2025 Goals: The Year of Progress, Not Perfection (Q4 Check-In)
It’s the last time this year for me to report on how I’ve been doing on the 2025 goals I shared back in January. I have to say, I have no sense of time anymore. This year has FLOWN by and at the same time, I feel like we live in dog years anymore and at least 7 years of activities and events have happened in these 12 months. Maybe the sheer volume of “stuff” makes me a big believer in the mantra “progress, not perfection,” and there was a lot of progress in 2025! Here’s a quick rundown of the goals I’ve been reporting on and a few other memorable moments.
Goal #1 was all about writing a blog every week and this was far and away my most successful goal for 2025. I hit this goal every week! Despite my lack of routine or scheduled blogging time, which persisted all year, I managed to complete this goal. No one is more surprised than I am!
Goal #2 centered on self care and regular exercise. This was harder to achieve. There’s a fine line between self CARE and being selfISH, and sometimes it feels selfish to walk away from my never-ending to-do list to go exercise, take a nap, or do something else. This is still a work in progress, though I did make progress in Q4. I have a weekly appointment to exercise with someone, and this helps a lot! I’m also hopeful that as we wrap up the holiday season, it will be easier to schedule time to exercise and take care of myself.
Goal #3 was the most difficult of all - I gave myself the goal to be more social, going so far as to say I’d reach out to at least 5 people every week! If it was a challenge to find time to exercise, how do you think having a social life went?!? This is not a one-year goal - this is a choice I have to make regularly. To choose to BE rather than to DO, which goes against my nature, to be honest. But I believe interpersonal connections are what makes everything worth it, so this is a goal worth working towards. It will stay on the list for 2026.
Those were the “official” goals of 2025, and a lot of other good things happened as well! Here’s a quick highlight reel:
My book, Important Catholic Women of the 20th Century, won a 2025 Catholic Media Association book award! I also recorded an audiobook of this.
I published An I Love You Book for People About to Take on the World, a book for parents, grandparents or any loving caregiver to give the young adult in their lives as they begin their next adventure, whether that’s going off to school, joining the military, or getting their first place.
I also released An I Love You Calendar for People About to Take on the World, a daily, tear-off calendar following the school year, from August 2025-July 2026, for college freshmen, filled with inspiration, practical life tips and faith.
In November I published How Mamas Show Love, a beautiful read-aloud story for children aged 3-7 about the many ways their mamas say “I love you” without speaking a word.
It’s been a journey, and I’ve learned SO MUCH!
One of the things I’ve learned is that many people prefer videos to articles. So in 2026, I plan to add a weekly YouTube video to the list. There may be some weeks I do a video instead of a blog - I’m going to play that by ear. But more to come next week on what to expect in 2026 - right now I’m still enjoying the slow down between Christmas and New Year’s!
Thank you for being part of this journey in 2025. Your readership and support truly made Goal #1 a success, and I'm incredibly grateful for every click, read, and comment. As the new year approaches, I'm feeling energized and ready to tackle the challenges and opportunities 2026 will bring—starting with that YouTube goal!
Wishing you and yours a safe, happy, and restful New Year’s celebration. See you in 2026!