Reflections on a Year of Growth and Change
As I write this, it is November 12th, about two weeks from Thanksgiving and six weeks from Christmas. Then, before we know it, 2026 will have arrived. In the next few weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, it’s time to think about how you’ll finish out the year of 2025 in order to begin envisioning what you want the next year to bring.
This week, I’ve been taking my own advice and reviewing the goals I set for 2025. My goals fell into three areas: coaching hours and clients, credentialing, and speaking and networking.
Looking back, I met some goals and missed others. I reached my targets for speaking engagements and networking. My speaking events were especially rewarding; I received thoughtful, positive feedback and had the chance to connect one-on-one with several attendees who shared how the sessions resonated with them. Those conversations reminded me why I love this work, the opportunity for connection and growth in real time. I decided not to pursue additional credentialing after realizing it wasn’t essential to where I’m headed right now. But the first goal, the number of coaching hours and clients, was one I didn’t meet.
At first, I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. I value commitment to goals and growth, and I am disappointed that I will not meet the goal. However, while the overall number of individual coaching hours didn’t meet the original target, something significant happened. Each quarter showed steady growth. My coaching hours increased quarter over quarter, signaling that the seeds I’d been planting, through speaking, networking, and relationship-building, were taking root. This foundation will be a good starting point for 2026.
In addition, as I reviewed the year, I realized my business had taken an unplanned, but very natural, pivot. Two new consulting areas emerged, changing the rhythm of my work.
The first drew directly from my earlier career in finance and accounting, a return to familiar ground that allowed me to integrate my past knowledge with my coaching approach. The second grew organically from my emotional intelligence work, expanding into a leadership development workshop and one-on-one professional development coaching.
When I step back, I see that what looked like “missing a goal” was really making space for the next chapter of growth, one that blends coaching, consulting, and leadership development in ways I couldn’t have scripted more perfectly.
As we head into the final stretch of 2025, I encourage you to take your own year-end look. Where have you grown in ways you didn’t plan? What opportunities appeared because you left space for them? And what small signs of momentum can you celebrate, even if the final numbers don’t tell the whole story?
Growth doesn’t always happen in a straight line. Sometimes, it curves toward a direction that fits us better than the one we planned. As for me, I’m entering 2026 with gratitude for the unexpected turns and excitement for what’s next.
If you’re ready to set clear, meaningful goals for 2026, or to reframe what success looks like in your work or life, let’s talk. Schedule a discovery session and start shaping your next chapter with purpose and clarity. I’d love to help you!