I think the things I did in 2025 moved me closer to my north stars and my dreams, even though on paper it doesn’t look like I made a lot of headway.
I had 4 north stars going into the year. I did okay at keeping them in mind, but in reality, I only pressed on in the journey toward seeing a book that I have written in the wild. Having just gotten the news that Burnout Recovery is headed to the printers, this book is feeling more and more real every day.
Things that I set out to do and Accomplished:
In the post I made about my 2025 goals, I defined success in 6 specific ways. Honestly, I didn’t meet any of these goals in their entirety. It can be easy to read that as “so I wasn’t successful.” But I don’t think that’s the case.
6 more books on the proud of myself shelf, at least three with my name on the spine
- Successful launch, publication and promotion of Advanced Unicorn Theory
- Self-publishing at least one book
I have 4 books on my proud of myself shelf from 2025. Three are self-published, one is a flash fiction literary journal.
There are a handful of projects coming out next year, including the unicorn book, which is now called The Unicorn Evolves. Creation, peer review, editing, and preparation for publication takes so much more time than I anticipated. I don’t have a publication date in 2026 for the unicorn book, but I’m expecting it in Q3.
Similarly, I saw Burnout Recovery through from signing the contract to completing print proofs this year. It will be available March 24, 2026.
I self-published three books, not one! I published the ebook novella Arrows and Ambrosia in February, a paperback and ebook version of Magic, Murder, and Machines in August, and an ebook and audiobook version of The Last Red Dragon in September.
So, while I didn’t meet the specific metric of 6 books on the shelf, I still feel proud of this and count it as a success.
Free of arthritis symptoms and tracking for remission status
I did a lot of things to take care of my health in 2025, but I’m not in remission. I did start getting allergy shots. I got several vaccinations, including shingles. I have been doing all of the responsible scans and tests my doctors want me to do. Remission is still a goal and a dream that keeps me aligned with healthy habits.
Stable, steady income that meets or exceeds my monthly expenses
- At least 20 coaching client sessions per month
- At least 1 Morbid Anatomy class per month
- At least 1 Morbid Anatomy lecture per quarter
- At least 1 Morbid Anatomy and Patreon on-demand class per quarter
- At least $100/ month from passive income sources
While I did teach at least one class per month, and I did roll out 2 on-demand classes, I did not meet my monthly expenses with my income. I did achieve at least $100/month from passive income, though!
With the learning curve of business banking, I was able to determine that my business is cashflow positive, and I got really close to the break-even point later in the year. There will be new goals around this for 2026.
I did successfully launch coaching, but I didn’t market it or grow it as a channel through the year. I have some great clients, and I’m looking forward to delving into this more next year.
An emergency fund set up properly
In the above goal, “set up properly” means not sitting in a low-interest savings account like a lump. Which is done. Unfortunately I’m still living out of savings to an extent, so it’s more of a “living” fund than an “emergency fund.”
Maximum annual IRA contribution made by end of year
I did not make enough money to contribute extra to my IRA. The good news is that my investments, with the financial manager that I hired, did grow 12.5% over the course of the 9 months I worked with her. I’m also paying lower fees and feeling more in control of my investments and retirement funds. Hiring her was the right step to take, for sure.
Taking one trip per quarter
Josh and I took trips in March and October. I did a solo getaway in April. This year was way less travel than I usually do, but it was also a lot lower stress for me. (Josh has been very stressed, so I often think about the vacations being more for him than anything.)
I will say, though, that the trips we have taken have been rich and rewarding! I’ve seen a lot of beauty and a lot of history this year.
Surprises and Side Quests in the Past Year
I often ask folks what surprised them about the year and its events. So often, external events can make things go sideways and we can’t always allow for that.
In May of 2025, there was a huge hailstorm. It punctured my skylights and caused damage to my roof. I’ve been wrestling with homeowners insurance and repairs since then. It’s been a lot of extra homework from the universe. In a way, it ensures that the roof over my head is in the best shape it can be. But it’s also time-consuming and frustrating.
My garden didn’t take off like I had hoped it would, and I was disappointed by that. Trying to apply lessons learned for next year on what went well and what didn’t.
A successful side quest here at home was learning how to maintain, bake and create gluten free sourdough bread here in high-altitude New Mexico. It took about 5 months to get the recipe nailed down. But now I bake bread every 2 weeks, and it’s cheaper than buying loaves at the grocery store (and better bread)!
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed doing the audiobook narration for The Last Red Dragon. I was also pleased to learn that I was quite good at the work. For a while I’d considered doing audiobook narration professionally, so it was fun to try on that hat for a little while. I probably won’t go pro, but I do want to keep recording my own self-published pieces.
Similarly, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed recording podcasts, and how much positive feedback I’ve received from that work. I recorded eight podcasts this year. Each one has been so fun! Also, I’ve found that podcasts were the marketing “lever” that moved the needle more than any other in terms of growth on classes and Patreon.
I think the last side quest that I’ve embarked on is a Tracking Wonder cohort that I’ve joined with other entrepreneurs and solopreneurs. It’s a wonderful group of people (I knew it would be) and it’s already helped me so much as I work toward growing a sustainable business.
