Happy New Year! Okay, I know that technically this is my second blog post of 2026, but I wanted some extra time to reflect on 2025 and think about what I want to be more intentional about in 2026. I wrote a new year’s post last year, and I think I’ll try to continue this tradition. It’s kinda cool to see how my priorities shift from year to year.
Reflecting on 2025
I set some fun goals for myself last year, and even though I didn’t achieve all of them, I’m really proud of myself for sticking to them this last year!
One of my goals was to read more. I’m not sure if I read more, but I certainly didn’t read less! I read or listened to 15 books on the Libby app, and read roughly 10 physical books.
Another goal was to go full time in photography, which I didn’t accomplish.
I also had the goal of deepening all of my relationships with family and friends, and I definitely feel that I accomplished that! I’ve had some fun and easy times with my people this year, but also some intense and emotional times. I’ve also been working on my social anxiety this year, which I have felt was a barrier to some of my friendships in the past, and am happy to report that it is improving.
Finishing all my home projects was a big goal for 2025 that I did not achieve, although progress was made! I finished decorating the guest bathroom (there are still things I want to do in there, but it’s a whole lot better than it was!), really only have one more thing I want to do in the guest bedroom, and then I haven’t finished anything in the master bed- or bathroom. And I still haven’t finished the dining room chairs lol.
My final goal for 2025 was to increase sustainability in my household, and I am sooo happy with all the progress I’ve made this year! I’ve been switching out personal care products this year for nontoxic ones, and we definitely ate veggies from the garden all summer and into the fall. We still have a bunch of stuff in the freezer too that we’ll be slowly eating this winter. I’ve also put energy into recycling and have stuck to it all year.
Goals for 2026
Looking back on what has served me well in 2025 and how I can use that in 2026, I have tried to make goals that can be easily integrated into my daily routines to form new habits. One thing that really helps me is adding tasks to my daily and weekly to-do lists, especially for things that don’t really take up much time but that I would otherwise put off. For example, if I notice something around the house needs to be cleaned, I put that specific task on my to-do list instead of adding the larger task of “clean house”. So anyways, here are my goals for the year!
1. Start cycle syncing. If you’ve never heard of this, you’re not alone. I only learned of it a few years ago, but this is the year I’m going to figure it out and do it consistently. It’s basically where you eat, exercise, and make your schedule around the different phases of your menstrual cycle. If you’re interested, I have found a lot of information here (sorry guys, this is just for the ladies!).
2. Spend less time scrolling on social media. I have already been trying over the last few months to spend more time in my real life and less time on my phone, but I want to make it an official goal for the year.
3. Eat less ingredients. Basically, eat less processed food. I started trying to do this last year, but this year it’s on the list. My plan is to make even more food from scratch than I already do – it tastes better and it’s a lot healthier!
4. Be less busy and more at peace. 2025 was one of the most chaotic years I’ve ever had (I think a lot of people felt this way!), and I’m honestly exhausted. Between some health stuff and starting a new job, I didn’t have nearly enough time to just relax or do hobbies, let alone work on my photography business as much as I wanted to. So my goal this year is to be less busy. I’m not sure exactly how I’ll accomplish that, but it’s my goal.
So there you have it! My goals for 2026 (as well as a bunch of photos from 2025!). Leave a comment below with your goals for this year, I wanna know what we’re all working on!
*All my blog posts contain a selection of images that I’ve taken. This blog post contains images that I took myself for personal use and enjoyment and are not intended to be used for marketing purposes. Most of them were taken on a cell phone, and all of them are unedited. If you are interested in viewing some galleries of my couples, intimate wedding, and elopement photography, click here. If you’re interested in booking a wedding or session with me, I am more than happy to send you a full gallery upon request!
I’m a wife, a dog mom, a foodie, a wanderer, a registered nurse, and a portraits/elopements/branding photographer … and this blog will cover it all! If you enjoyed this post, first of all thank you, and second of all please follow me on Instagram + Facebook and sign up for my monthly newsletter to get exclusive wedding planning advice and access to all of my new (and old) freebies! If you have any questions about elopement photography, my journey from nursing to photography, or my time spent as a full-time RVer, drop a comment and I just might write a blog post answering your question (but I definitely will)!
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