Twenty Twenty-Five
so glad to be alive,
finding me floating,
spreading wings to fly.
Jumping, flapping, climbing
then soar, a bird in the sky,
rising with the thermals,
lifting others to sunshine.
– Blythe Stephens, 2025
That’s the poem I wrote in declaration of my Word of the Year for 2025 and practices to make it so. Now how did it go?
Taking time over the post-holiday break and over the course of January to reflect on my results from the past year as well as the events, highlights and accomplishments I have recorded along the way is important to my creative process of growth.
In 2025 I accomplished many of the goals I set out for, and experienced both unanticipated challenges and exciting opportunities!
Float Year
2024 was about Leaping, and I carried those quantum leaps forward in 2025 with Float being my Word of the Year, standing for a state of lightness of being through the adventures that I knew would find me and the projects I boldly declared. This state of being underpinned all work with students, clients, and in my individual goals.
Annual & Monthly Reflections
Participating in Judith Peters’ (aka Sympatexter on YouTube) Jahresruekblog or Yearly/Annual Review Blogging Challenge (in German) at the end of 2023 into January of 2024 greatly inspired me to get consistent with my Monthly Reviews, which has helped with Quarterly and 6-Month check-ins and my annual retrospective process.
As I contemplate the events and emotions of a year, I look back at daily logs, my BuJo, photos, music, books, viewing, creative challenges, teaching, coaching, finances, adulting, travel, hobbies, personal and family life, choreography, creative challenges, world events and politics, published articles, videos, emails, in every corner of my life!
The pull of a New Year is strong, but I respect the time it takes me personally to complete a deep reflection and completion process. January I’ve noticed is the time for me to both look back and forward, a liminal space between, with the living out of my new year’s intentions happening with the resurgence of the Spring. I appreciate the chance to review what I wanted to do and create, results, life experiences both delightful and difficult, and get clear on my approach going forward.
Here I’m reviewing my goals and intentions, highlights and lowlights, joys and lessons of 2025 in order to move powerfully in 2026.
2025 Intentions & Outcomes
- Life: Float into the life of my dreams (spiritually, creatively), help others do likewise, Connect, Share Love, Adventure, Travel, Celebrate, continue Rituals and Habits. Yes I DID bring lightness, responsiveness and ease (never 100% but often!) to my work, students and clients, beloveds and acquaintances! I was blessed with rich cultural experiences, travel, and adventure.
- Growth: my YouTube Channel surpassed 1,000 subscribers! I have seen growth in followers on other platforms, readers, and enrollment as well, increased the number and type of my offerings and continued to write, create, and share in multiple media. Proud of my efforts overall and a few projects specifically.
- Revenue: I do not share financial details here in these articles, but like my other stated goals, I saw distinct growth in 2025. New opportunities continue to present themselves and I am so grateful to be able to do work I’m passionate about!
Annual Glows + Grows
As with my reflections on other periods of time, in Daily Logs, Weekly, Monthly, and Quarterly Reflections, I take note of what went well, what was challenging, surprises and unexpected circumstances, highlights and lowlights.
Glows: Highlights, Experiences & Accomplishments
There were some standout moments related to my intentions, as well as delights and enriching experiences that arrived over the course of the year.
I’m especially pleased and proud of:
- Advanced Dance Program daily ballet technique class for aspiring professional dancers in an intensive multi-style 3-month training
- SIBMAS Building Bridges Symposium at the Tanzarchiv in Cologne and Theatermuseum in Duesseldorf, where I met a fellow University of Hawai’i at Manoa performing arts alumna and many other inspiring colleagues from around the world, and about which I shared on Instagram
- Lobby für Mädchen girls’ empowerment field trips for elective classes, education on body image, media, advice location and resources
- West Hawai’i Dance Theatre’s production of “The Wizard of Oz Ballet” at the Kahilu Theatre was delightful, and I had the honor of serving as Emcee again
- Fine Feedback Workshop at WHDT (April) equipped dancers and choreographers with tools to distinguish constructive, empowering criticism, helping them dodge hate and instead appreciate and advocate for performing arts
- Gay PRIDE (June), and Cologne CSD, celebrating Gender Nonconformity, Safe(r) Spaces, Political Protests – Vote Love!
