From Peace to Curiosity - goodbye 2025, hello 2026!

26th December 2025… or as we know it over in the UK - Boxing Day

The one day per year in which we see the country divide in a way we have only ever seen over the 2002 Pop Idol Gareth Gates or Will Young vote.

For one half of the country, Boxing Day is a day for prolonged celebrations, a slower pace, a selection of Turkey themed meals and slightly lukewarm, bubble-less Prosecco.

For the other half, we see the strong willed, strong minded and strongly caffeinated summon their nearest and dearest with their seasonal war cry and head down to battle, in an annual pilgrimage known as the Next Boxing Day sale… a place where you can find up to 80% off things you would never have normally bought in the first place. 

As I sit, full bellied on the sofa typing away under the watchful eye of Rosie and Willow (the pups), I’ll let you guess which camp I fall into…

In our house, Boxing day is often a day of what Liam likes to call ‘chill’,, and being less than familiar with this concept of chill, for me, it turns into a day where my brain likes to do what it does best… think, plan, ruminate and reflect. Today's activity of choice is reflection, which is exactly why we have ended up here…

At the start of 2025, I decided I wanted to focus on the word Peace. Now, I am fully aware of how hippie and namaste this sounds but bare with, this had several layers to it and it was to be used as the compass for decision making and action taking…

For those that know me, it will come as no surprise when I confess to being somewhat of a ‘passionate work advocate’ (I’m purposefully avoiding the term work-a-holic as this ‘passion’ has served me extremely well thus far…) a happy-peril of absolutely loving your career!

Left unattended, I would take on more work than physically possible, cramming every god sent minute with ‘stuff’, and spinning more plates than a jet powered Yo-sushi belt…and I bloody loved it.
However, by pouring EVERYTHING into one work-shaped jar, it meant that my ability to show up in other areas of my life was compromised. Not only that, but my body, the thing I needed to be in top form to be able to deliver all the work, was slowly starting to falter. (Apparently I'm not 21 anymore… who knew!)

The word Peace wasn't about reaching a destination, it was about a process. Finding peace in flexibility, Finding peace in being able to rest. Finding peace in shedding old layers and outdated beliefs and evolving into the person I wanted to be.

Now here comes the curveball.

Over the past 12 months we have successfully launched Be Your Own Coach and welcomed many businesses onto the platform, as well as having the best year yet with consultancy, development and coaching programmes…

Huh? Surely building another company isn’t exactly peaceful?

Well no, on paper, but along the journey I learnt that peace wasn’t about less or more, it wasn’t about hours or days, business or rest; peace was about unloading the baggage I was choosing to bring on the journey.

The baggage of pressure

The baggage of habit

The baggage of familiarity 

The baggage of safety

Peace was always at the core, it had just become buried underneath the excess baggage, and if any of you have ever flown with Ryanair, you know how much of a problem that excess baggage can be!

2025 has been about getting comfortable in the discomfort of leaving the baggage behind. And that has come in many forms. 

From reducing mental (and physical) pressure and expectations in the gym, moving into a new office creating physical work-boundaries, working with specialists to identify underlying health challenges and exercising the skill of rest and reconnection with life external to work…(Hello new found love of Yoga!)

Like with anything new and different, it hasn’t been easy and by god it hasn’t been smooth sailing, but I am so fortunate to be married to the most supportive, kind and driven man, who has been grasping the other side of the wheel, and navigating these new waters with me, compass and map in hand!

And now, 12 months later, December 2025, I am so proud of the journey we have taken so far…
We have sailed into a brand new ocean, one which is peaceful yet challenging, calm yet surprising, but one which is full of hope and opportunity. 

On paper, their has been no wild 180...

New businesses, career growth, still training, travelling…etc…
Yet everything is different. 

The approach is one of clarity, intention and choice, free from excess baggage and pressure and with a lighter and brighter spring in each step!

Which brings us to 2026. 

That is my word for 2026 -  Curiosity 

Again, it’s not a destination, it’s a mindset. 

I want to continue on the journey, fueled by the ‘what if’, and curious to see what happens when you challenge the norm. 

It won’t all go to plan… but no great story started with a '5 step process'…

So here I am, 26th December 2025… curious to see what I and we are capable of unlocking in the next 12 months. I am curious to find out how proud I can be, how much joy I can create, how much love I can feel and how wonderful the next chapter can be.

And if you have made it this far, thank you. 
I am truly grateful for your time and I hope that maybe some part of my ramblings have given you an idea, a thought or even just a little smile to take into the new year (or a word to use yourself!)

Enjoy your celebrations and I'll see you in 2026!

Lots of love 

Kathy x