How two words changed my year

Every December, before the rush of the holidays gives way to the quiet pause at year’s end, I take time to look back. 

It’s a simple ritual I’ve kept for years. I scroll through the photos on my phone and choose the moments that meant something – kids’ milestones, time in the woods, work that energized me, small joys that might otherwise be forgotten. 

I print the best of those photos and spend an evening with an old friend from high school, going through the year page by page. It’s a tradition that reminds me what mattered and what I want to carry forward.

That reflection shapes something even more important for me: intention. In December, I choose one or two words to guide the year ahead. Not resolutions. Not KPIs. Just a clear intention I can return to when life gets noisy.

For 2025, my two words were home and healthy.

It also feels fitting that this is my first time writing the opener to Fresh Ideas. After years of reading Dave’s reflections, stepping into this space is part of what “home” has come to mean for me at Vision – a place where I feel grounded, challenged and connected.

“Home,” for me, wasn’t about geography. It was about identity – about finally feeling settled after years of exploring, trying on new roles, and, as I put it, “lifting as many rocks as I needed to figure out what a new home felt like.” 

That search is what ultimately led me to Vision Coaching. The sense of belonging I found here has been grounding. It has given me purpose, momentum and, honestly, a feeling I hadn’t had in a long time: that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.

The second intention – healthy – took shape around my biggest fear: not being able to do the things I love. When that hit me during one of our family conversations, I knew I had to make some changes. 

This year I overhauled how I eat, move and take care of myself. I dropped 25 pounds. I have more energy. And I feel more present – in my work, with my family, and in the everyday moments that make a year worth remembering.

As we head into the holidays, I’m reminded that intention is powerful because it’s simple. It cuts through overwhelm and brings us back to what matters. For me, intention helped make this a year of clarity, health and feeling at home.

If you’re reflecting on the year ahead, I’d encourage you to choose a word – or two – that will guide you. Let them anchor you through the busy days and into the moments of quiet that are coming.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season of intention and a grounded start to the new year.

Pete

Pete Stoddart

Chief Operating Officer & Leadership Coach

Vision Coaching Inc.