December is the perfect month for reflection. I enjoy looking back over 2025 and thinking about the highlights, the needs improvement, and the “did that really happen—and how soon before I can forget it did?” moments.

There are a few places we can physically revisit the past year:
the photo gallery on our phones, our social media posts, our journals, and our planners. All of them quietly tell the story of who we were and how we spent our time.

Why Look Back?

For me, reflection is how we continue to grow.

It’s how we understand why we made the choices we did and how we overcame the obstacles that crossed our paths. It’s where we remember who we spent our time with—and ask ourselves whether those people added value to our lives.

Reflection invites important questions:

• What mattered most this year?
• Where did we show up fully?
• Where did we wish we had shown up differently?
• How did we change—or did we feel called to?
• And most importantly, what lessons did we learn?

Those lessons are the real keepsakes.

My 2025 Look-Back

When I revisit my 2025 vision board, I’m proud to say I accomplished about 85% of it.

I still need to get my passport, and I haven’t joined a Pilates or kickboxing class (yet). But so much happened:

• Go Get the Priestess was published
• The first draft of That Night on the Bridge is complete
• I started a podcast
• I created far more social media videos than I ever thought I would (or felt comfortable doing)
• And yes—I lost 15 pounds 😊

Progress doesn’t always look perfect, but it’s still progress.

Looking Ahead to 2026

I’m genuinely excited about 2026.

My primary goal is to publish two books next year. I want to explore writing a series—something I’ve never done before—and center it around a woman in her 50s. All of my previous protagonists have been in their 30s, and it feels time to tell stories that reflect where I am now.

I’m also approaching my writing as a career, not just a hobby. I’ve put real work into improving my craft so that you, the reader, can find value and enjoyment in my stories. I love this work, and I want to keep doing it for as long as I have breath in me.

Planning Is My Love Language

I’ve shared before that I’m a planner. I blame my Capricorn energy.

My 2026 planners are already arriving in the mail—two this time. One for business. One for personal life. Which, of course, means two vision boards.

The passport goal is coming back. I’m saving for a solo trip to Paris. And there are closer adventures I’ve been putting off for far too long. I’ve lived in Texas for twelve years and still haven’t visited Austin, Houston, or San Antonio. In 2026, there will be more sightseeing and fewer excuses.

(And yes, for the record—I have been to Paris… Paris, Texas 😉)

An Invitation to You

As the year comes to a close, I encourage you to sit back and reflect on 2025.

Journal through your who, what, where, and why.
Honor the good moments and give yourself permission to experience more of them.
And don’t skip the lessons—those are what make us wiser.

If you already have your 2026 planner, light a candle, pour a favorite beverage, and allow yourself to dream. There’s something sacred about setting intentions during this quiet season.

Here’s to closing one chapter with gratitude and opening the next with intention.

Love and light,
Portia Leivette