We brought in the new year asleep this year, like the old people we’re becoming. I usually love new year energy, but this year I’ve been recovering from sickness and tiring travel, and haven’t reflected and planned like I usually do. BUT it’s certainly not too late–Emily P. Freeman taught me that the whole month of January counts as the week between Christmas and New Years.

So, cue some January 9th reflections on Studio Tell, with some things that worked… and some that didn’t.

What worked

Maternity leave

I planned and prepared the entire first half of the year for my maternity leave, and I’m really happy with the amount of time I had off. It was AMAZING to just set an Out of Office email and not be required to do ANY work tasks for three whole months. I definitely slightly resented when I had to open up Honeybook to download some profit and loss sheets for paperwork we needed a couple weeks after Poppy was born. 😁 There are a few things I think I will do differently next time (as you’ll see in what didn’t work), but overall it went really well and I’m kinda proud of myself for doing it for the first time. 

Getting up early

My 6 AM self usually has a hard time remembering this, but my day is always better when I have some quiet early morning hours to drink coffee, pray, read, write, or just sit in silence. I honestly can’t totally remember how well I did this in the first half of the year, but after Poppy was born it became even more important. (And hard, of course.) I feel so much more like a person if I can get up, pray, and be ready before she wakes up. I also have a much better shot at a productive work day!

Only posting when truly inspired

Somewhere along the way, creating Instagram content became more often “just a task” than something I enjoyed doing.  Again, after Poppy was born, I realized I am so incredibly over creating just to have something to post. Consistency is great, and I know that sometimes I have to work when I’m not inspired. Posting on IG is simply a necessary part of my business at the moment. But I simply don’t have time to force something that isn’t working, and any content feels and lands better when it comes from a place of genuine inspiration.

Timersss

Timers are almost the only way I get work done. If I’m feeling stuck and unmotivated and incapable of thinking, setting a timer and focusing on ONE task for even a tiny five minutes helps so much. It’s been this way for years, but 2024 was even more so.

Copy audits

I love looking at websites and thinking of what could be improved in the copy! It’s one of my favorite parts of my business. I would do it for free all the time if I could. 2025 will hopefully be the year of more of a rhythm of doing the quick and free copy audits on IG. (But, of course, you can opt to sign up for an entire Copy Strategy Hour with an in depth copy audit, right here!)

Walking and running

Getting outside is everything and I likely will not stop talking about it ever, or certainly not as long as I run an online business. I walked through my entire pregnancy, and as soon as I could post-partum. My inspiration and focus are always better afterwards. 

What didn’t work

Not working for 3 months

I loved my maternity leave, but it is tricky to come back to a business after three months away. I think next time I will try to either have someone still running things in the background for me, or work ahead of time to batch and schedule even more things like blog posts or Instagram posts. Momentum is a huge factor in a business like this, and it’s been harder than I thought to pick it back up.

Friday email format

I love my (usually) Friday emails. The format makes it generally easy for me to write them and they’re a fun part of my week. But for some reason this past year I felt like something was kind of missing from them. I’m not sure exactly why, but I’m brainstorming ways to experiment and make it better in 2025!

A cluttered brain

I suppose I have Mom Brain. (Which is an actual, scientific thing, as I learned in this podcast from She with Jordan Lee Dooley.) I almost constantly had five things running in my head at once, which made focusing on any one thing feel impossible so much of the time. I’m looking into ways to make it better–certainly send over resources, if you have them! I’m starting with the most obvious one–less screen time. 🙂

No matter how you brought in the new year, I hope it is a beautiful one for you! I would love to hear your list of what worked and what didn’t in 2025– email me or send me a DM. And there is certainly a more personal version of this list for me—if you come over for coffee sometime (please do soon!), maybe we can talk about it all. 🫶🏼