Be warned, dear reader: This is a bout of introspection that veers toward naval gazing.
All December long, I felt the pull toward drafting all the year-end content: 2025 in review, top post recaps, 2026 goal setting, and so on.
I wasn’t pulled because I wanted to write any of that–I didn’t and still don’t–but because it’s what is expected. As someone who has worked on the internet for a long, long time, those ebbs and flows of content can be compelling. Tempting.
But, this space, along with my email and my Instagram, all feel like extensions of my life and my work, which are often woven together incredibly tightly.
So, instead of dropping into the expected content of a new year, I’m going to reflect on what I’m doing in my non-online life and see how it fits here. And I have a few questions, so I’d love your input if you’re so willing.
- Committing to consistency, not stringency.
Last year was HARD. Against a backdrop of what feels like the world falling apart, we dealt with illnesses, losses, school stress, and more. Personally, my book launch didn’t go as well as I’d hoped or dreamed it would. (I think a few people requested a post on the publishing process, so I’m adding that to my queue… stay tuned, but if you have specific questions you want me to address, leave them in the comments, please.) Stola joined our family and took us on a wild ride (post on that soon, too).What I realized amidst the turbulent year was that I wasn’t showing up consistently… anywhere. For anyone or anything. It felt like trying to keep the dam from bursting but running out of fingers to plug the holes. I wore myself completely down trying to do everything but feeling like I did nothing.
Then, I was reminded of the Nora Roberts story about how we’re juggling glass balls and plastic balls; the key is not to drop the glass ones. (Google it if you want the full analogy. It’s good.) So, I sat down and tried to sort out glass from plastic, and I realized that if I show up for a few specific things every single day, I’ll make progress. Slow progress is better than being frozen in place. The other things… meh. I’ll get to them. Or not.
- Using my voice for what matters. Re: the world falling apart. There’s so much happening that it can become so easy to either look the other way and avoid it all OR get so consumed that it’s difficult to move forward. I fall in that latter category. So, in the vein of glass and plastic, there are a few places I can use my voice where it matters. Here’s what’s coming soon:
– On Christmas Eve, while combing through the horrors of the newly released files, I discovered the name of a board member from The Honest Kitchen involved. I quickly fired off a Facebook post, which you can read here and it includes the source link. I am working on an email to send out tomorrow with how I plan to use my voice to ask THK to remove him from their board. I’ll share more via Substack and hope to pull together a draft template anyone can snag.
– Slashes to DEI programs and assistance programs like SNAP are resulting in larger animal surrenders and more desperate situations in community shelters around the United States, including an impact on live releases.
– Same for deportations. Imagine leaving your home in the morning to go to work, getting snatched off the street, and your pets are just… there. Trapped. In your home.I will continue storytelling, of course. I haven’t told many Stola and Penny stories, and I have a backlog, so look for those. I’ll continue writing about training and welfare and all the topics that matter to me, and I’m going to weave in these larger discussions that are demanding we pay attention.
- Balancing work with rest. Serious question: Are any of you bad at resting like I am? I genuinely suck at rest. I feel guilty, like how can I possibly take a nap when there are still unreturned emails and dishes in the sink? Or, okay, fine. I will sit down to recharge for a little, but what else can I be doing? Like, how can I maximize this rest time? Sigh.
There’s always so much to do–it’s truly unending–yet I constantly move the bar on myself. It ties into being consistent instead of stringent. I can’t keep going without pausing, and the intense exhaustion I struggled through last year proved it. So, I’m going to figure out how to rest. What does that mean for here? Well, sometimes I might just post a silly story about the pups or a list or something instead of a deeply researched post. Taking it easy instead of seriously.
These are the thoughts that were swirling in my head when I sat down to write this morning. I actually intended to write a post about Stola and a progress update, but these thoughts took precedence. Next week: Stola shenanigans.
No real reflecting on 2025.
No real goal setting for 2026.
Yes, I have a list of projects to complete in service of my larger vision and purpose (expanding the catio! finishing another book! de-cluttering the house! reading instead of scrolling! etc.), but no specific metrics for me this year.
If there are any questions you have or topics you’d like to see me cover in the year to come, please do let me know in the comments below!
Are you setting goals or resolutions? Do you tend to tackle retrospectives and resolutions or avoid them?
Thanks, as always, for being here.
And cheers to a new year!
P.S. Big favor: If you’ve read FOR THE LOVE OF DOG and have a spare minute, could you please leave a review on either Amazon or Goodreads? Not only does that help get the book out there, BUT I’ve entered a juried book fair, and one of the judging points is a minimum of 35 reviews on either platform with a rating of 3 stars or above. I currently only have 26 reviews on Amazon and one is a 1-star. I have 17 on Goodreads and one is a 2-star. (Interestingly, the same person left both those low reviews…) Your help is SO greatly appreciated!