- Maintaining daily Yoga, Meditation, Reading, Writing, Gratitude + Abundance, German practices, weekly Physical Therapy, Improvisation, Monthly Reflections, and Creative Outputs
- Still so in love and celebrated my 7th Anniversary with Ela!
- Trip Home to Kailua-Kona, Emceed again for West Hawai’i Dance Theatre’s “Wizard of Oz” Ballet there, practiced Tai Chi by the sea, had quality time with my parents
Creative Challenges
In 2025 I both hosted and participated in a variety of stimulating creative challenges, such as:
- Twenty 25s in 2025 – This was the organizing structure of BuJo Collections & Projects and I updated the trackers throughout the year, noting when I completed each “25.” See below for the details of each…
- Continued Publishing Monthly Review Blogs (12)
- Depth Year/Conscious Consumption: Because of my intention to consume mindfully, create little waste, live simply, I created a Low Buy tracker for the year, to keep tabs on non-necessity personal items purchased or otherwise obtained. This wound up including glasses and clothing items for a Karneval costume, Stamps for making impressions in my journals and for my students, Cosmetic articles, fountain pens & ink, other stationery and supplies all of which has brought value and utility
- International Women’s Day collaborator, Accelerate Action – Celebrate International Women’s Day with A Blythe Coach
- EDAW Eating Disorders Awareness Week collaborator for the 3rd year in a row
- World Tai Chi and Qigong Day (April) set up in Kailua-Kona and participated in the global event
- National Dance Week April 19th-28th, 2024is an annual celebration of dance that takes place from April 19 to 28 this year. Do you know that dance was an important part of the oral and performance methods of passing stories down from one generation to the next, before the invention of written languages? The week is specially set aside to spread the delight and joys of dancing, and to create awareness about its impact and benefits.
- International Coaching Week (May), for which I created a Coaching Toolkit YouTube Playlist full of transformative tools
- Gay PRIDE (June), and Cologne CSD (July), celebrating Gender Nonconformity, Safe(r) Spaces, Political Protests – Vote Love!
- July: Non-binary People’s Day
- Self-Care September
- Dance Daily December – Mindful Movement Advent Calendar
Publishing Articles
Among the 35 articles I published in 2025 were monthly and quarterly reflections, as well as blogs on the topics of dance and creative living.
Monthly Reflections
My monthly review articles provide a regular opportunity to refresh my efforts, to remember experiences, highlights, favorites, and challenges over the course of the year:
- January was Gently Jumping into the New Year – 2025 Month 1 Reflection
- February was for Demonstrating & Dancing, Love, Karneval & Eating Disorders Awareness – 2025 Month 2 Reflection
- March into Spring & Outstanding Quarter 1 Things – 2025 Month 3 & Q1 Reflection
- April Adventures on 2 Continents & an Island – 2025 Month 4 Reflection
- May Replay – 2025 Month 5 Reflection
- Jaunty June – 2025 Month 6, Q2 & Midyear Reflection
- July was Sigh Worthy – 2025 Month 7 Reflection
- Artful August – 2025 Month 8 Reflection
- SeptEMBER was Fire – 2025 Month 9 & Quarter 3 Reflection
- October Oohs & Aahs – 2025 Month 10 Reflection
- A November to Remember – 2025 Month 11 Reflection
- December was a Bender of Creation, Celebration & Rest – 2025 Month 12 & Quarter 4 Reflection
3 Favorite Articles
The creative challenges I took on also led to a few of my favorite blog articles that I published in 2025:
Emancipatory Dance – Dancing Intersectional Feminism
How to Find & Foster Safe(r) Spaces in a Diverse Dancing Life
Looking Forward to Learning, Teaching & Creating – Personal Curriculum
Themed Series
I also created and added to existing series on topics of interest:
- The Seasonal Inspirations series continued with
- Spring Flings & Bright Things: a Bucket List of Fresh, Joyful Seasonal Experiences,
- Good Day, Sunshine – Warm Greetings to Bask in Solar Energy at the Solstice & Through Mindful Movement & Meditation article
- Summer Verses to Swoon For article: feel the warmth of those long lazy days anytime with verses suitable to summer.
