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What if the best things in your year weren’t what you planned? As we wind down 2025, I’m reflecting on the surprises, tools, and shifts that made this year meaningful—personally and professionally. From discovering new values to finding joy in the unexpected, I’m sharing the 10 things I loved most this year, hoping they’ll inspire you to reflect, reset, and maybe try something new as you look ahead.

Highlights

• Discovered the Values Bridge Tool by Suzy Welch for deeper self-understanding
• Experienced the benefits of food sensitivity testing
• Used the How We Feel app to expand emotional vocabulary (and helped my kids do the same)
• Celebrated 15 years of marriage with a transformative Focus Lab experience
• Downshifted work for a more intentional, essential rhythm
• Learned to let go of “good” to make space for “great”
• Found renewed joy in podcasting and committed to another year
• Watched my family become avid readers (and hit a personal reading record)
• Built new friendships with real staying power
• Chose to stay and invest in our current home, embracing contentment

Chapters

00:00 Reflecting on 2025

00:51 10 Things I Loved in 2025: Categories & Overview

02:03 Values Bridge Tool by Suzy Welch

08:45 Food Sensitivity Testing

10:03 How We Feel App

13:29 Focus Lab Experience

15:01 Downshifting Work

17:11 Letting Go of Good for Great

20:25 Podcasting Joy

22:21 Family of Readers

24:15 New Friendships with Staying Power

26:12 Deciding to Stay in Our Home

29:00 Reflecting on Home and Values

29:58 Intentional Living

30:06 Closing Thoughts and Reflections

Resources

• Values Bridge Tool by Suzy Welch
  Values Bridge Tool 
• Book: 10-10-10 by Suzy Welch
• Brené Brown’s Values Assessment
  Book: Dare to Lead by Brené Brown
• Emotional Agility
  Book: Emotional Agility by Susan David
• How We Feel App
  How We Feel
• Focus Lab with Liz Forkin Bohannon
  Liz Bohannon’s Website
• Essentialism by Greg McKeown
  Book: Essentialism by Greg McKeown
• Liz Bohannon’s Podcast: Plucking Up
  Plucking Up Podcast

Want to learn more?

The Thread

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This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network.

Disclaimer: we may receive a small commission on any products purchased through the links used in this episode. I only recommend tools and resources I actually use and find valuable.