Lessons learned as I think about 2026
When I consider what went well, and what didn’t go well this year, I’m mostly noticing where my energy is flowing. There are certain projects that I wake up in the morning eager and interested in doing, and others that feel like slogs. I notice that because it helps inform me about where I should be spending my energy and attention.
Things that are flowing and interesting for me right now are:
- I’m about halfway through creating a deck of Oracle Cards. Those videos are starting to appear in Patreon, and will begin in the summertime on YouTube when the Tarot series is complete. This project is kind of a “side quest” because it’s not directly related to the rest of my work. I enjoy the creative visual-art element of it, which gets me out of writing-brain.
- The fun that I had with podcasts is leading me to create my own. I’m just in the nascent phases of it. But I’m excited to try for an April launch.
- I’ve learned so so much about the business of putting books out into the world. Between self-publishing and two trad-pub works in progress, I feel like I have a better idea of what that demands, and how much time it really takes. As I move forward with other book projects next year, I think I have a better idea of what to expect of myself and others in this regard.
- I have challenged myself in 2025 to write a poem each morning along with my journaling. I’ve enjoyed rediscovering this part of my writing self. I think for 2027, I want to pitch a poetry book, so that gives me next year to relearn craft and revise and order these poems.
Things that aren’t flowing as much in 2025:
- I would like to automate more of my marketing, and ideally to reuse more of the content that I’m creating, rather than doing so much from-scratch creation. I think both Patreon and my websites need regular new content, but they also should be able to recycle and reuse some of it.
- While teaching classes is interesting and fun, and it does grow my reach and expand my audience, they aren’t really where I want to be spending my energy next year. Rather than trying to teach a class per month, I think I want to slow this pace a little bit. I also want to be way more strategic and intentional about what I’m doing with each of these classes. One of my other ideas for next year is to diversify where I’m teaching them to reach a broader audience.
- I only attended one conference in 2025, and I am really not feeling conferences just yet for the coming year. Usually, I’m looking excitedly at calls for papers, and I really just can’t drag myself into that activity.
- I also feel like it’s a time waster to keep looking for jobs. I want to commit to myself and to my business to keep trying to grow without having to get additional work to make ends meet.
It can be easy to get discouraged by the ups and downs of the roller coaster of daily life. The political climate, the economy, the environmental climate, and the world around us make it easy to feel like we’re “failing” when in fact, we are still moving in the direction of our dreams.
The Burnout book comes out in March, and is a “real” book by a real publisher. It’s distributed by Penguin Random House. It’s very very likely that by next spring, I will see that book in the wild in a bookshop. That moment has been a North Star of mine for over twenty years. I’ll be sure to let you know when I reach it.
Touching on Q4’s Goals
Since I actually do most of my goal-setting quarterly, rather than annually, it’s also worthwhile to spend a moment checking in on the goals I set for the last 90 days.
- R&R – This has gone well. The vacation was a success, and I have been able to slow down with fewer projects.
- I mentioned the Tracking Wonder group above as something that’s really working for me. It helps provide accountability and a sense of belonging. This is a commitment through September of next year, so I feel good about that.
- I finished the Tarot videos on Patreon, and they are scheduled through July on YouTube. I’m not sure whether I’ll pursue making that a book or not. I initially considered it, but my energy isn’t flowing in that direction, and I have a LOT of other projects that will come ahead of it.
- I’m definitely moving the Oracle deck and its videos into the next phase. I’ve got a handful of the videos up on Patreon, and I’ve created over half of the cards themselves. I’d love to get “ahead” of schedule on this to give myself more space, and to be able to pitch the deck earlier in the year.
- I’m doing more of the legwork for The Unicorn Evolves now that it’s been submitted. I’d like to have it complete by the end of the year if possible. (Not sure that’s possible, I’m waiting on emails from other people)
- I submitted Tricksters and Virgin Goddesses for Q1. The Grim Grimm class that didn’t happen in October has been bumped to April, and there’s a one-day Equinox workshop in March. This is a solid “check!”
- I haven’t made as much headway on the podcast as I’d like to have made, but it’s still on my mind and in my plan for the New Year.
- Fiction writing-wise, I’ve finished and submitted two short stories in the last quarter. I have been chipping away at a few stories, but this hasn’t been a focus for much of December, honestly.
- Health is going okay, I’m finishing up vaccine series, and I’m better at not having to leave the house every day for appointments. It’s easier to stack them when they are all in the same town!
- Home-wise, I still have yet more insurance claim wrangling to continue doing. I also need to do some of the winter yard work to make my life easier come Fire Season in the Spring.
Overall, I feel even-keel, and like I’ve been keeping up with the goals I’ve set. Of the 70 items I intended to produce in Q4 on Patreon, websites, and social media, I’ve completed 60 of them, and I’m on track to wrap up 6 of the remainder before the end of the year. One thing I’m really cognizant of right now is whether this work is “busy work” or if it’s truly moving me in the direction of my dreams.