The last two years have been hard. The kind of hard that makes you want to demand to speak with life’s manager so you can punch them in the throat. I’m not going to catalog the specifics because this isn’t that kind of post and you’re not my therapist. But 2024 and 2025 tested me in ways I wasn’t prepared for. There were times where I wasn’t sure that I’d be equal to the challenge.

What I learned

Difficulty has a way of clarifying things. When everything’s going well it’s easy to coast on autopilot worrying about things that don’t actually matter. Hard years strip that away. You find out what you actually care about, who actually shows up, and what you’re actually capable of handling.

I learned I’m more resilient than I thought. Not in a motivational poster way - more in a “huh, I didn’t snap in half” way.

I also learned that relationships matter more than I was giving them credit for. It’s easy to deprioritize people when you’re heads-down on work or projects or whatever feels urgent. The past two years reminded me that the people who stick around during the hard parts are the ones worth investing in during the good parts.

What I’m carrying forward

Gratitude feels like a cliché but I don’t have a better word for it. I’m grateful for the lessons even though I didn’t enjoy learning them. I’m grateful for the relationships that deepened. I’m grateful that I came out the other side with a clearer sense of who I am and what matters.

2026

I’m not making predictions. I’m not setting resolutions. I’m just ready. Ready for this year to be better. Ready to build on what I learned instead of just surviving it. Ready to show up differently for the people and projects that matter.

Here’s to a better year.