2025 Goals I Did (and Didn’t) Accomplish

I’m a HUGE fan of the new year. Big. HUGE.

The week between Christmas and NYE? Hands down my favorite week to dream and scheme and reflect and plan.

It may be cliche, but mannnnn this week just does something for me.

I love fresh starts, so honestly that’s probably it.

Last week of 2024, I decided to do things a little different for my goal setting and started brainstorming a bingo card for 2025 (which I then brought to life when I was visiting my friend Hannah in North Dakota in January!).

I secretly wanted a blackout bingo (overachiever), but I was willing to settle for a traditional 5-in-a-row bingo.

Good news? I got a good chunk of my goals accomplished!

Not so good news? I didn’t get enough done to give myself an actual bingo.

So sad, but such is life. I’m still a huge fan of goal setting for the sheer fact of putting my wants of life and business out into the universe.

Here’s what I did and didn’t accomplish in 2025 – 

Some Goals I Accomplished in 2025:

1. Read 25 Books

For the last few years, my goal has been to read the same number of books as the year. 21 books in 2021. 22 books in 2022… you get it. This year, I read 29 books! My top two books of the year? Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten and Rich Girl Nation by Katie Gatti Tassin.

2. Three 5 Figure Months

So proud of this one. This year was the first year the business felt financially stable… which is wild because it’s also been 5 years of doing this full-time. Hoping for even more five figure months in 2026.

3. Two Weeks of Vacation

I took a full week off in August (well, kinda… I was interning with a winemaker). And then I took the last two weeks off this year!

4. Visit a New City

As the self-proclaimed queen of continuously returning to cities that I love, this was more challenging than I thought. For example, I went to Mexico City twice and Fredericksburg FIVE TIMES. But the new city I visited was… Devils Lake, ND! 

5. Perform a Piano Recital

I had TWO piano recitals this year! In May, I played Prelude in B Minor by Chopin  and Prelude in E Minor by Chopin. In December, I played Dawn (aka the opening scene from Pride & Prejudice, 2005 version) and Christmas Time is Here by Vince Guaraldi. 

6. Rebuild my High Yield Savings Account

Y’all, my HYSA dwindled quickly during my first 3 years of entrepreneurship. Finally in a place to rebuild it (specifically my emergency fund) and start allocating funds for different personal goals. PS: I’ve been using Ally since 2016 and highly recommend!

7. Pay off the rest of my credit card debt.

Okay look, being a SINK entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. In my first few years of entrepreneurship I took a risk and acquired some credit card debt so I could keep running my business. Thankfully, it paid off and this year, I finally paid off all my debt.

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Some Goals I Didn’t Accomplished in 2025:

1. Max out my Roth IRA.

I made it about halfway, but other investments and financial goals took priority. The limit is increasing in 2026, and this goal is staying on the docket for the new year.

2. Finish all the Harry Potter books and watch all movies.

Okay look. I can only handle so much fantasy… and ACOTAR took up all that brain space so I do still need to finish book #7. 

3. Launch The Eating Expedition Podcast / Publish 4 YouTube Videos

I lost the spark for this. I published 1 video at my family’s vineyard with my aunt and recorded the trailer episode for the podcast… and then my focus and energy shifted elsewhere. Maybe this will find me again, but for now it’s gonna sit dormant.

4. Go to 2 Sports Games.

Honestly I am SHOCKED that this didn’t happen. I love going to live sports events and for sure thought this would be an easy peasy goal.

5. Publish all my templates.

Will I ever actually be done with this? I made some good progress, launching add-ons for Ebb & Flow and House of Bold, and built a website that will turn into a new template in 2026!

6. Send birthday cards to friends and family.

I didn’t mail any cards, but I DID make a list of all my friends birthdays and collected addresses. This goal will be continuing on to 2026! 

7. Go on 2 dates with men I met in the wild.

In the wild = not on dating apps. And I went on 1 date. Know an eligible bachelor? Hook a girl up. I love going on dates.

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No blackout bingo. No five-in-a-row. And still a year I’m really proud of with plenty of proof that progress doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful. On to a new year ✨