Goodbye 2025 (pt. 1)
My fulfilled visions and my three most played songs during the year
It’s been a month since I posted on here! What! I needed to take some time to just breathe. December was a very hectic time, for many of you out there as well, I suppose. (Though, in case you missed it I did write a Yuletide Advice Column together with Ellen during December, read it here).
Time does really move fast during the holiday season. I have a hard time grasping that we’ve left 2025 behind us and that we now have a completely blank canvas to fill with new experiences and memories infront of us. I am ready for it — I guess it’s just the fact that 2025 was a really beautiful year and I almost feel as if I didn’t get the chance to say goodbye, to close the chapter. What better way to say goodbye than to dedicate a post to it!
Enjoy this post while listening to three of my most played songs this year. Starting of strong with my #1 most played:
The vision I had for the year
I’m not a person who’s into the whole thing of new years resolutions or setting firm goals. I feel as if I put unnecessary pressure on myself for no reason at all. I’m also a professional slacker so I guess that’s also a reason why setting goals and promises don’t really work for me…. However! I believe I cracked the code last year when I hosted a crafts night at my place with two friends where we made vision boards for the year. For one year straight I’ve been watching that board on my wall and let me tell you — all of my visions ended up coming to life!
My vision board had ‘THE RETURN’ written on it in capital letters. The board was divided into three major themes:
Better health
Finding my way back to myself
Better finances
(I was also very determined that 2025 was the year me and my partner would find our first common apartment).
Background to why these themes were set up
I started working full time after graduating university 2023. I completely lost it. I was extremely isolated — I didn’t spend time with friends (because I didn’t have any), I didn’t engage in any interests or hobbies because either I was too tired all the time, or I was scared to meet new people. I quite literally hit rock bottom. Hence, I wanted 2025 to be the year of my return. I was convinced that I wouldn’t waste another to loneliness and isolation and hence I would stabilize my life — investing in my mental and physical health, start saving money, and finding the way back to the girl I know I am. Those three themes felt important to start working on to build a firm foundation of myself.
How did it turn out?
I’ve already given it away — my vision board came to life! But here’s how and why.
Better health
During 2024 I had a lot of health check ups I should’ve done, but I was too afraid of what the results would say so instead I postponed the meetings with my doctor. In the beginning of 2025 I started contacting my doctor again and I can’t even remember the amount of meetings I had at the health center but all tests came back fine, and I felt as if I’d been carrying rocks on my shoulders that finally fell off! It was such a relief.
I also started focusing on eating better (i.e eating something else than butter toast or pasta with butter out of laziness every day), and my iron levels started going up again and my hair stopped falling out…. Who could’ve thought!
Finding my way back to myself
My little Substack came to life and I know I’ve been cheesy many times on here, telling you how grateful I am of the support and love this community brought me — but it’s true and I never really expected it. Understanding that people liked my writing and appreciated my vulnerability was something that, for the first time in years, boosted that small little self esteem inside of me. I’m so grateful and happy I chose to start this little blog.
I also forced myself to say yes more. I said yes to hang out with people I wasn’t so comfortable around just yet (because that’s how every new friendship has to start) and I said yes when my partner invited me to things I normally would refuse to attend because of my social anxiety. I’m still very fear-driven but it definitely got better during 2025.
Being around people in real life and being present on social media also gave me a lot more perspective and I realized that not a lot of people care. And the people who care too much about others are the real losers, anyway. So I started caring more about myself again, wearing what I feel pretty in and trying to find a style that represented the new me who’s out and flourishing.
I’ve met many sides of myself this year but I know there’s so much to see and meet in 2026!
Better finances
I started saving money. But most importantly I started applying for jobs and realized I wanted more for myself. To be continued…
(And lastly..
Me and my partner found an apartment! More about that when we’ve moved in in February/ Mars <3.)
Closing the chapter
Wow-oh-wow. It does feel a bit better to leave this year behind after writing this post. What a year! I’m excited to see what 2026 will to bring. I will write a part 2 of this post called ‘Hello 2026’ where I set up my vision for the new year together with you. Stay tuned! :)
Did you have any goals or visions for 2025 that you’re proud to have fulfilled? I’d love to know in the comments!