December 29, 2025 – Reflecting on 2025

As I often deliberate whether to maintain two blogs, here I am contributing to my second blog site. So there… decision made. I had mentioned in my previous post that I have a new #OneWord2026… that is, PRACTICE. But let’s reflect on my #OneWord2025… or this year’s word… LOVE. I remember having a difficult time committing to this word. My #OneWord2024 was HAPPY. Admittedly, that word was transformative. I was in the midst of many life changes and I needed to see my value and what made me HAPPY. I had to really listen to myself and my feelings… did this make me happy? If the answer was NO, then goodbye!!

In 2024, by understanding what made me happy helped me to see my values, what I valued, and ultimately MY VALUE. It was an incredible to experience and look back at that year and how my one-word unfolded. I started the year in January almost feeling burned out from perceived work expectations and output and I reached a tipping-point and realized I was really “done with” doing things for others to find my worth and define my value to others. I was never going to meet these perceived expectations. In other circumstances prior, I only set myself up to be overburden, neglected, and taken advantage of. It’s a horrible feeling and I believed that’s how life is and should be. BOY, I WAS WRONG.

Anyway, 2024 ended beautifully with me purchasing my new home, me adopting my cat, and me having minor surgery to move my health forward in a better way. I get to live my my kid while she goes to university, and we are living our best lives. I have autonomy. I have agency. I have boundaries (because I now know my value). The end of 2024 was a clear turning point in my life and entering 2025 was somewhat uncertain and turbulent. How can you beat a HAPPY year? I wanted to continue the transformation process with the one-word of LOVE. I was very uncommitted to the word (for months). I was almost scared of it. What did I really mean by the word? I was not looking “for love”… but in the end, I did.

What am I really saying? I ended up falling in love my myself, my life, and my work. I just love where I live. I love the work I get to do. I love my kid and my cat. I love my brother and sister. I love my dad. I miss my mom, but love her to bits. I love my family… the extended ones, of course. I love my the students I get to work with, I love my professional connections, and I love my friends who accept me for who I am… unconditionally. I love that Saturdays are “be a person day” and I love that I choose to do what I want, when I want. Having agency and autonomy is FREEDOM for me. I never knew life could be this way. I LOVE IT.

So, where does 2026 bring me? My #OneWord2026 came pretty quick for me. I think I found it at the end of November or the beginning of December. My one-word for 2026 is PRACTICE. I’m thinking about sustainability, longevity, and wellness. I want to be BRAVE… I want to have the courage to take risks despite the potential consequences (I am thinking about academia, and not jumping out of a plane). I want to be HEALTHY… I want to focus on my health and wellbeing. I want to engage in the DASH diet and walk everyday (or do something for me). And, I want to be WHOLE. I would always betray myself in the past by putting everything else or everyone else’s needs first. It’s ok to focus on what I like too.

Anyway, I LOVE how 2025 has manifested and I am looking forward to 2026 and engaging in Anders Ericsson‘s notion of “deliberate” PRACTICE.

According to Google AI: “Deliberate practice is a highly focused, structured, and intentional method of skill improvement that goes beyond mindless repetition, involving specific goals, constant feedback, and pushing beyond comfort zones to master challenging tasks, a concept popularized by psychologist K. Anders Ericsson to explain how experts achieve mastery. It emphasizes quality over quantity, focusing on targeted areas for growth, often with a coach, to achieve expertise in any domain, from sports to music to work.”

Lots to do on the horizon… for work, it’s fully implementing my research study, a chapter, a book review, a program evaluation, three conference proceedings, another paper, etc. on top of teaching assessment, motivation, and numeracy with the teacher candidates, “Pedagogy of Voice” for my undergraduate course, and School Based Teams for my graduate course. I love all of the teaching and learning that will be embedded in all of these courses, writing, and research. I have learned that I LOVE LEARNING. It’s not easy sometimes, but the learner mindset is a growth mindset. It helps me to flourish but also experience JOY.

For “be a person”… I am looking forward to taking action of my physical health. Over the last decade or so, I have focussed on my spiritual and mental health. That took some time and transformation… but now I’m ready to take care of me. I need to eat better, sleep better, and exercise. What I am learning is, if I don’t have my health, I don’t have anything. Which is true!! I need to stay healthy to continue to do the work I want to do… and enjoy… and LOVE (#OneWord2025). I also want to practice work habits, making timelines, and staying the course. This structured framework applies to both my personal and professional lives.

Thank you 2025 for an awesome year. I LOVED it. I’m looking forward to 2026.