(Plus My 2026 Goals, Because Apparently I’m Built Different)
Every year I sit down, set goals, and imagine the version of myself who will effortlessly execute them. You know her. She meal preps. She runs for fun. She never impulse-buys things at Target.
2025 had other ideas.
Instead of being the year everything went according to plan, 2025 became the year I learned that goals don’t disappear just because life explodes—they just evolve. Sometimes aggressively.
So let’s talk about what I planned to do in 2025, what actually happened, and where I’m headed in 2026 now that I’m healthier, wiser, and significantly less interested in pretending life is predictable.
💸 2025 Financial Goals: Shockingly Successful Given the Circumstances
1. Pay off $27,000 in debt
Starting total: $140,135.14
End of year status:
✨ Paid $35,019.43 toward debt
✨ New total: $105,115.71
I overshot this goal by more than $8,000 and I am VERY proud of that. Especially considering medical bills tried to kick down my door all year long.
Was it easy? No.
Was it glamorous? Also no.
Did I aggressively side-eye my bank account more times than I can count? Absolutely.
But progress is progress, and this was a big one.
2. Build a $7,200 emergency fund
End of year status:
Midway through the year, I adjusted this goal down to $2,500 so I could focus more aggressively on debt—and it was absolutely the right call.
I built it up by midyear and then of course had to use it, because life.
The win? Every time I dipped into my emergency fund, I refilled it. No ignoring it. No pretending it didn’t happen. By the end of the year, it was still sitting pretty at $2,500.
It’s not fully funded yet, but it exists. It has actual money in it, and that alone gives me a blanket of peace.
3. Fully fund sinking funds
Here’s what I set out to fund:
- Back to school – $250
- Halloween – $250
- Kids’ birthdays – $1,000
- Christmas – $1,000
- Car maintenance – $1,200
- Pet fund – $1,200
- Travel – $1,000
End of year status:
I fully funded all of these by April 2025, used them exactly as intended throughout the year, and—plot twist—had them fully funded again by December so they’re locked and loaded for 2026.
If you’ve ever wondered what financial peace feels like, it’s buying Christmas gifts without panic-sweating in Target.
🌱 2025 Personal Goals: A Mixed Bag With a Plot Twist
1. Lose 50 pounds
End of year status:
I stopped actively trying to lose weight while I was deep in cancer treatment, because survival > aesthetics.
That said, my weight fluctuated a lot this year, but I still ended the year 20 pounds down. Considering I spent most of the year fighting cancer, I’m calling that a huge win.
2. Run a half marathon
End of year status:
I did not run 13.1 miles.
I did not jog 13.1 miles.
I barely walked 13.1 miles total this year.
What can I say? Fighting cancer took precedence over running for fun. Shocking, I know.
This goal is officially being rolled over into the “aspirational but currently delusional” category.
3. Read 50 books
End of year status:
I read 60 books. Apparently when you’re exhausted, immunocompromised, and forced to rest, reading becomes your emotional support activity.
My Top 3 Books of 2025
📖 A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
This book follows Feyre as she heals from trauma and grows into her power. Watching her start broken and become strong, confident, and self-assured felt deeply personal. It reminded me that rebuilding yourself isn’t weakness—it’s transformation.
📖 A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
A hilariously absurd story about a regular guy who accidentally becomes Death. Dark, clever, and genuinely laugh-out-loud funny. I laughed so hard I cried, which should count as cardio.
📖 Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Pure entertainment. A sunshine-y assistant working for a villain, with banter so sharp and witty it carried the entire book. Exactly what my brain needed this year.
Looking Ahead: My 2026 Goals
(AKA: The Year of Focus)
After everything 2025 threw at me, 2026 isn’t about overloading my plate. It’s about focus. I’ve built a solid foundation, and now I get to be intentional about where my energy goes.
💸 2026 Financial Goals
1. Pay off $27,000 in debt
This is the only financial goal for the year—and that’s intentional.
With $2,500 already in my emergency fund and my sinking funds fully funded, I don’t have to juggle priorities. I get to focus on one thing and hit it hard.
One goal. One mission. Relentless progress.
🌱 2026 Personal Goals
1. Lose 30 pounds
Now that I’m doing better health-wise, I can focus on this again—without pressure, without punishment, and with a lot more gratitude for what my body has carried me through.
2. Run a half marathon
Listen. We don’t need to talk about last year.
This year, the goal stands again—only now I’m healthier, stronger, and significantly more motivated. Will I complain during training? Absolutely. Will I consider quitting mid-run? Also yes.
But we’re trying again, and that counts.
3. Read 50 books
This year I’m skipping the library reading challenge with specific categories and prompts. Instead, I’m focusing on my TBR list, which has grown to a size that’s honestly a little concerning.
No rules. No pressure. Just reading books I’m genuinely excited about—and I could not be more thrilled about it.
Final Thoughts
If 2025 taught me anything, it’s this: goals don’t need to be met perfectly to be meaningful.
Some were crushed.
Some were adjusted.
Some were laughed at from the couch while wearing a chemo beanie.
And all of it counts.
Here’s to 2026—another year of progress, persistence, and showing up even when life doesn’t follow the plan. 💛