As the year comes to an end, I always get that little nudge to slow down, look back, and think about everything that’s happened. So, here we go.

Lessons from the Last Few Years

The last few years have been some of the most significant of my life. And I know I’m not alone in that. So many people have faced challenges like these, often far greater than my own. But through it all, I’ve learned so much. About myself. About my mind. About life. About what really matters. About peace, and how fragile it can be if you don’t protect it.

Facing Life’s Hardest Challenges

In November 2022, Luke was diagnosed with cancer. At the same time, I was in the middle of becoming directly authorised by the FCA to launch my own wealth management business. He started chemotherapy in 2023, and by March 2024, we received the news we’d been praying for: he was in remission.

Yes, there’s still uncertainty. Doctors suggest it could be a five-year window before he needs treatment again. Yes, he still experiences pain and fatigue. But none of that compares to what he endured, or to what the boys went through emotionally alongside him. Looking back, I feel deeply grateful for where we are today.

Reflections on Work, Family, and Survival

When my financial figures for 2024/25 came through, it was encouraging to see it had been a decent year. The year before, 2023/24, was far tougher. Financially, I was barely in the positive. Emotionally, it felt like survival mode. But that year taught me important lessons. I learned how vital health is. And I learned how important it is for the boys to have their dad present, emotionally and physically. I knew I wanted to protect that at all costs. And you would too, if you had lived through what we did that year.

Losing Myself in Work

With Luke in remission, 2024/25 became a year of focus and expansion. For the first time, I had the space to grow the business. I knew I needed to work hard, but as 2025 began, I slipped into the belief that every hour had to be productive. Do more to achieve more. It felt sensible. Responsible. Necessary. I told myself this was how I kept my family safe, ensured everything was okay, and made an impact.

Somewhere along the way, I lost the fun. Work filled every moment. Productivity became my measure of worth. Joy faded. I drifted away from the people who had once brought lightness and laughter into my life. The pressure I put on myself became exhausting. There were moments where I tried so hard yet felt stuck. I felt like I was letting everyone down. I remember feeling completely drained, and honestly, pretty rubbish.

The Fear Behind the Hustle

Underneath it all was fear. I was terrified that if I stopped, everything would fall apart. So I kept going, believing that working harder was the only path to success - that providing for my family and growing the business should come at any cost. I convinced myself I’d deal with everything else later. Delayed gratification, right?

The thing is… I’d been here before. In 2023, at a retreat in London, I had the same mindset. That year, I truly believed that if I stopped, everything would unravel. I filled every moment with work, exercise, anything - just to keep moving. I didn’t pause. I didn’t reflect. I just kept going.

And the same thinking was still there at the retreat in 2025. Different circumstances, same belief: Just keep going. If you don’t, it will all fall apart. I remember someone saying to me: “Sarah, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results.” And that’s exactly what I was doing. She asked, “What if you did something differently?” She got goosebumps when she said it, and I knew there was something powerful in that question.

Turning a Corner

In October, I stopped drinking. (Yes, I’ve had a few over the holidays - and yes, I’m going back to being sober next week.) I also started sessions with Jessie. Slowly, I began to feel like I was turning a corner.

I’ve learned the importance of slowing down....really slowing down. Oddly enough, in the past few months, I’ve probably been busier at work than ever, with more clients and momentum than before. But alongside that, I’ve reconnected with people I genuinely enjoy being around. I’ve opened up again. I’ve rediscovered a sense of fun. I feel more at peace. More content. In many ways, it feels like I’ve come full circle, but this time it’s different. Calmer. Less frantic. More grounded. And it feels so much better.

The friend who picked up my car when I was admitted to hospital. The lift home. The quiet support that asked for nothing in return. Those few friends mean everything.

The Power of Awareness 

I realised that while I want to grow my business and make a real impact, I also need connection. When I was stuck in a head-down mindset, I missed opportunities. I couldn’t see what was around me because I was focused on a belief I’d created - that the only way to add value was to work at the expense of everything else.

Without realising it, I was limiting myself. And I reinforced those limits by looking for evidence, in podcasts, books, and ideas, that this was the “right” way to do things. But that’s how you lose touch with yourself. The stories we tell ourselves, and the way we get caught up in them, pull us away from what Jessie calls our “blue dot”: that calm, inner knowing that quietly understands what to do next.

Recently, I faced a situation that triggered a strong emotional reaction. Almost immediately, I started spinning a story - how it would be received, what might happen, what it could lead to. That story shut me down. When I told Jessie, she helped me see something simple but powerful: if I stick with what I actually know, without layering on the story, clarity appears. The story is the only thing in the way.

The truth is, the only thing stopping us from acting on what we already know is the narrative we add to it. Usually, it’s an imagined future conversation, one that makes us feel exposed or vulnerable. And when discomfort shows up, we jump ahead into predicting outcomes. That’s when we get stuck. The answer is almost always the same: slow down. Give yourself space. Let things percolate.

Moving Into 2026

Any time we get caught up in figuring out what to do next, the invitation is to pause, not push. Awareness changes everything. When we notice our thinking patterns, new possibilities open up. We can come back to the present. We can choose differently. And from that place, there’s so much more to work with. Not frantic. Not forced. Just clear, calm, and grounded. 

That’s what I’m focusing on in 2026. I know I struggle with having vulnerable, uncomfortable conversations because I tend to spin stories in my head about how things might turn out. Then fear takes over, and I end up paralysed, unable to move forward. But I also know how much power those conversations hold, when approached from the calm of my ‘blue dot.’ This year, I’m giving myself the space I need to engage in them fully, without letting my mind run ahead, and to discover the clarity and connection on the other side.

As I move into 2026 I'm choosing:

• To listen to my blue dot.

• To notice when I’m caught up in stories.

• To pause.

• To slow down enough to hear the wiser answer.

• To have vulnerable conversations without letting my mind run away with me.

Growth doesn’t have to mean burnout. Success doesn’t have to mean loneliness. Ambition doesn’t have to come at the expense of connection. You can build a life, and a business, that holds space for both. Hard work and joy. Purpose and presence. Impact and love.

So as you head into the new year, ask yourself: What would it look like to slow down, stay connected, and do your best work without losing yourself in the process? 🩷