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2025 Year in Review
- Free to Be Mindful
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
This was not what I expected.
When I tallied up my year-in-review numbers across the six branches of Free to Be Mindful - therapy, mom coaching, speaking, podcasting, therapy dog visits, and content - I felt a quiet wave of disappointment. Nothing dramatic or defeating, just a different feeling than what I’m used to.
Since establishing my website back in 2018, I’ve always believed in looking backward before moving forward... not to judge or criticize, but to fully understand where we’ve been so we can move ahead with intention and a clear plan.
But reflection hits differently when the output doesn’t match what you’re used to. Or when it doesn’t match the standard you hold yourself to.
What I Noticed When I Looked Back at 2025
The numbers just weren’t as high as last year, or the year before that, or even the year before that.
And while this wasn’t entirely surprising, for my Type A, go-getter, Enneagram 3 self, it was still a hard pill to swallow. Not because I felt like I failed, but because I had to sit with the story my brain wanted to tell:
Shouldn’t this look bigger by now?
That’s the view from inside the bubble. But when I pulled back - like, really pulled back - and looked at the year from a wider lens, the story shifted.
The reality was that I was running three businesses while raising a tween and a toddler, with limited childcare and very real personal limits.
Context matters.
What 2025 Actually Asked of Me
This year wasn’t about doing more. It was about living into the words I had chosen for myself.
Grace was my word for 2024. I chose it intentionally, knowing that becoming pregnant with my miracle baby meant my body, my energy, and my expectations would all need more space than I had allowed in the past. Grace wasn’t optional... a baby will require it, whether you plan for it or not.
Going into 2025, with my baby girl just six months old, Nurture became my word. I was nurturing her, and I knew I also had to nurture myself. Grace meant letting go of the constant pressure to prove productivity. Nurture meant protecting my health, my energy, my businesses... and most importantly, my children.
And if I’m honest, as a professional mom, I still wrestle with that balance. I’m still practicing grace. I’m still learning how to nurture myself as I nurture others... especially the Amiga Moms I work with.
What 2025 Actually Held
When I zoomed out, the picture became fuller than the numbers alone suggested:
Found an office that welcomed Ollie, my therapy dog, and moved offices after 6 years
Officially launched Mom Coaching through Amiga Moms™
9 speaking engagements, including keynotes, workshops, panels, and webinars
Started a LinkedIn newsletter
Published a weekly email newsletter
Continued serving as President Emeritus of the Latino Mental Health Association of NJ
Continued growing the Latinx Practice Collective which launched the Connect Therapy Directory in 2025!
The numbers may be lower than past years, but the impact remains real.
A Gentle Reframe for Your Own Year in Review
If you’re reflecting on your own year and feeling conflicted - proud in some ways, disappointed in others - know that you’re not doing it wrong. You may simply be in a season that asked for something different.
This is a reminder all humans can benefit from... but one that moms, especially, need to hear often.
As you step into a new year, here are a few questions worth sitting with... not to fix anything, but to notice:
What did this year ask of me that I didn’t expect?
Where did I grow, even if it didn’t show up in numbers?
What needed more grace than pressure?
What felt aligned, and what quietly felt heavy?
What do I want to nurture moving forward?
And if you’re a mom or caregiver, this matters deeply: your personal capacity directly affects your professional life. One does not exist without the other.
Looking Ahead to 2026...With More Intention
It’s from this place that I’m moving into 2026.
I’m bringing back Amiga Moms support groups, now called The Real Talk Reset... a space intentionally designed for moms who are carrying a lot and need room to pause, reflect, and feel supported without having to explain or perform.
I’m also opening myself up to more speaking opportunities, in and outside the state of New Jersey - choosing spaces where conversations about mental health, motherhood, leadership, and well-being can be honest, practical, and rooted in real life, not just theory.
And I am going to be more intentional and more mindful about how I spend my time, how I show up in my home, and how I protect my overall well-being. For all these reasons, my word for 2026 is Deliberate.
Intentional is knowing what matters. Deliberate is consistently choosing it, even when it would be easier to default to old patterns or say yes out of habit.
A Closing Thought
Remember that you don’t need a louder year to have a meaningful one. You don’t need bigger numbers to justify your effort. And you don’t need to do this alone.
If this reflection feels familiar, especially when it comes to motherhood, The Real Talk Reset will take place on January 10th in Ridgefield, NJ. It’s an intimate group for moms who are carrying a lot and want room to pause, reflect, and reconnect with themselves. Imagine setting down what’s been weighing on you - with the support of other moms - and leaving with fewer spinning thoughts, a sense of being understood, and space to breathe.
If this season is asking you to slow down, be more honest, or simply stop holding everything alone, this may be the right place to begin.
Cheers to a year full of intention, compassion, and deliberate choices.
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