2025 taught me to observe the rhythms of life, the spaces I move through, and the energy I carry with me.
The beginning of a new year always holds a certain energy. Possibility and new beginnings, layered with closure and gratitude for a year gone by. I tend to move slowly through this transition… quietly reflecting. Not because everything feels settled, but because it doesn’t.
This season belongs to the Water element, and is represented in the Career - Self - Life Journey Gua (life area). Water invites us to go inward before moving forward. On the outside it reads radio silence, but under the surface, creativity swirls.
Looking back at 2025, as the Year of the Snake comes to a close, I can see how much this year was about shedding. The Snake doesn’t rush this process. It releases what no longer fits and trusts what remains.
2025 saw transition: my oldest turned 13. One of my closest friends lost her mom, a woman I’ve known for most of my life. I joined the perimenopause weighted-vest/high-protein club. I loosened expectations I didn’t realize were still structuring my days. I let myself be instead of striving to become. I started enjoying being here (both on Substack and Earth). Some of that ease came only after noticing how tired I’d been of following rules I had created for myself…
This was a year of reading energy more intentionally. Internally and externally. Noticing where I felt burnt out, where I felt supported, where things flowed and where they slowed. Instead of quieting those signals, I began designing around them. Choosing support over effort felt unfamiliar at first (in Human Design I believe they call this deconditioning).
Travel continued to be one of the places where this practice shines. In unfamiliar environments, patterns reveal themselves quickly… a new pace, schedule, rhythm, path. It’s never about how much you see, but what you notice and what you carry home with you. I enjoyed Japan and Hawaii, the Amalfi Coast and the French Alps among others. Always walking more than planned, lingering longer than expected, and paying attention to how I felt before my mind caught up. Each place took a piece of my heart and lent me a bit of perspective, often about myself and what being Home means.
More than movement, this year clarified something essential: design is a response to energy, not a show of taste. Whether I’m walking through a city, arranging a room, or structuring my days, the work is the same. Take your time, pay attention first, intervene second… sometimes the best thing to do, is nothing. Observation is an often-overlooked skill. Especially in a world that rewards constant revision.
This was a year of feeling into myself, of widening my view and deepening my work. I joined a mastermind and continued studying Feng Shui in Amanda’s Inner Circle, refining my language and understanding of things I’ve long sensed intuitively. I wrote more consistently here, creating a space for people who notice the subtleties too. If you’re still reading, you’re likely one of them.
This was also the first year I stepped into new conversations publicly. I appeared on my first podcast, in communities, and live Q&A sessions. What surprised me wasn’t the fact that I love chatting, but the resonance. When something is shared with intention, it tends to find those it’s meant for. It is my greatest joy to hear from someone who has gotten something from one of my thoughts. I created First Fridays as a space for thoughtful exchange and real-time curiosity.
As I step into my 45th year, I’m aware of the energetic exclamation point as I transition to my late forties… I’m stepping into 2026, this powerful Year of the Fire Horse, with clarity, softness and trust that what I’ve shed has led me here. Ready, but not rushed.
2025 wasn’t loud. It didn’t need to be.
It was precise and purposeful.
And it changed how I choose to move through the world…
xo
Abby
P.S. If you’re also in a reflective season, I’d love for you to stay here with me. Subscribe, share this with someone who’s moving quietly too, and join me live for First Fridays when you want a place to land and talk about all the things. My next one is February 6th 10:00 PST - don’t miss it!
