As we wrap up 2025, it feels like the right time to reflect on the year, the goals I set, what I achieved, and the direction for 2026.

My New Year’s resolution for 2025 was to run 200km. I’m happy and proud to say that I met this goal, and that running became a genuine habit throughout the year. It took a few months to find my rhythm, and I took a knock when work travel disrupted my routine, but I became far more consistent towards the end of the year.

Aiming for three to four short lunchtime runs each week fit well around work, and towards the end of the year I was even able to introduce strength training. When time allowed, I added longer weekend runs, without pressure, giving myself space to enjoy running and recover properly.

I think of myself as a runner now, something I couldn’t consistently say before, and I’ve noticed clear improvements in my fitness thanks to this consistency. When I travel, I actively look for routes and places to run. This year I completed 5km runs while travelling in Frankfurt, Bournemouth, Sevilla, and Barcelona, which added a little sparkle to my Strava. I’m really pleased with my progress and excited to increase my goal next year, with a half-marathon on my radar for 2026.

Reading is another goal I’ve kept up for a few years now. In 2023, my goal was to read 20 books, which I achieved, and in 2024 I set a goal of 22 books and ended up reading 24. For 2025, I aimed for 25 books, but this didn’t go to plan.

Despite buying more than 25 books, I hit a reading slump and struggled to get into or enjoy anything. Instead of pushing through, I pivoted and adjusted my goal down to 10 books on Goodreads, which I completed this week. I did however read one book, from front to back in 24 hours, a personal record for me. That book was The Housemaid, which I wanted to read before the film release, and it hooked me completely. I’m really looking forward to reading more by Freida McFadden.

This year, my reading list included

• Caught Up by Liz Tomforde
• Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez – really enjoyed
• With Any Luck by Ashley Poston
• Normal People by Sally Rooney – really enjoyed
• Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
• Keeping 13 by Chloe Walsh – slow but good
• Say You’ll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez
• The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore
• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden – really enjoyed
• Start with Why by Simon Sinek

I usually enjoy a balanced mix of personal development and fiction, but that balance slipped during my reading slump, so this is something I want to be more mindful of next year.

Writing is something I’ve been interested in for a long time but have never fully committed to. With my love of reading, I’ve often thought about putting my own ideas and imagined worlds onto paper. This year, I took a small but meaningful step by creating a Wattpad account and uploading a short chapter.

I’d like to lean into writing more, intentionally making space and time for it. A good starting point feels like returning to blogging and outlining a book, shaping characters, and writing small chapter snippets. There will never be a season where everything feels perfectly aligned, and I know I won’t get it right the first time. That shouldn’t be a blocker, but a challenge. Writing is something I genuinely want to pursue, and I know I’ll regret it if I never properly start.

I also had the opportunity to travel this year, both personally and professionally. Personal travel took us on an amazing family holiday to Bournemouth, Andalucía and Madrid for an Ed Sheeran concert. Work travel took me to Frankfurt, Mexico City, and Barcelona.

I have mixed emotions about travelling for work. While it’s incredible to experience new places and cultures, it can also be very challenging. The combination of workload, unfamiliar surroundings, disrupted routines, and high levels of social interaction can feel overwhelming at times. Being away from my family is hard, and the quiet moments often make the distance feel very real.

Work travel is something I continue to take day by day, listening to my body, adjusting expectations, and focusing on what I need in the moment to stay grounded. As we start planning travel for 2026, preparing myself better and staying grounded is something I’m consciously working on, so I can enjoy and get the most out of these experiences.

Professionally, this year marked a big step forward for me. I moved into a Lead of Lead role at Automattic, supporting teams across APAC and EMEA, which stretched me in new ways. The role brought more responsibility and a wider perspective, working closely with other leads, balancing priorities across regions, and learning when to step in and when to trust others to lead.

It tested my leadership and communication skills, pushed me to be more intentional with my time, and reminded me that influence is often quieter than action. While challenging at times, it has been deeply rewarding, and I’m proud of how much I’ve grown into the role this year. Looking ahead, I want to continue building confidence in my decisions, supporting other leads as they grow, and creating more sustainable ways of working, for myself and the teams I support.

To support my growth, both professionally and personally, I also want to continue leaning into AI and making small efficiency improvements where possible. One fun personal thing I did this year was using ChatGPT with Atlas browser as an agent to help find Christmas presents on Amazon for my kids, filtering by ratings and price, and adding items to my basket. While it didn’t go quite as smoothly as I’d hoped, it was a good step towards using AI to simplify tasks and reduce my tendency to overthink.

Improving how I work with AI will be a key learning curve next year. There’s a lot happening in this space, and it can feel hard to keep up, but finding ways to work more efficiently feels genuinely exciting.

As I close out 2025, I’m proud of the progress I’ve made, not just in what I achieved, but in how I showed up for myself along the way. This year reminded me that growth doesn’t always look loud or stand out, sometimes it’s built quietly through consistency, self awareness, and small decisions made day after day. I’m carrying that mindset into 2026, with curiosity, intention, and a willingness to keep starting, even when things feel imperfect.

Looking ahead to 2026

• Run 300km, running consistently throughout the year and completing my first half-marathon
• Read 20 books, including at least 5 personal growth books
• Write one blog post a month and one book chapter a month
• Travel to one new place each month, both personally and professionally
• Complete weekly personal and professional reflections, focusing on what went well, what I could do differently, and priorities for the week ahead
• Celebrate my wins