- The Flights of Fancy series continued with Be Buoyant like a Butterfly – Flights of Fancy – Airy Inspiration Roundup
- The Sumptuous Stretching series continued with 5 Steps to Soar into the Splits this Summer – Season of Stretching Splits this Season series
- The Dancer Notebooks series
- You Need a Smile File, Creative! – Remembering Acknowledgement & Praise to Stay Inspired & Motivated Article: One of a slew of tools to refresh, inspire, and motivate when we feel down or burnt out. Take a peek into my own collected notes of thanks and gather your own evidence of acknowledgement and love to stay inspired and motivated.
- How (and Why) to Take Dance Notes – Class, Rehearsal, Performance Writing to Grow & Create
- Notebook Ecosystem Fall 2025 – Techo Kaigi – Current Journals of a Teaching Artist at Back-to-School video, a behind-the-scenes tour of my current notebook & journal lineup along with some of the utensils I use to write in them.
- Over a Decade of Dance Notebooks – A Teaching Artist’s Journals of Class, Rehearsal, Performance
Twenty 25s in 2025
In service to my overarching long-term goals, I declared twenty focus areas or more regular habits/practices. This was playfully inspired by JashiiCorrin on YouTube, and I first participated with a Bullet Journal spread to declare and track projects in 2023. For each of the twenty chosen actions for 2025, I planned to make at least 25 contributions, and in this way consistently support of my major goals and most valued priorities.
For additional accountability and to encourage others to join in their own way, I declared my Twenty 25s in 2025 in this blog article.
The year prior, I shared my Twenty-Four 24s in 2024 in this blog article.
My results? In 2025 I met or exceeded 16 of my 20 announced targets, not bad! In the area of Books Read, I – , I did complete 23 titles and I’m not attached to a certain number, more importantly to reading for enjoyment, learning, and creative inspiration. See below under “Marvelous Media” for my favorite reads of the year!
Practices I did at least 25 times:
- Daily Logs Written – 365 entries
- Morning Pages – 245 entries
- Articles Written & Published – 35 total blog articles published here on ablythecoach.com
- Email Newsletters Written & Sent –38, a top priority is to stay in touch with my inner circle of students, clients, and likeminded creatives in this way, not susceptible to the vicissitudes of Social Media.
- Poems Written – 39 acorns recorded
- Videos Created & Published – 53 new videos shared to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel, especially proud of my work here!
- Choreography Created – 25 sketches/segments, very much supported by hosting Dance Daily December (above).
- Bullet Journal Spreads – at least 25, including annual collections, monthly and weekly spreads, and quarterly reflections, plus special events and trips
- Practice Yoga – as this is meant to be a daily ritual, I reached my 25th practice in January, and 302 practice sessions total, at least a few minutes of physical self-care
- Meditate – another daily ritual, 280 sessions total
- Gratitude & Abundance – all 365 days
- Deutsch – all 365 days
- Physical Therapy – about twice weekly, 52+ sessions
- Classes Taught – 506 including online, in-studio & special workshops!
- Social Media – 125 Instagram posts
- Financial Fun – weekly, about 52 times balancing books & budgeting
Sharing Videos
I posted 53 new videos to the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel, surpassed 1,000 subscribers, and continued to grow through the process of creating and sharing video content and receiving feedback and community connections.
Connection, Email & Social Media
I sent 38 Email Newsletters in 2025, full of value-packed resources for fellow creatives. Some months I was particularly active on Instagram and Facebook, or even TikTok while posting my Dance Daily December videos.
The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing about as well selected work from other creators is indeed to subscribe to my email newsletter.
Would love to be connected to you there, on social media, online or in-person!
