At the start of 2025, my life looked solid from the outside — but strained underneath.

I was working full-time, using that stability to support a passion project I deeply believed in: helping people build better lives through habits. My family life was strong. I had a loving relationship with my wife, Kathy, and good connections with my daughters.

Physically and neurologically, though, I was struggling. Anxiety was high. My nervous system felt constantly “on.” Chronic right-knee arthritis pain and recurring headaches disrupted my sleep. I relied too heavily on medication just to get through the day. I wasn’t falling apart — but I was operating close to the edge.

That was my You 1.0.

My Intentions for 2025

Rather than chasing bigger goals or louder success, I anchored the year around three intentions:

1. Outreach: To help people through a genuinely useful habit-tracking app, a thoughtful community, and honest teaching rooted in lived experience.
2. Endurance: To strengthen my system — body and nervous system — not just my output.
3. Awareness: To increase emotional and state awareness, reduce anxiety, and respond rather than react.

At a deeper level, I wanted to reduce chronic pain, improve sleep, and build something sustainable — internally and externally.

This wasn’t a hustle year. It was an alignment year.

What Worked in 2025

Looking back, the wins weren’t flashy — but they were foundational.

I launched a habits community in the spring and showed up consistently with monthly themes, reflections, and challenges. I hosted regular group coaching calls and continued iterating on the Habits Coach app, shifting my focus from features toward actual usefulness.

This was also a year of deep learning. I spent significant time working with AI — not as a novelty, but as a thinking partner. It reshaped how I explore ideas, design systems, and create content.

On a personal level, I marked my 10-year meditation anniversary. That milestone felt less like an achievement and more like a quiet confirmation: mindfulness is no longer something I practice — it’s something I live from.

Health-wise, I made meaningful progress. Chronic knee pain that once shaped my daily decisions is now mostly manageable. Long-standing digestive issues stabilized. Time away — including two family cruises — helped my nervous system recover in ways no productivity hack ever could.

I also read steadily throughout the year and built a simple video setup that’s ready to be used more intentionally going forward.

What Stayed Steady

Some of the most important wins are the quiet ones.

Several chronic health conditions remained stable rather than disruptive. Relationships with family and close friends stayed grounded and strong. Those steady anchors created the safety needed for everything else to work.

You don’t celebrate these things loudly — but you feel their absence immediately when they’re gone.

What Didn’t Work (Yet)

Not everything moved forward as I hoped.

The community and app are still in early stages. Balancing paid work, passion work, and being fully present at home remains an ongoing practice. Daily movement dropped earlier in the year due to knee pain, and I’m still rebuilding consistency in a different way.

The book I’ve been circling is still waiting for its season. I’m also continuing to work on reducing reliance on medication and tightening nutrition habits. Progress in these areas hasn’t been linear — and that’s part of the learning.

No drama. No shame. Just clarity.

The Bigger Lesson of 2025

2025 wasn’t the year everything scaled.

It was the year I stopped ignoring my nervous system. The year I chose recovery before capacity. The year I built foundations that support alignment instead of fighting drift.

Growth doesn’t begin with pushing harder. It begins when the system finally feels safe enough to grow.

You 1.0 survives by effort. You 2.0 emerges through stability.

Looking Ahead

2026 doesn’t need reinvention.

It needs leverage.

• Building consistent engagement on top of quiet foundations.
• Training endurance now that pain is no longer the bottleneck.
• Bringing creative work forward slowly, honestly, and sustainably.
• And being more intentional about showing up for the people who matter most.

If you’re in a season of rebuilding rather than expanding, you’re not behind — you’re preparing.

Thanks for reading. If this reflection resonates, I hope it gives you permission to move at the pace your life actually needs.