Well, not quite. As I’ve reflected on the last 12 months, on what truly matters to me both personally and professionally, I’ve realized that what I want is a return to my core strengths and values, ones I worried were at risk of being filed away as “auld lang syne,” under days gone by.
When we want to achieve our goals and see sustainable change, we typically want to draw upon things that we inherently value, so leveraging my signature strengths of leadership, creativity, curiosity, connection, and love of learning are actually good places to start.1 Still, after a conversation with Moraya Seeger DeGeare, MA, LMFT on our HomeEc Podcast, I realized I needed to anchor my goals for 2025 with more intention, so the word I’m using to guide me through 2025 is: Wellness.
Given what we’re doing at Personawealth, I recognize that might sound hollow, but I’m sharing this as someone who has felt the sting of burnout, the weight of unmet expectations, and the undeniable pull toward something better.
When Work No Longer Works
In the very recent past, I was thriving in a job that reminded me of a line from The Devil Wears Prada, a role “a million girls would kill for…” I was a young leader at a top-tier bank, climbing the proverbial ladder with a team I loved and work I was genuinely good at. But then something shifted. The culture, one where I was explicitly asked to be a culture carrier when I was first hired, seemed to change overnight. Toxic personalities infiltrated the department, and morale plummeted across the board.
Each day started to feel like I was pushing a rock uphill, and I know my colleagues saw the change in me. By the end of my time there, I was acutely aware of how much my mental health had suffered, and unfortunately, I left as a version of myself I barely recognized.
I was thriving in a job that reminded me of a line from The Devil Wears Prada, a role “a million girls would kill for…”
The Cost of Success: Taking Stock of the Body and Mind
Success at work often comes at a price, and in my case, that price was paid at home. Balancing the demands of leadership with the realities of parenting and maintaining a marriage is no easy feat.
Looking back on the last year, I wasn’t a great parent, and I definitely wasn’t a great partner. That’s a hard thing to admit, but it’s the truth. When I reflect on the moments I missed or the connections I let slip, it’s a gut punch. There’s no other way to describe it.
But here’s the thing about gut punches: They wake you up.
As I approach 40, I’ve come to terms with the fact that my body isn’t going to magically maintain itself. It requires intentional care – strength training, better nutrition, and more sleep. Sure, there’s a dash of vanity in wanting to feel good in my own skin, but it’s deeper than that.
As a sandwich generation at home, we’re navigating long-term care and hospice, stark reminders of life’s impermanence. Watching loved ones grapple with mortality has forced me to ask myself some hard questions too: Am I doing enough to preserve my own health? Am I showing up fully in the moments I still have?
The answers are harsh truths, but they’ve become my compass.
A Cynical View of a Broken System
When I look around at the world, it’s hard not to feel a little cynical. The systems we’ve built – financial markets, healthcare, education – feel deeply broken.
Corporate America tells us to chase profit and consumption endlessly, as though that’s the pathway to happiness, and yet as cliché as it is, we know it’s not. The healthcare system fails far too many, leaving people struggling to access even basic care. Inequality is rampant, and the rising tension is palpable.
Even within families, the struggle is real. It’s not just those living paycheck-to-paycheck who feel stretched. Too many couples spend their marriages talking about logistics – schedules, to-do lists, who’s picking up the kids – and wake up years later wondering, Who are you? Who am I?
I’ve seen it, I’ve lived parts of it, and I know we deserve better.
Choosing Hope, One Step at a Time
While I might sound cynical, I’m actually quite optimistic – or dare I say hopeful. The way forward is wellness - not as a buzzword with Goop vibes, but as a framework for rethinking our relationships with ourselves, our work, and each other.
Money is too often a source of stress, but it doesn’t have to be. At Personawealth, we’re working to redefine people’s relationships with money and believe it can be a tool for building a life that aligns with what matters most – family, health, and connection.
Wellness as a Touchstone
For me, wellness serves as the filter through which I can make decisions both large and small. It might sound vague, but it actually involves:
Activating positive emotions: Acknowledging the moments every day that remind me of my vitality, even when things get hard.
Engaging activities: Doing more things that bring me into a state of flow or joy, where time feels expansive.
Enhancing relationships: Showing up more fully for the people I love and building deeper connections.
Orienting myself toward meaning: Reflecting on what truly matters, aligning my actions with those values, and expressing gratitude.
Redefining accomplishment: Taking the time to honor small wins, even when setbacks happen.
This isn’t about perfection – it’s about progress. As I make my plans, I’m going to check in with myself to see how I’m feeling, take stock of what’s working and what’s not, and change course where necessary. This not only demonstrates flexibility, but ultimately, provides moments for grace – grace for myself and grace for others.
Looking Ahead to 2025
I’m confident that this time next year, I’ll look back and see growth. My well-being will have improved, not because I made all the right decisions, but because I chose to prioritize it.
I hope that with a little luck (and a lot of hard work), Personawealth will have helped many others do the same because when we redefine our relationships with money, we unlock the ability to focus on what truly matters: living well.
So, here’s a toast to 2025 - may it be a year of #wellness for all of us.
And there's a hand my trusty friend! And give me a hand o' thine! And we'll take a right good-will draught, for auld lang syne.