I once had a journalism professor in college who drilled one simple rule into us: “Start strong, end strong.” At the time, I thought he was just talking about writing assignments. But over the years, I’ve realized he was teaching us something much bigger.
I think about him every time I start anything — a project, a speech, a conversation, a plan. And this year was no different. I started 2025 strong. I wrote consistently. I loved the process. I felt connected to my voice and the direction I was heading in.
Then life happened — as it always does — and here we are, somehow at the end of the year.
The middle months? Honestly, kind of a blur. Being a business owner will do that. Being a mom will definitely do that. The pressure stacks up, the days get long, and suddenly you're looking around thinking, This is not at all where I expected to be. Not in business. Not personally. Not in any area of my life.
But strangely, that realization has been the most exciting part. Because if I’m not where I want to be, that means the only direction from here is up. And I know this for sure: we cannot expect different results while repeating the same patterns. Something has to shift. Something has to evolve. And that something is usually us.
Despite the stress, despite the chaos, despite the unexpected detours — I’m thankful. Truly. Thankful for what life has handed me, thankful for what I currently have, and thankful for where I’m headed next, even if I can’t see it clearly yet.
Now I’m preparing for winter, mentally gearing up for all that it brings — the cold, the heaviness, the quiet, the reflection. But this time, I’m choosing to end the year strong. Not perfect. Not with everything figured out. Just strong.
Because my professor was right: how you begin matters. But how you finish tells the real story.
xoxo,
a