Shedding Skin
WOW, WHAT A YEAR.
I honestly I don’t recognise the version of me who started it, and I mean that in the best possible way. At the beginning of the year, I said I wanted to be different by the end. I didn’t know how. I just knew something had to change. I couldn’t keep living the same way and expect a different result. And slowly, quietly, it did. This year stripped me back. Layer by layer. Habit by habit. Reaction by reaction.
For the first time in my life, my mind, body, and soul feel like they’re working together, not fighting each other. I feel whole. Grounded. At home in myself. The biggest shift hasn’t been what I have done. It’s the energy I carry.
I am calmer. More stable. Things that used to trigger me just don’t have the same grip anymore. Stress doesn’t live in my body the way it used to. I know how to feel it, move it, and let it go before it turns into tension or sickness. That alone has changed everything.
I tried a lot of things this year. Some landed. Some didn’t. What surprised me most was how the simplest practices are the ones that stayed, not because they were exciting, but because they worked for me.
The one thing I can truly say is this: it’s all about consistency. Not once. Not for a week. Not when it’s convenient. Real change only happens when you keep showing up, especially when life is messy. I’ve read the books. I’ve listened to the podcasts. I know the language. None of it compares to living it ,especially when you’re tired, grieving, stressed, or overwhelmed. This year taught me something big: everything is connected.
When one system is out, they all feel it, mind, body, spirit. And real change always starts internally, what we eat, how we think, and how we speak to ourselves.
As a chef, I understand this deeply. Ingredients matter, but how you combine them determines the outcome. The 1% daily intention changed my life. One small decision, done consistently. Breaking the year into quarters and focusing on one area at a time was the key. Movement and nutrition came first. Feeling better in my body created space for my mind to grow. Everything else followed.
Was I perfect? God no. Did I get caught up sometimes? Of course I did. But I learned how to catch myself faster, pivot quicker. I don’t let things sit in my nervous system anymore. I am more aware of my words, my reactions, my energy, and the ripple effect they have. I am more comfortable in my own skin than I have ever been.
Still shedding ego, always will be, but I am no longer giving my power away.
Spiritually, something cracked open too. My intuition is sharp. I listen to my body now. I trust it. I don’t match other people’s chaos anymore. I choose calm. I protect my energy. I look for ways to elevate it, mine and others.
This year wasn’t easy. Things didn’t always go to plan. Not reaching the top of Kilimanjaro was one of those moments. But even that taught me something: perspective, gratitude, presence. I didn’t fail. I experienced something rare and magical.
“How you do one thing is how you do everything” became my mantra.
I wanted to be 1% better across all areas of my life, and I am. I used to be fast. Reactive. A bull in a china shop. Now I am calm. Intentional. More measured.
I slow down. I notice. I am gentler with myself. I have shifted from constantly doing… to being.
I am less overwhelmed. My stress is lower. And I’m at peace with who I am and where I’m heading. This is the end of an era. Not because the work is done, but because the old version of me no longer fits.
This year was the experiment. The practice. The proving ground. What comes next is built on everything I’ve learned about consistency, integrity, and keeping my word.
I’m not starting again. I’m continuing differently.
One promise. One week. Kept.
