2025: A Year of Refinement, Not Expansion

Lifestyle

29 Dec

Sunset marking the final day of 2025, reflecting on a year of growth and refinement.

As 2025 comes to a close, I’ve found myself reflecting on a year that felt quieter on the surface — but far from empty underneath.

It was a lower-income year, with fewer clients than in previous years. At times, that came with a familiar undercurrent of worry about where the next booking might come from. But it was also steadier, less frantic, and in many ways less stressful. A reminder that growth doesn’t always look like “more” — sometimes it looks like clarity.

A Full Year of VIP Days

2025 was the first year I worked solely in VIP days. No long, drawn-out timelines. No projects dragging on for months. Just focused, intensive days where real progress happens quickly.

Towards the final quarter, I had a wobble. I ran a beta for two-week websites, thinking it might offer more flexibility or stability. The experiment was useful — not because it worked, but because it didn’t. I didn’t enjoy it, and it confirmed what I already knew deep down: VIP days are where I do my best work.

Since then, I’ve spent time refining both my offer and my underlying method — stepping back, reviewing what works, and resisting the urge to pivot just for the sake of it.

Systems, Problem-Solving, and Knowing What I Don’t Want

This year I did more website projects than ever — which makes sense, because that’s what I genuinely enjoy. But what I love just as much is problem-solving.

One particularly large website project quietly turned into an Airtable logic puzzle, and I found myself learning far more about Airtable than I ever expected — and loving it. That kind of work, where everything has to connect cleanly and logically, is deeply satisfying to me.

Not everything was a joy, though. I handled a number of Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace migration projects. They’re rarely fun (I still don’t love Microsoft), but there’s something oddly satisfying about leaving everything organised and working properly at the end.

I also spent time working in GoHighLevel — the platform of the moment — and quickly realised it’s not for me. Too fiddly, too overcomplicated, and far removed from the kind of simple, streamlined systems I believe in.

Ongoing Support: Still Simplifying

One of my biggest challenges this year was figuring out how to offer ongoing support beyond the VIP day without creating something high maintenance.

I tried a Tech Support Hub. Then a digital library. Both sounded great on paper, but in practice they felt heavy and complex — the opposite of what I want for myself or my clients.

In the end, I’ve landed on a much simpler model: a £99/month retainer with WhatsApp and email support, a clear scope, and no unnecessary extras. Alongside that, I still offer half days and power hours for clients who need more focused help.

It may evolve again — but for now, it feels aligned.

Prep Work, SEO, and Accepting What’s Still Unfinished

Another area that’s still very much a work in progress is client prep. I’ve tested forms, portals, mini-courses, and various combinations of all three, but I’m not fully settled on the best approach yet.

This is firmly at the top of my list going into 2026, as part of refining my Simple Systems Method. Getting the groundwork right makes everything else smoother — and it’s worth doing properly.

I’m also part-way through an SEO course and in the middle of optimising my website. Useful? Yes. Overwhelming? Also yes. SEO is a minefield, and I’ve had to remind myself that progress doesn’t have to be perfect to be valuable.

Content, Visibility, and Unexpected Wins

Blogging continued to be an important part of my business this year, and one post in particular stood out:
10 things you didn’t know Apple Reminders could do.

It’s now my most-viewed post by a long way. Is it viral? Possibly — or at least as viral as a productivity blog post can be.

It’s brought new subscribers to my email list, which has been encouraging. The next challenge is turning those readers into clients — something I’ll be tackling with a proper lead magnet in 2026.

Clients, Community, and Small Traditions

This year also brought a mix of new clients and reconnections with old ones — and a reminder of why some relationships are better left in the past.

I did more networking than usual (still not my favourite), but I found a genuinely lovely group in Women Inspired Networking, which has since turned into a website and now a systems project. That kind of slow, organic connection feels far more sustainable to me.

One tradition I’ve continued is planting trees for every client I work with. I now have a small forest of over 100 trees, and I’m considering planting one for every booking going forward — a quiet way to mark progress that doesn’t rely on numbers on a spreadsheet.

A Final Frustration (Thanks, Google)

To round off the year, my Google Business Profile was suspended after being told I couldn’t merge two profiles because they weren’t similar — and then being told they were too similar once I fixed that.

The appeal was rejected. The system says no. I’m now waiting for my original profile to update with the correct details.

A timely reminder that not all systems are logical — even when you do everything “right”.

Looking Ahead

2025 didn’t bring rapid growth or dramatic expansion. What it brought instead was refinement — a clearer sense of what I enjoy, what I do well, and what I’m no longer willing to carry.

In 2026, my focus is simple: