GOODBYE 2025, HELLO 2026
For the last few years, I’ve started every new year pretty much the same way: a year-end blog post to wrap up the year gone by (sharing my learnings and my outlook for the new year), a social media break - my own way of “touching grass” at the beginning of each year and being extra present, spending more time reading, writing, listening to my favourite podcasts and often fasting through the month of January.
This year was almost going to start differently… but not anymore.
I am a big lover of traditions and routines, and so, even though everything seemed to be lining up against writing a year-end blog post (thanks to my personal blog being temporarily unavailable), I decided, right after getting back from crossover service this morning, that I was going to write anyway. Even if it had to be in a way different from what I would have preferred.
Normally, I begin my end-of-year post by reading the one from the year before. It helps me remember what my outlook was, what I hoped for, and how close (or far) reality ended up being. This time, I couldn’t access my blog, and for several days it has been a race to fix the issue. Because of that, I was stuck.
My brain only knew (or rather, preferred) one way to do this.
Not having access to my last year’s post became a blocker, until I realised that this, too, was a lesson. I had relied on a method for years as a crutch, and without it, I felt unable to create or keep a promise I had made to myself. As we got home after service this morning , I decided that I could make a different choice: to do it anyway.
The situation was yet another reminder to me that things won’t always go as planned, and I can’t allow that to cripple me or stop me from functioning within the reality I find myself. So, Substack to the rescue, with reliance on my memory for last year’s post.
Another thing that stood out to me in this moment was how deeply personal this commitment is. I doubt anyone else truly cares whether or not I write an end-of-year post, but I do. It was a pointer to how highly I value keeping the promises I make to myself, and how much that matters - even if no one reads it. This is something I want to double down on this new year, in various aspects of life (cough cough… fitness goals).
Reflecting on 2025
2025 was a beautiful year, and also a challenging one.
I went into the year calling it my year of rejuvenation. I made the decision to take a self-granted extended maternity leave while navigating life as a mum of two under two, in a new country. Choosing rest and presence, even when it meant not earning for a long time, was one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever given myself.
It was also one of the greatest gifts my husband has given me, as without his incredible and unwavering support, I would not have been able to make such a bold decision.
Not earning for a while isn’t exactly fun (my savings are crying for help), but time is one of the things money can’t buy and being able to give myself that gift of time is something I don’t take lightly and would be forever thankful for.
That said, I am excited to be returning to work this month.
Landing a job in Canada was one of the most challenging experiences of my year, and this is coming from an HR professional who knows how things work on the other side of applications. The silence, the rejections, and the waiting led to many days that (almost) made me question myself. People say, “don’t take it personally”, and I’ve probably said that to other people in the past, but really, how do you not take it personally when a job you want doesn’t want you? Grateful to be on the other side of the wait.
Travel, Memories & Living Fully
Travel was a major highlight of my 2025.
From celebrating a friend’s 40th birthday in Punta Cana, to my solo trip to Bali, baecation with my husband on a Virgin Voyages cruise through Athens, Santorini, Rhodes, Bodrum (our favourite stop), and Crete, and finally, our family trip to Lagos for the holidays - it was a year rich with experiences.
As I reflected, I realised how much I struggled to remember certain details, and that scared me. It reminded me how important it is to document life. Writing is how I preserve memories, for myself first, and I want to do more of that in 2026.
I also realised what a ‘perfect’ travel year looks like for me. At least one of each of:
a solo trip
a baecation
a fun trip with friends or extended family
and a holiday with our kids
I dream of adding an annual mum-and-daughters trip as the girls grow older. I am really looking forward to that chapter.
Some other highlights from the year:
Turning 35 (wrote about it here)
Watching my husband’s company reach a major milestone (I am always so proud of him)
Celebrating our daughters’ 1st and 2nd birthdays (we had a big 1-year party for FK 2 and a home celebration for FK 1’s 2nd birthday, and both celebrations were really beautiful)
Skiing and snow tubing in Barrie
Indoor skydiving
Meeting Bozoma Saint John at her Badass Workshop
Seeing Coldplay live (a bucket-list moment)
My brother getting engaged
Countless memories with friends - brunches, celebrations, surprise visits, and magical moments.
… and a truly Detty December in Lagos that was fun, vibrant, and full; but over the last few days, I’ve intentionally been unwinding. As much as I enjoyed the ‘dettiness’ of December, my natural rhythm was calling back for me.
Lessons That Changed Me
2025 also came with profound lessons.
One that will stay with me forever is just how fleeting life is. I experienced this firsthand this year being in the hospital room as a loved one suffered a cardiac arrest and had to be revived through CPR. I watched with immense fear as about 20 medical professionals worked tirelessly to save a life, while I wailed and prayed desperately for a miracle. I believe in science, and I believe in miracles - that day, I saw both at work.
That experience was deeply traumatic and fundamentally changed me. Seeing life slip away before your eyes reshapes your perspective, and on days when I find myself playing small because of fear or people, I remind myself of Steve Jobs’ words that “… almost everything - all external expectations, all pride, all fear of embarrassment or failure - fall away in the face of death…”. So much of what holds us back is man-made, and so I try to ensure that, as much as is humanly possible, my life is defined by me.
On the other side of that experience, I also witnessed the miracle of life being born (outside of my own experiences), being in the room as one of my sister-girls delivered her twin daughters. Two moments: one of fragility, one of creation. Both sacred. Both unforgettable, were key moments of my 2025.
Looking Ahead to 2026
There are a couple of things I am already excited about - the weddings of some of my favourite people, and our upcoming 10-year wedding anniversary, which I am hoping to plan a dope trip for.
I am still articulating exactly what I hope my 2026 would look like, but one thing is clear: I want to live intentionally. I don’t want to sleepwalk through my life. I want to remain an active participant in my unfolding. It is not always the easiest path, but it is one I have found increasingly rewarding and transformative.
2025 was my year of rejuvenation. In 2026, I want to flourish.
I’m still thinking it through and may expand on it, but for now, this is what flourishing in 2026 looks like for me:
Nurturing my marriage and supporting my husband
Being present, warm, and connected with my children
Showing up with generosity and kindness as a friend, relative and a human in the world.
Being grounded, capable, and of high-value in my career
Making memories - with myself and with those I love
Living fully and intentionally
At church, our word for 2026 is The Year of Breakthroughs. I’m holding space for both - Flourishing & Breakthroughs.
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Ending this post with my wish for you in 2026:
May the year fill you with awe and deep joy. May you find the strength to go after your dreams. May your desires come to pass - beyond your wildest imagination. May you and your loved ones walk in perfect health. Nothing missing. Nothing broken.
Wishing you an incredible 2026.
Happy New Year.
With Love,
Nifemi
Oh wow. This is so good! Really loved reading this and the part about keeping the promise to yourself even if no one else would have noticed really resonated. Cheers to 2026!