Marvelous Media
Many enjoyable books, series, films, dance and music concerts, art museums and galleries illuminated my year, here are some of my favorites:
Reading & Books
Nonfiction & Poetry
- Completed Someday is Today by Matthew Dicks and though not all of his tactics are for me, the awareness that our time to do what we are called to is not unlimited is important to remember in order to align daily choices with highest priorities. “The world is too full of kindness for us to not allow the kindnesses we’re offered to echo in our minds again and again.” (Location: 3,960)
- Continued but did not yet finish Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel by Shahnaz Habib
- Completed 365 Poems for Life: An Uplifting Collection for Every Day of the Year collected by Allie Esiri, which I started in late 2024, continued my daily poetic reading with
- Everyday Shakespeare: Lines for Life collected by Ben Crystal and David Crystal, and will continue to find inspiration through late 2026
- Started The Notebook: a History of Thinking on Paper book by Roland Allen as a library ebook, then got myself a hard copy so that I can take my time and annotate
Poems
Favorite poems read in 2025 (in no particular order):
- “Ring Out, Wild Bells” from “In Memoriam” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
- “This is the Time to be Slow” by John O’Donohue
- “Morning” by Billy Collins
- “Lines Composed in a Wood on a Windy Day” by Anne Bronte
- “The Present” by Michael Donaghy
- “Down the Pub” by Kae Tempest
- “Close, Close All Night” by Elizabeth Bishop
- “Hymn to Time” by Ursula K. Leguin
- “The Darkly Thrush” by Thomas Hardy
- “Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey” by William Wordsworth
- “Japanese Maple” by Clive James
Novels & Series
Top Fiction Authors of my year:
- Olivia Waite’s Feminine Pursuits romance series was a fun find in believable historical queer fiction, including The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows, where I particularly enjoyed the publishing, art, and nature themes and the middle-aged main characters with a slow-build connection (but could do without the steamy scenes) and The Hellion’s Waltz, where musical and fashion design themes were stunning
- Read four of Abby Jimenez’ Rom-Coms: The Friend Zone, Happy Ever After Playlist (Book 2), Part of Your World, and Say You’ll Remember Me and found she really has a way of writing characters that endear me like real folks in my life
- Read a few more from the Flavia De Luce series by Alan Bradley that I began out of order in 2024, a whimsical mysteries set in 1950s rural England: #2 The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag, #3 A Red Herring without Mustard, #4 I am Half Sick of Shadows, .
- Carley Fortune, whose One Golden Summer was just the last summer reading fling I needed and led to me putting further titles on hold…
Music & Listening
Impactful sources of hearing pleasure and information:
Songs & Albums
- “Soleil Bleu“ song by Bleu Soleil x Luiza was all over our radio
- Grooved to this Song for IWD
- “Worst Behavior” by kwn ft. Kehlani: the video made us laugh at first, but got to be a catchy ear worm
- “Bodies” Tycho Remix is very danceable
- “Love Letters” song by ODESZA (feat. the Knocks) accompanied movement later in the year
- Music from the “KPop Demon Hunters” Film, such as “Golden,” “The Shutdown,” “Soda Pop”
- “Defying Gravity” and “Popular” songs from “Wicked” musical movie
- “Lass mich gehen“ song by Ayliva
- International music I might not have heard if it weren’t for a 5th & 6th Grade Hip Hop choreography collaboration this semester: “Mona Lisa Motion” by ZAH1DE, “Sigma Boy” by Betsy & Мария Янковская, and “Nivelul ulmator” by Iuliana Beregoi
Playlists
- Mood Music that Moves Me- Playlists of Songs & Pieces to Inspire the Spirit article
- Music of 2025 YouTube playlist https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLxxFaTc8nPnGuM0uzwBy6uoR_4G0dESig&si=etMb99Ceg17nh2p5
- Balletlicious Barre+ Dance Playlist on YouTube continued to inspire movement classes
- Spring Sensations Dance Playlist on YouTube
- My International Women’s Day Dance Playlist on YouTube I created to accompany my 20-minute Barre a Terre workshop classes, and I got a complement on it live
- Balletlicious Summertime Dance on YouTube is the playlist of the season in ballet classes and everywhere I move!
