R21.5 x MjR \\ The 2025 Retrospective

So that's me done, then.

Dec 12, 2025

Friends, welcome to the (almost) end of another year. It’s been a ride.1

For me, 2025 felt like a kaleidoscope—shifting, beautiful, frustrating, and often exhausting. There were moments when I felt in control and moments when life reminded me how little control I really have. Maybe you know the feeling. Maybe you’ve wrestled with work tensions, creative blocks, family worries, or the overwhelm that comes with trying to do too much at once.

I also turned 46 this year, and I’ve found myself doing some “mid-life archaeology.” It’s been illuminating and uncomfortable to see what gets unearthed. It’s always helpful to pause, so I thought I’d share what I noticed about my own year. I hope it sparks some reflection for you as well.

Observations & Reflections

Creative Tension & Growth

I spent a lot of the year swinging between wanting to create and wanting to control every detail of the process. I realized my obsession with productivity systems wasn’t just about efficiency—it was a sophisticated form of avoidance and control. My Enneagram 4 self went to some strange places: perfectionism disguised as preparation, systems built to feel “interesting,” while the creative work itself sat waiting for some elusive sense of readiness. Moving from my Notion+ system to the Apple ecosystem for tasks and calendars simplified life, even if old habits die hard. (I’ll be sharing more about my productivity system in January 2026, so stay tuned for that sprint!)

One breakthrough came in recognizing that consistent Sunday morning creative blocks were enough. I’d been stressing about when to write, how to write, how often to write, how to write brilliantly every time… And I finally realized: I can just ask myself, “What wants to be created today?” The work will never be as perfect as I wish it could be. But I can keep cultivating courage and vulnerable presence. I can keep showing up, even when the output feels ordinary.

Invitation for you: Where have you noticed avoidance patterns in your own life—moments where “preparing” becomes safer than “creating”?

Work & Productivity Evolution

On the business side, R21.5 finally gained clarity after some hard feedback: I defined my audience, narrowed my services, and let go of what wasn’t working. I realized that I’d been avoiding (again!) some significant factors that, once faced, helped all of my ideas and skills lock into place. And... TA-DA! 👋 Systems Therapy is a “minimum effective dose” for what ails ya: overwhelming lists, one-size-fits-all solutions that don’t actually fit you, and a purpose that keeps receding into the horizon. I hope you’ll check it out.

You may have noticed that People Watching hasn’t produced any new episodes for a while. I absolutely loved every single one of my conversations in both seasons this year, and I haven’t given up the idea of a podcast altogether. But, to be honest, the experience confirmed for me that audio/video production is not in my wheelhouse, and that I am not particularly interested in getting better at it. So podcasting is on the back burner unless and until I can hire a producer/editor, or I come up with another format that isn’t so production-intensive.

Invitation for you: What structures or rhythms have helped you feel grounded this year? What projects or roles are you still carrying that feel like a burden you want to let go of?

Values & Life Integration

Looking at my personal values showed some wins and some gaps. I lived into family care, friendship, and conversation-based learning (i.e., communicating with self, others, and God). But self-compassion was often sacrificed on the altar of productivity. Trust in God’s provision sometimes2 broke under my need for control. And creating something startling, beautiful, and true often got interrupted by over-complication.

Family health was a humbling teacher this year. Healthcare management reminded me how fragile life can feel—and yet, how resilient human love and care are. These moments were cruciform: life bending, reshaping, calling me toward patience, presence, and hope.

Invitation for you: Which values have you neglected this year? How might you lean into them in the year ahead?

Key Learnings & Commitments

I’m seeing much the same pattern show up in every area of my life, and the biggest revelation I’ve had this year is that the solution isn’t to try harder, but to receive more.

Oof. For someone who carries no small amount of pride in her own competence in try, try, try again, this one hurts.

Here’s a few small practices I’m playing with in the year ahead to help myself do that:

Simplify systems, stabilize focus: Build only what’s necessary. Be ruthless about protecting creative space.
Trust over control: Reflection reminds me to attend to the gaps between my values of self-compassion, authenticity, trust, and beauty, and my practice. Focus on doing the next significant thing without worrying about the outcome.
Creative courage: Share work even when it feels “ordinary.” Identity is found in the doing, not the impact.

Invitation for you: What one small practice could you adopt in 2026 that honors your values and creative gifts?

2025 taught me that control is a trap disguised as progress. Courage is showing up: imperfect, afraid, and willing. Trust lies in noticing and remembering the small ways that God provides, as well as the big ones. And that today’s experience is tomorrow’s faith.3

Take a moment to look back on your year. What patterns, breakthroughs, and moments of grace do you notice?

Welcome the parts of yourself that need attention, and let the next year invite you into becoming who you are designed to be.

Thank you for journeying with me this year—your presence means the world to me. If you’d like to support my work further:

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Check out Systems Therapy, and if it sounds like something you (or your besties) would be interested in, schedule a free 30-minute Curiosity Call! You can tell me what's bugging the ever-lovin' stuffin' out of ya, and I can tell you how we might build something better together.

In 2026, we’ll continue exploring the nature of purpose, living as humans in a technologizing time, and finding small, sustainable ways to become ever more ourselves. It’s gonna be good.