Breakthrough: 2025 One Word In Review

According to the authors of One Word that will Change Your Life, the main issue with traditional New Years resolutions is that “Success is measured by what we accomplish instead of who we become.”

This perspective has always resonated with me. I’ve long prioritized internal, qualifiable, intangible goals over the external, quantifiable, and tangible ones. To me, the former tend to be more transferrable and long-lasting. But coming into 2025, I desperately wanted to experience both. I wanted the internal transformation that the One Word process promises, but I also wanted to see and experience results. Internal work is hard! And I felt ready to enjoy the fruit of those labors.

Breakthrough became my One Word for 2025, and it has been working in and through me to the very end.

As I reflect on the past year, I’m noticing a pattern of internal breakthroughs creating external effects. Here are a few examples:

Podcasts & Palpitations

When I was younger, I’d tag along to many of my dad’s work events. He’d proudly introduce me to his colleagues while I peered up at them from behind his knees. “She’s shy like her dad,” he would joke. For as long as I can remember, words like shy, quiet, and reserved have been baked into my identity. As a business owner, I’ve had to breakthrough those old patterns and be more willing to share this work than protect or shelter myself from the world.

In March, I had the opportunity to join Ann de Passos and Kim van Niekerk as a guest on their podcast, The View Looks Good. While I felt safe in the conversation itself, I didn’t expect to feel such an intense level of exposure when the episode was released. Suddenly, my words were recorded for anyone, anywhere to hear. And not only to hear, but to respond to, to have opinions about, to judge, to disagree with…

My body and nervous system reacted to this exposure. I started experiencing heart palpitations and difficulty breathing. I’m incredibly grateful for the medical professionals who listened, believed, and helped me explore these symptoms with curiosity. When no clear medical or structural issues were found, I leaned on what I’ve learned through coaching. My body was responding to signals from my brain, and those signals were telling me that I wasn’t safe, that I needed to be on high alert for threats that might be lurking nearby.

But these thoughts weren’t true. With the help of my dear friend and fellow coach, Dee Dee Valmarie, I was able to find a sense of safety within and to ground myself in love and connection rather than fear and isolation.

Since that first episode was released, I’ve been a guest on two additional podcasts. This episode with Noella Moshi was recorded while I was still experiencing some of the physical symptoms I mentioned above, and if I listen closely, I can hear the shortness of breath in my voice. I’m proud that I didn’t push through these symptoms nor did I run away from them. I cared for myself through them and broke through an old identity story in the process.

The third and final guest appearance of 2025 was with Teresa Beehan on The Sensitive Professionals Podcast. This is the episode I feel most clear in my communication and positioning. Much of that clarity is thanks to the work I did and the support I received from Ellen Donnelly.

Which brings me to Breakthrough #2: 

Clarity -> Clients

“People find what you have to say interesting, but no one knows what you do or anything about the service you provide.” In a nutshell, this was the quote from Ellen’s website that prompted me to schedule a discovery call. No one knew about my coaching because I wasn’t clear how to communicate it myself. I was frustrated that I still struggled to articulate an answer to “basic” questions like “What do you do?” or “Who do you help?” Ellen’s work provided the structure and support I needed to clarify my Authority.

Together, we worked to hone my positioning. From there, I was able to completely rewrite and redesign my website and I published a newsletter series outlining Anomaly’s key ingredients. Ironically (or most likely not), shortly after this, I received an unexpected introduction to someone who completely aligned with this positioning and with the vision I have for Anomaly. So much so, that I thought I blew our discovery call out of sheer giddy excitement! But she said yes to working together and in that moment, my future vision became part of my present experience.

There’s still clarity that’s unfolding day by day, client by client. But I’m incredibly proud of the breakthroughs I’ve created in this area so far.

Control vs Co-Creation

“Control the controllables.”

This mentality was everywhere at Northwestern Mutual. For high-achievers like myself, abiding by this “rule” provided a sense of structure, safety, and predictability. But it was also limiting. It kept me from flexing the muscles of possibility.

So, throughout 2025, I was intentional about creating space for the unexpected. A big part of that breakthrough was shifting from believing that every outcome relied on my control toward a belief that everything is co-created. I’ll continue to own my part AND I acknowledge that I’m not the only one contributing. With this shift, I’ve found unexpected referrals, unexpected income, unexpected opportunities, and unexpected challenges… all working in my favor.

Creating space for the unexpected is not an excuse to be passive. It’s a recognition of paradox rooted in abundance.

More on this in future newsletters, but this has been a huge breakthrough for me spiritually, as an achiever, and as a perfectionist throughout 2025.

Elevated (& Aligned) Emotions

Equine-assisted coaching and therapy has been something that’s piqued my curiosity over the past few years. In October, I had the opportunity to visit a friend in North Carolina and, together, we experienced the magic of Temenos Farms. It’s hard to be in the peacefulness of that pasture and not feel deeply emotional. I thought I knew a thing or two about presence and integrity but the horses there, Star and Sage, were absolute masters in these traits.

According to the owner, Brenda, horses respond to energy that’s aligned internally and externally. If you’re nervous internally but acting brave externally, they’ll leave. Your energy isn’t aligned and therefore, it’s harder to read and trust. But if you’re feeling nervous internally and your body language reflect this, they’ll lean in with compassion. Here’s an incredible summary and example of this magic from former athlete, JB Copeland.

Experiencing this first-hand, I was reminded of the attraction and power within elevated emotions like compassion, gratitude, love, joy, and freedom. Since my trip to NC, I’ve reestablished a daily gratitude and intention-setting practice. Rooting myself in these elevated emotions each morning means that I move through the day in the feelings of my future vision rather than the patterns of the past.

This may seem like a less obvious breakthrough than some of the others, but I feel it working within and through me, nonetheless.

Full & Focused

This is how I’m closing 2025. Full from a few too many Christmas cookies, yes, but mostly full of love. Love for Past Sarah, who made courageous choices through the year. Love for Future Sarah guiding and inspiring me daily. Love for each and every new friend and connection I’ve made this year across (at least) six countries and three continents. Love for both my blood and chosen family who continue to provide unwavering scaffolding, support, and safety. Love for my clients – past, current, and future – and love for their incredible Ideas. Love for the connectors who brought us together. Love for all of the unexpected and serendipitous moments that challenged, stretched, and delighted me throughout 2025.

Having experienced each of these breakthroughs, I’m heading into the new year focused on gratitude and the incredible possibilities 2026 will create!