon walk. Sometimes for 10 minutes, other times it’s a full 3-5km loop.
At least once or twice a week I’ll grab a coffee and head to my local park for an hour. This isn’t about self-care or being out in nature — though it’s part of it. I’m carving out space for strategic thinking.
The key thing is I’m not listening to a podcast or scrolling social media, I’m reflecting. Often, I’ll record a voice note on my phone because I’m a verbal processor and that’s how I get my best insights. By creating more than I’m consuming, I’ve sharpened my thinking and generated more ideas than ever!
Here’s what I’ve noticed after implementing these moments of pause over the past year…
First, doing it consistently has made me more creative. It’s allowed me to process and find clarity on different ideas: new offers, business strategies or how to approach certain client situations. If I’m planning a workshop, it helps me pull all the pieces together: the key messages for that organisation, the challenges their people are facing and how what I’m sharing supports them.
Second, it’s strengthened my thought leadership. I’m regularly reflecting on the key themes coming up in client coaching sessions, questions people are asking and what I’m noticing in the world of work. I then use these insights to create podcast episodes, LinkedIn posts and content which addresses the specific issues my audience is facing.
One client recently said, “I enjoy your weekly emails. Where do you come up with all those content ideas?” And THIS is the secret.
In the past, I’ve felt creatively blocked or not known what to talk about. But I haven’t been challenged for ideas this year — and giving myself space to think has made ALL the difference!
Third, it’s helped me disconnect and reset. People are mentally overloaded and their days are filled with endless to-do lists. And I think the solution is the power of the pause.
From a career perspective, if you don’t stop to reflect or proactively plan, you end up reacting to external expectations — your workload, boss, organisation or the market. This is the value of the space I create in one-off Strategy Sessions and long-term coaching programs. It gives you time for deep thinking, brainstorming ideas and clarifying next steps.
Consider — Where in your week could you pause and create space for strategic thinking? And how would that impact your career?
LESSON #2 — EXPERIMENT WITHOUT EXPECTATION
At a Christmas event last week, I was chatting to a senior executive who’d transitioned from corporate into their own consultancy in the past year. He asked a juicy question which took me a moment to answer: ‘What was the biggest lesson from your first few years of business?’
My response? ‘Don’t be afraid to experiment — ESPECIALLY in the beginning!’
And this advice is applicable at every stage of your career or business. In fact, it was a major highlight for me in 2025. And it’s a core part of the method I use to help clients find clarity on their career direction.
This year, I’ve continued to build out my signature key-notes into short, half and full day workshops, testing and refining those offerings. In addition, I’ve also tried out new corporate offers: multiple sessions for clients, running a coaching cohort off the back of an event and contributing to larger learning & development programs.
This has allowed me to work deeper with each client, deliver better outcomes and build long-term relationships beyond one-off engagements.
During our conversation, the consultant also spoke about the importance of non-attachment, which really landed with me.
Because letting go of control and staying detached from the outcome was a big lesson for me this year too. Putting things out there and seeing what works — without making it mean anything about my value if something doesn’t land as planned.
And this is a critical career lesson for YOU. So many people stay stuck in their current situation because they think they need certainty to move forward. They want to identify their ideal role, the perfect career path or make the ‘right’ decision before taking action.
But clarity comes from action, not analysis. When you’re willing to experiment and detach from the outcome, you will clarify your direction faster.
Consider — Where are you waiting for certainty in your career instead of taking action? And what’s one small step you could take to start testing instead of overthinking your next move?
LESSON #3 — KNOW YOUR CURRENT CAPACITY
Closely tied to the theme of experimenting, 2025 has been all about understanding my limits, exploring how I like to work and what I have the capacity to hold.
My word of the year was LIMITLESS. I wanted to build plenty of time and spaciousness in my days to connect, create and serve my clients. And experience limitless energy, impact and growth in my business.
While I was already confident in the way I structure and deliver my 1:1 and corporate offerings, this year has stretched me. The corporate projects I mentioned earlier have challenged my assumptions about how much work I have capacity to take on. But it’s also helped me get honest about what energises or drains me — and the way I want to work moving forward.
At the start of the year, I’d intended to do more one-on-one coaching. In reality, I’ve worked with half the number of private clients I’d planned. This decision was intentional, as I prioritised other corporate projects.
What I’m taking away is that I want to do LESS high-level 1:1 coaching — but with a small number of the right clients. The people I love supporting who are engaged, do the work and take responsibility for their results.
While I’ve always had strong boundaries, I now have zero tolerance for those who make excuses, play the victim or disrespect my time. Sometimes my ideal clients are experiencing burnout, mindset challenges or are navigating toxic work environments and that’s OK. The difference is they take ownership and actually change their situation.
By understanding my capacity and working intentionally, I’ve created the limitless time, energy and impact I set out to.
Not only have I doubled my financial results, I’m having a greater impact — through the growth of the podcast and depth of work I’m doing with organisations and individuals. But more than anything, I have more space, ease and enjoyment in how I work.
Here’s why this matters to your career: Most high-achievers keep pushing through without ever stopping to assess their capacity. But when you know your capacity and work within it, you will create a career that’s fulfilling AND sustainable.
Consider — What tasks, habits or commitments are currently draining your time or energy? And what’s one change you can make to work more sustainably in 2026?
LESSON #4 — OWN YOUR VALUE AND BACK YOURSELF
At the top of this article, I mentioned a recent conversation about advice for someone starting out in business. One of the points we discussed was the importance of understanding your unique value proposition, being targeted in how you position yourself and intentional about who you work with.
I reflected on how the transition from corporate into my first business was simpler because I had an existing client base, was well known and operating in the same market. However, when I launched my current company, I was effectively starting again in a brand new market.
In hindsight, I completely underestimated how long it would take to clearly differentiate myself and fully own my unique value. This was a constant challenge for my first few years in this business — but it hasn’t come up for some time.
Yet in 2025, this lesson feels different. I’ve stepped into a new level of embodied self-belief around the unique value I have to offer.
This isn’t about arrogance or ego. I know my value — and I’m being recognised and paid well for it. I’ve received consistent feedback from clients and the market which reinforces this.
And while self-belief is one piece, it’s more than believing in my worth and value.
This year has required a deeper level of self-trust — to fully back myself and trust what’s right for me, rather than outsourcing or questioning my decisions. Taking responsibility for my results has led to huge growth in my business, impact and reach.
Looking ahead, next year is about consolidation — going deeper, not wider — with a small number of quality clients. I plan to develop group programs for both 1:1 and corporate clients, which will allow me to scale while supporting people at an even deeper level.
Here’s the lesson for you and your career. When you back yourself, you will increase your visibility, influence and impact.
Consider — Where are you looking outside yourself for answers or questioning your decisions? And what’s one way you can start backing yourself in your career?
So, there you have it. The 4 biggest lessons I’ve learnt during another incredible year. My hope is you can learn from my experiences and celebrate your year too.