- Savoring September playlist on YouTube
Viewing
Live Performances
- “Beethoven 7“ live dance concert by Sasha Waltz & Guests live dance concert electrified me in week 41 at
- “Fantissima“ Germany’s most successful dinner variety show at Phantasialand theme park, truly well-orchestrated performances, song and dance, circus acts…was impressive, delicious, and enjoyable
- “St. Pauli – Leichen von der Stange“ murder mystery variety show dinner on the Moby Dick riverboat was also a delight, with comedy, dance and song, drama, and even singing along
Films
- “Wicked” Film: I saw the touring Broadway musical back in Honolulu, enjoyed the showstopping songs and Arianna Grande’s dancing and portrayal of Glinda
- “KPop Demon Hunters” which was recommended by our neighbors and turned out to be a huge boon with my middle-schoolers, great animation, lots of action with a good message, and real Kpop bangers (below under Listening)
Streaming Series
- “The Residence” comedy murder mystery miniseries with birdwatching and notebook nerdery, right down my alley!
- “The Four Seasons” Comedy-drama series with Tina Fey and a bunch of other favorite actors, laughed, cried, were sad there are only 8 episodes
- “Chief of War“ series with Jason Momoa in Olelo Hawai’i (and English), is a stunningly beautiful (and also violent, as the name would suggest) historical depiction of just before King Kamehameha I, “the Great,” united the islands as one monarchy
- “Shrinking” series with Jason Segel and Harrison Ford is a Comedy-Drama with relatable and vulnerable characters I came to love
- “WondLa“ animated fantasy/sci-fi series in English with Ela and in German with my middle schoolers, brought family friendly dystopian action adventure, a strong female lead character Apple Original with an ironically anti-greed anti big tech environmental message
- “Hacks” Comedy-Drama series “Explores a dark mentorship that forms between Deborah Vance, a legendary Las Vegas comedian, and an entitled, outcast 25-year-old” and I found it funny, fresh, and incisive
- “Ghosts“ new comedy series was the good laugh we needed to get us through, I especially delighted in the banter between time periods
- “What We Do In The Shadows” Series mockumentary is funnily afterlife-aligned with another recent favorite, “Ghosts“
- “Wednesday” Season 2 was a good way to get into the idea of Spooky Season approaching
- “Nobody Wants This“ comedy series where an agnostic podcaster and a rabbi fall in love
- Caught the new season of “And Just Like That”
- Going for it with the OG “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and then
- “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” and I got quite attached to this cast of characters!
My Goals for 2026
My big-picture, long-term goals and dreams haven’t changed this year, but I will be continuing to pursue them in patient, persistent, and strategic ways. I’ve chosen a Word of the Year as well as Twenty 25s for 2025 and will be sharing these intended actions and how I’m tracking and supporting them in the future.
Glad to be on this journey together!
Questions for Reflection
- How do you reflect on the year past?
- What goals and intentions do you have for 2026?
- How can I support you in going after your dreams this year?
Resources for Further Exploration
I’ve got oodles more free resources for you here on the blog, on the A Blythe Coach YouTube Channel, on social media and live! The best way to keep up-to-date on everything I’m coaching, teaching, creating and sharing as well as my favorite work from other creators is to subscribe to my email newsletter. Would love to be connected to you there, here, on social media, online or in-person!
Blog article-wise, here are some others you might find interesting:
- Reflective Practice Through Journaling in Dance, Yoga, & Life Blog Article
- Artful Archiving, Paper Purging, & Minsgame March Blog Article
- Quantum Leaping in 2024 – Word / Intention of the Year Blog Article
- Standing in Beauty 2023 – Word of the Year Blog Article
- A Beautiful Year of Slow Creation & Growth – 2023 Reflections Blog Article
- Inspiring Inputs: 2023 Reading, Listening, Viewing & Media Blog Article
- Say the Magic Words Blog Article
- Blogging My Purpose – the “Why” behind A Blythe Coach Blog Article
- Why Bother Distinguishing Your Why? Purpose Blog Article
- Goal-Setting for Dancers Blog Article
- Analog Journals for Creativity Blog Article
- Annual Refresh – Reflection, Clearing, & Planning Process Blog Article
Explorations in dance, coaching and more coming soon, thank you for reading, for being, and for dancing with me, in spirit or in fact!
Take care of yourself, keep moving mindfully, and let me know how if I can be of service. Would love to connect with you in my email newsletter or on social media as well!
Blythe Stephens, MFA & Bliss Catalyst
they/them or she/her
Creator of A Blythe Coach @ablythecoach
helping multi-passionate creatives dance through their difficulties &
take leaps of faith through coaching, dance & yoga education