A Letter for 2025: Reflections, Dreams & Goals
Reflections and Lessons from 2024 - that I’m taking with me into 2025
1. Be Grateful for Where You Are
Daily gratitude made it easier to live without a kitchen for 18 months. Whilst living in chaos, I recognised how lucky we were to be in a position to be creating our dream home. Journaling and talking daily about what I felt grateful for has been so powerful. It’s a pinch me moment every morning coming into the now almost finished kitchen.
2. Go at Your Own Pace
Comparing where you are to someone else doesn’t bring any value or joy. Instead, creating my own own timescales and milestones for goals in my physical health, business and home renovation kept me on track and feeling satisfied as I made progress. So far this year I’ve walked 2064 miles (that’s over 78 marathons), gradually increasing month on month and working within the boundaries of my disability. Small steps and consistency will get you closer, or even take you beyond your goals.
3. Reflect & Pivot
If something doesn’t feel right, take some time to work out why and work out a plan. I had to work out an exit strategy in the past when I left teaching to fulfil my design career, this year it would have been more comfortable to make a plan for a change in my business, but instead, circumstances meant I needed to trust my instincts, which leads me on to ….
4. Stick to a Strategy
Being creative, and having the freedom of running my own business, has been dynamite this year. I have SO many ideas for blogs, newsletters, digital content and services to help clients. At times I’ve jumped from one to the other, sometimes without finishing, or missing the prime time when motivation is high. In the later part of the year I have become more strategic, noting down the ‘big idea’ and finding time to review this and if it’s of benefit to my business/audience/clients later. Strategy is my word for 2025 - I’ll come on to that soon.
5. Introduce Yourself
Saying hi, explaining what I do and why, has been so important and instrumental this year. I realised I’d lived in Cornwall for almost four years and I’d built very little local awareness of my business as I was constantly working away and on projects out of the county. Joining a few networking groups has been a great opportunity to share my business, pitch myself for jobs - and tackle imposter syndrome at the same time! If you don’t introduce yourself, how will someone know how you can help them?!
My 2024 in More Detail
1.Identifying my WHY
If you have a business and read development books and listen to podcasts, you will have repeatedly heard the importance of ‘finding your why’. I admit it sounds so cheesy. The next part, of sharing your why, can be even more stomach churning. I have slowly become more and more aware of why I love my work as a designer: my disability has given me a laser focus of what comfort really is, both physically and emotionally. It’s scientifically proven that environments impact how we feel emotionally, and we know from experience furniture, surfaces and materials can be physically comfortable or uncomfortable. I hadn’t quite realised how deep rooted my why was, but I am finding it easier to share. I experience pain daily, and want to feel comfortable as much as possible, I also walk with a limp so I’m very aware of feeling socially uncomfortable, especially in new spaces. I hope through my designs I help home owners, visitors, guests in hotels to feel their best.
2. Growing a Reputation
This past year it’s been important to me to grow awareness and reputation in my industry. I’ve spoken on podcasts, written for blogs, delivered leaflets and organised events in Cornwall. Hosting workshops has been my preferred way to connect with local homeowners and build their trust in Chestnut Interiors by offering so much help, showing interest in their projects and being a source of support.
3. Learning New Skills
Every day I learn something new, some days I feel like I’ve split the atom (they’re usually days when I have to create something within my website). I LOVE to learn, I get a kick from overcoming challenges and I’m driven by the process of learning. I think this must come back to my teaching roots. I’ve started to structure time in my week where I develop new skills and have a wish list of things to learn for 2025 (more on that in a moment).
4. Finding Opportunities to Collaborate
Joining forces with others can be life changing. I’m fortunate to have lots of support in my life from friends who join me on my daily walks, I’ve collaborated with other business owners to host events, and co-worked with some amazing business women. In the last three months of 2024 I’ve also collaborated with a Cornwall based home store, Uneeka, as their in store designer so together we can create and fulfil the interior dreams of lots of homeowners!
My Big Vision for 2025
I love reading about other peoples goals, stories, journey, and mindset. Cheering them on, following the progress and being inspired throughout. Maybe you do too?
In July 2021 I had to learn to walk again, I naively went into theatre to have my femur broken on what I call my ‘good leg’, the limb not directly affected my by disability, thinking recovery would be ok. Seven days after surgery, trying to stand up with a catheter and a Zimmer frame was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I’ve had over thirteen operations (I’ve lost count), broken my leg, had my ankle removed, had 50/50 chance risky surgery and nothing compared to the challenging task of learning to walk again and the following nine months on crutches. I shared some of my rehab on my Instagram highlights KTS and KTS Part 2 (KTS=Klippel Trenaunay Syndrome, my wonderfully rare condition).
I am fiercely proud that I now walk every day, at least twice.
I am grateful that I had the medical help to change my life.
I am comfortable facing challenges
I know consistency, strategy, celebrating goals and keeping a clear vision works which is why I’m reminding myself and drawing on this challenge as I get ready for a BIG year in 2025.
So here’s my list of 25 goals for myself and my business in 2025.
Keep a routine.
Respect my own boundaries.
Increase walking goal gradually every month.
Help as many people as I can through free blogs and newsletters.
Be consistent with sharing digital content.
Help 100 renovators in the Renovation Room Mentorship.
Design dream spaces for 10 home/property owners.
Design the interior of a hotel on my ‘project wish list’.
Read 45 books.
Live clutter free.
Design and complete our family bathroom.
Complete furnishing and accessorising our kitchen, living, dining space.
Practice yoga three times a week.
Go on three holidays.
Swim four times a week.
Have more time to create and play without any expectations (bring on the puzzles, board games and sketch books).
Have our home featured in a magazine.
Explore 24 new walks.
Make incremental upgrades to every day items: towels, table linen etc.
Learn a very specific new skill that I’m so excited to start - all will be revealed.
Collaborate with a charity.
Watch Modern Family (Lee has been campaigning for this).
Plan the garden design.
Swim in the sea as much as possible.
Be realistic with how much time is in the day.
A goal without a plan is harder to meet, this is where my word of the year comes in to play: Strategy.
I have the ultimate Inspired Stories Planner to help me organise, track progress and stick to my goals. I’ve also created various spreadsheets and use Trello in my renovation. I’ve drafted a calendar for content and events and blocked out time in my diary to batch task when I’ll be most productive with my cycle (trust me it works). I’ve divided the year into quarters, and my big goals into action steps. I’ve set rewards for reaching my goals (just like my last minute NYE goal for 2024, I have a few more days to welcome one more Designer for a Day booking or three more members to achieve the ultimate reward - a course I’ve been dreaming of doing all year).
I’m taking every step I can to make 2025 as successful as possible.
If you relate to my letter, and have your own interior passions and goals I’d love to help you too:
A monthly membership to the Renovation Room will save you time, money and stress – so you can maximise your home's potential, while enjoying the experience.
A monthly membership to the Renovation Room will save you time, money and stress – so you can maximise your home's potential, while enjoying the experience.
