My 2024 Annual Review & What’s Next (Better Late Than Never)
Every year, I take a step back to reflect—not just on what I accomplished, but on what I learned, what felt good, and what I want to carry forward into the next year.
2023 was about growth.
2024? The theme that emerged was BREAKTHROUGH.
This word perfectly captures both my coaching program and how this year felt—pushing through uncertainty, stepping more fully into my voice, and finding a new level of confidence in myself and my work.
Here’s what stood out:
What Went Well
My life and business are far from perfect, but I had so many moments where I had to pinch myself—this is the life I built. My kids are at an amazing stage where they still want to hang out with us, but they’re also more independent. I get to set my own schedule and be my own boss. I’m home when they get home from school, but I also contribute financially to our family.
I remember 10 years ago envisioning a life like this, but I had no idea how I’d create it. And yet, here I am.
The journey has been anything but smooth—so many bumps, setbacks, and really big lows. But having a year like this reminds me that it was all worth it because it led me here. At least for now (teenage years are coming)!
Here are a few highlights -
✅ Travel & Experiences: St. Lucia, Sunriver (Oregon), and Wisconsin
✅ Meaningful Work: Led an in-person team-building session at Pfizer and coached incredible leaders
✅ Family, Friends & Traditions: Celebrated the 4th of July, Swingfest, Halloween, hosted a Murder Mystery night and had great family visits (my oldest brother got married!)
✅ Beach Life in the Neighborhood: Someday, I’ll marvel at how we got to call this beachside haven home, sharing it with such an incredible community
✅ Business Growth: Launched my group program (Breakthrough), refined my messaging, built confidence, stayed focused, and hit my goals
✅ Personal Wins: Became a dog mom! Ranger joined our family, and I learned a lot about training him
✅ Dance Mom Life: Watching my daughter grow in dance is one of my greatest joys (stress and all!), and the friendships I've built with fellow dance moms make it even more special
✅ Hockey Mom Life: This year brought big changes in hockey, but my son rose above them and made incredible progress. And just like in dance, the hockey moms have been an absolute blessing!
✅ Health Progress: My back pain improved—though there’s still work to do
✅ Furniture Restoration: I even tackled some furniture projects with my dad. I don’t have much time for it, but when he visits, I share my vision, and he brings it to life. We started a project this year that’s still in the works—finishing it is on the 2025 agenda!
✅ Most importantly: I truly enjoyed my work.
What Didn’t Go So Well (And What I Learned)
We can’t have everything—and that’s okay. These are officially on my 2025 focus list:
❌ Health goals weren’t fully met. I got so close but didn’t fully hit my goal. The missing piece? Mindset. Even as a coach, this work is tough to do for myself.
❌ I didn’t “do more stuff” as much as I thought I would. And maybe that’s okay. But already this year, I’ve started a monthly friend lunch and even spontaneously hosted a reality TV watch party (my cousin, Lauren O’Brien, is on Love is Blind!).
❌ Back pain is still a work in progress. I made progress but still have work to do—hello, posture!
❌ We lost our cat of 15 years, Porter. I didn’t expect to feel such deep grief over him, but I did. I have so much more empathy for people when they lose pets now.
A clip from a tribute from my husband wrote says it best:
He was the best worst decision we ever made.
We rescued him in 2010. He was full-grown, which meant he was born in 2008 or 2009—though we later learned he was forged in the depths of hell.
At first, he was terrible. Mean. Bit everyone. Clawed everything. Then, over time, he changed. He became an adventurous, loving, and wildly protective cat who walked the kids to the bus stop and even came on beach walks with us. He was there before we got married, before kids and fancy houses and careers. He helped us grow up. We thought he’d live forever. But we had to do a very hard thing and say goodbye to him.
RIP, Porter. You were one of a kind.
What’s Next for 2025?
This year, I’m leaning into ease and intuition.
✨ Doing what feels right instead of what I think I “should” do
✨ Owning what makes me unique—energy-driven leadership, personal leadership, mindfulness—because others may be looking for exactly that
✨ Talking about what’s actually important in my marketing, not just what the algorithm wants
✨ Taking time off when I need it
✨ Focusing on my mindset and how it shapes my habits in both health and productivity
✨ Making my podcast more conversational instead of worrying about saying the “right” things
✨ Ensuring my Lunch & Learns and workshops include meaningful mindset shifts, not just action steps
✨ PUSHING THE BUTTON on things I’ve been delaying—like completing my Career Transition Certification and applying for an ICF accreditation (I just need to do it!)
There’s one big lesson I’ve learned this past year—and honestly, I keep learning it. Life moves in phases, ebbs and flows, unpredictable rhythms. Sometimes I resist it. I want stability, predictability, a clear path forward. But I see now that there’s a time for structure, systems, and strategy—and a time to lean into intuition, trust, and ease. It sounds simple, even obvious. But it’s not easy. It’s hard to trust yourself when you wish someone would just hand you the answers. It’s hard to relax into a creative lull when deadlines are looming. Acceptance isn’t always comfortable. But it’s what makes everything feel more doable, more natural—learning to move with the rhythm of life instead of fighting it.
So in 2025, I’m not forcing my way forward. I’m leading in a way that feels aligned, sustainable, and energizing.
And I have a feeling that’s exactly what my clients need, too.
What’s your focus for this year? Shoot me an email at sara@sarakobrien.com and let me know!