Reflecting Back with a Year in Review and Planning Forward with a Word of the Year

The YouTube video goes a bit more into depth AND has a guided meditation on this important topic.

Happy New Year! 🎉

The start of a new year often feels like a blank slate - a chance to refocus, refresh, and reset.

While I personally do NOT believe in resolutions (I instead focus on quarterly goals), there IS immense value in first pausing to reflect on the year we’ve just experienced. After all, you can’t move forward without understanding where you’ve been.

Reflecting on your year isn’t just about listing achievements. It’s about recognizing growth, celebrating wins, and learning from obstacles.

For me, 2024 was a year filled with milestones, challenges, and lessons - both professionally and personally. I’d like to share a bit of my reflection process, my highlights, and my approach to moving into 2025 with intention and clarity.

Professional Highlights:

Therapy Practice: I worked with 40 clients and held over 430 sessions, even taking maternity leave during June and July.
Therapy Dog Visits: Alongside my CEmO (Chief Emotional Officer 😉), Ollie, I visited 12 schools ranging from preschoolers to high school seniors, spreading mindfulness and joy.
Speaking Engagements: I delivered 18 keynotes, webinars, workshops, and panel discussions, sharing the message of mindful living.
Podcast Growth: The Free to Be Mindful Podcast reached listeners in 69 countries, published 60 episodes, and featured 13 inspiring guests.
Business Milestones: We celebrated 5 years of Free to Be Mindful and continued providing valuable content on YouTube and other platforms, along with growing initiatives like Amiga Moms™.

Personal Highlights:

I served as President of the Latino Mental Health Association of NJ, completing a meaningful and impactful term.
I navigated my first full year as co-founder of the Latinx Practice Collective, seeing our community grow steadily.
And of course, I welcomed a beautiful baby girl in June, a miracle after being told it would never happen naturally.

Of course, these highlights didn’t come without challenges. My dad had a MAJOR heart surgery which was a reminder of life’s fragility, but his recovery has been a true blessing. Also, welcoming a baby in my 40s while running businesses has brought its own physical and emotional hurdles. Through it all, I continue to learn the importance of prioritizing what truly matters - and remembering to include myself on the priority list.

How to Create Your Own Year in Review

Reflecting on your past year can provide clarity and purpose as you move forward. Here’s how you can create your own Year in Review:

Divide Your Year into Themes: Think about different aspects of your life, such as family, career, health, or hobbies. Categorizing your year helps you see a fuller picture.
List Milestones: Reflect on what went well. Did you achieve a personal goal, strengthen a relationship, or overcome a challenge?
Celebrate Wins: Big or small, every win matters. Maybe you started therapy, took up a new hobby, or simply made it through a tough season.
Acknowledge Challenges: Growth often comes from the hard stuff. What lessons did this year teach you?
Express Gratitude: Reflect on who or what made a difference in your life. Gratitude can shift your mindset and set a positive tone for the year ahead.

Planning Forward with a Word of the Year

Rather than setting rigid resolutions, I’ve found it helpful to choose a Word of the Year. This word serves as a guiding principle, helping me stay focused and grounded.

Over the years, I’ve chosen words like Hustle, Intentional, Alignment, and Grace to reflect the season of life I was in.

For 2025, my Word of the Year is Nurture. It reminds me to slow down, to be present where my feet are, and to focus on fostering meaningful connections with my family, my work, and myself. Nurturing isn’t just about growing; it’s about creating stability, showing care, and being intentional in all that I do.

If you’re considering choosing your own Word of the Year, here are three steps to help:

Reflect on What You Need: What’s an area of focus for you in the coming year? Is it balance, courage, connection, or growth?
Simplify: Keep it to one word that resonates deeply with you.
Anchor It: Use your word as a reminder when you set goals, face challenges, or need inspiration.

Looking Ahead

As we step into this new year, I encourage you to take the time to reflect on 2024 - to celebrate your wins, learn from your challenges, and embrace the lessons it offered. Then, think about how you want to show up in 2025. Whether it’s through a Word of the Year or another approach, remember to move forward with intention and clarity. Let’s continue to nurture growth, mindful living, and connection in the year ahead.

Ready to make that commitment? Let me know below... What will guide you as you move into 2025?