2025 Was a Year of Becoming, Not Arriving
The Power of Pausing:
What 2025 Revealed When I Slowed Down
Reflecting on 2025 has been an unusual process for me.
I didn’t expect it to feel layered, or at times uncomfortable — but it did. And perhaps that’s because this year wasn’t one that fit neatly into a box of wins or losses. It was a year of becoming. Of self-discovery. Of moments that felt deeply meaningful, even when they didn’t always translate into the metrics I once used to measure success.
I recently came across Mel Robbins’ Best Year Yet podcast and process — something she shared about doing with her family and what stood out immediately was how the reflection actually begins. Not with goals or achievements, but with your camera roll and your calendar.
At first, that felt almost too simple. (yes the type A personality in full force)
But it turned out to be one of the most powerful exercises I’ve done.
As I began scrolling through my phone, I noticed a subtle resistance come up. A friction. And I realised it wasn’t because 2025 hadn’t been a good year — it was because it had been a complex one.
There were moments that genuinely felt like bucket-list experiences. Things I’d had on vision boards for years. Things I’d intentionally called in for 2025. And yet, when I looked at the year through another lens — business structure, the integration between work and personal life, health and fitness, friendships, relationships — it didn’t feel as strong or as aligned as I had imagined it would.
That contrast created tension.
And I think this time of year naturally amplifies that feeling. We’re surrounded by end-of-year reflections, highlight reels, “best year ever” captions — all the different narratives of success playing out around us. It brings everything into sharper focus, whether we’re ready for it or not.
But what surprised me most was how quickly perspective can shift.
Within twenty minutes of intentionally sitting with this exercise, something softened. Instead of judging the year, I started noticing it.
Scrolling through my camera roll became a mirror. Not just of what I’d done — but of what I’d chosen to capture. The moments I paused long enough to document. The experiences that felt worthy of being remembered in real time.
And that, in itself, became a lesson and grounding for a new intention for the years ahead. **capture more moments, pause longer and relish in the present
So often we’re focused on the next goal, the next milestone, the bigger vision ahead — that we forget the quiet power of presence. This exercise reminded me that the life we’re building isn’t just happening in the future. It’s happening now. In the moments we instinctively reach for our phone. In what we frame, save, and return to.
Through this process, I also rediscovered milestones I had almost overlooked. Achievements that didn’t necessarily come with loud celebrations, but mattered deeply. Growth that wasn’t linear, but was undeniable when viewed with compassion instead of expectation.
THE MILESTONES I ALMOST MISSED
One of the most unexpected parts of this reflection was realising just how many milestones I had quietly moved through this year — many of which I hadn’t fully acknowledged at the time.
Not because they weren’t significant, but because I was already looking ahead.
Going back through my camera roll brought them into focus.
Countless client transformations - each one reminding me why I do this work.
Working with multiple brands, both new and existing, and continuing to build long-term creative relationships.
Attending four live concerts & two Broncos games
Styled five campaigns including a pinch me moment for Barbie!
Attending my first Australian Fashion Week in Sydney
Vision board moment of attending my very first show at Milan Fashion Week and events at
my first Paris Fashion Week.Had the pleasure of being a guest judge for Fashions on the Field twice
Hosting two in-store events with iconic Australian labels — Oroton and Carla Zampatti.
Attended two ballet concerts
Seeing my best friend, who lives over 1,500 kilometres away, three times this year.
Hosting two corporate styling masterclasses — including one with my former employer, a full-circle moment I didn’t fully appreciate until I paused to reflect.
Host my first and successful two-week Stylist in Residence at West Hotel Sydney.
Hosting a long lunch and collection launch for IDA+S.
A handful of flights.
First European train ride experience
One life-changing four-week solo trip overseas after not travelling internationally in ten years.
Shot my first overseas paid content campaign in Paris.
Visiting the first five-storey Fendi flagship in Milan
Walking Via Monte Napoleone in Milan - the richest shopping street in the world.
Seeing two exclusive Giorgio Armani tributes and archival exhibitions
Was part of a national broadcast interview with Channel 7 Sunrise.
And all of this while quietly navigating and overcoming some significant health challenges.
When I look at it like this, I realise that 2025 wasn’t lacking momentum — it was layered.
Full. Expansive in ways I hadn’t stopped long enough to recognise. Uniquely mine.
This exercise reminded me that milestones don’t always announce themselves loudly. Sometimes they reveal their significance only when you give yourself permission to look back with honesty and compassion.
MY FINAL REFLECTION
I’ve also become more aware this year of energy, timing, and cycles — particularly through astrology and broader energetic seasons. When I look at 2025 through that lens, it makes more sense.
We’ve been moving through the Year of the Snake — a year that asks for shedding, introspection, patience, and internal recalibration. And we’re approaching the shift into the Year of the Fire Horse, which carries a very different energy — momentum, courage, visibility, forward movement.
I can feel that transition happening.
And perhaps that’s why reflecting on 2025 has felt less like closing a chapter, and more like standing on a bridge. A year where so much was happening beneath the surface — even when it didn’t always look like progress in the traditional sense.
What this reflection has ultimately taught me is that growth doesn’t always announce itself loudly. Sometimes it whispers. Sometimes it asks you to slow down long enough to notice it.
As I move into the year ahead, I’m carrying that lesson with me — to be more present, more mindful of the moments I’m living, not just the vision I’m chasing. To honour milestones as they happen. And to trust that not every powerful year needs to look impressive from the outside to be transformative on the inside.
What lesson are you carrying into 2026 with you?