top of page
Search

What 2025 Taught Me About Work, Identity, and Change


Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year


2025 was a year that tested me—personally and professionally. I found myself asking deeper questions about identity, work, and what matters most. I step back and reflect on the shifts I’ve experienced and the powerful insights my podcast guests have shared this year. From navigating loss and letting go of old identities to redefining success and reconnecting with purpose, these conversations stayed with me.


What This Year Taught Me: Reflections from The Midlife Remix

At some point in our 40s or 50s, a question begins to surface: Is this really it?

We’ve played the roles, built the career, supported the family, stayed the course. But at some point, the math stops adding up. That was true for me in 2025. And as I talked with others this year, clients, friends, and guests on The Midlife Remix, I realized just how many of us are navigating the same issue.


This year, I wanted to step back to reflect. To look closely at what shifted for me, and what I heard from the people generous enough to share their stories. Here’s some of what stuck with me.


When the Story You’ve Lived No Longer Fits

Jack Swift reminded me that resumes tell a narrow story.

“What has defined me most is not what I’ve succeeded at, but what I’ve failed at,”

he said. He talked about fear, not as something to avoid, but as a guide toward what really matters. That resonated.

Larry Olson described a similar shift. Earlier in life, he was driven by external goals. Now, he listens more to what feels grounded and honest.

“We’re the architects of our lives,”

he said, and the materials we choose to build with change over time. That starts with paying attention to how we think and what we believe about ourselves.


Letting Go of Identity (And Grieving It)

Transitions aren’t just about logistics; they’re about loss. Eric Dawson named this clearly: when you step away from an identity you’ve held, your job, your title, your story, you need to mourn it. If you don’t, that loss can turn into resentment or confusion.


Keith Lawrence brought a similar insight: when work defines your entire identity, stepping away can feel like falling off a cliff. It’s not enough to know what you’re leaving; you need to know what you’re going toward.

That distinction has stayed with me. I see it with clients all the time, and I’ve felt it myself.


Stop Pretending

Paige Scott said something that got right to the heart of it: at a certain age, we just don’t have the energy to pretend anymore. And pretending, whether it’s trying to impress, trying to belong, or trying to be what others expect, is exhausting. She reminded me that the more aligned we are with who we actually are, the more impactful we can be.


Bruno Del Ama shared a moment of clarity after hitting a huge business goal. Instead of celebrating, he immediately moved the goalpost. He saw it for what it was: a pattern he didn’t want to keep repeating. The hedonic treadmill is real, and stepping off of it takes more awareness than most of us realize.


Wanting to Be Seen (Not Just Successful)

There was a throughline in many conversations this year: a deep desire to be seen, not for accomplishments, but for who we really are.


Brett Wright talked about the importance of vulnerability in leadership.

“The most powerful thing I can say is, ‘I don’t know,’” he shared.

That’s something I’ve learned, too: leadership isn’t about being the expert all the time. It’s about being human.


Mark Hsu told a story that hit me hard. After a scary moment, he realized his kids might not remember what he said or did, but they would remember how he made them feel. It was a reminder that modeling love, presence, and honesty matters more than we sometimes think.


Making Space for More Than One Version of Life

Yogesh Chavda described a life with multiple sources of meaning. His consulting work paid the bills, but his teaching gave him joy. That balance wasn’t perfect, but it was real. And that’s the version of “wholeness” more of us are learning to pursue: one that blends financial needs with emotional and creative fulfillment.


Maryann Bruce shared how loss and trauma shaped her, but didn’t define her. She talked about choosing to live fully, even in the face of uncertainty. That stayed with me. So did her insight that it’s not just about what you do, it’s about how you share your life with others.


Facing Risk and Regret

Henry Hargraves uses a simple but powerful tool: he imagines himself five years in the future, looking back. That version of him almost always says the same thing: Take the risk.

Sam Sellers offered a final insight that still echoes for me:

“Every time I’ve stepped into the void, it’s forged me.”

There’s no guaranteed way to live a fulfilling life, but the people I’ve spoken with this year, those who are engaged, curious, and open, have all found their own path by stepping off the predictable one.


What I’m Taking With Me

This year was messy. I’m still sitting with a lot of these questions. But what I do know is that I’m no longer trying to build a life that makes sense to others. I want one that feels right to me, even if it’s messy, even if it’s slower, even if it’s different than what I imagined.


And I know I’m not alone in that.


Thank you for being part of this conversation, whether you’ve listened to the podcast, shared your story, or taken time to reflect on your own. There’s more ahead. But for now, I’m sitting with what this year revealed, and letting it shape what comes next.



Guests Featured in this Episode: Jack Swift, Larry Olson, Keith Lawrence, Eric Dawson, Paige Scott, Bruno Del Ama, Brett Wright, Mark Hsu, Maryann Bruce, Paul Hatch, Yogesh Chavda, Henry Hargraves, Sam Sellers


Comments

bottom of page