🎨 Birthday edition

At a Glance:

• 2025 = Curiosity – Exploring new experiences and presence.
• Slow Down, Live More – Building mindful, meaningful habits.
• Rewire for Clarity – Coaching helps speed up the process.

A few years ago, back when I worked in consulting, I started my favorite tradition—taking a day off on my birthday to focus only on the things I wanted.

And I continue it 🙂

Today’s edition will be a bit different—a bit more about myself, more reflections than a newsletter—but hopefully, it will make you reflect on some things too…

A Birthday Reflection

Looking back at 36, it was a year of growth, courage, unexpected discoveries and new friendships. I left behind many things that no longer served me, embraced new challenges, and deepened my understanding of myself.

Now, 37 will be a year where I lean into curiosity - not just as a word but as a way of life.

2025 is My Year of CURIOSITY

I’ve chosen that word for three reasons:

• I want to be curious about myself and the world around me.
• As a Certified Brain Coach, I want to ask better, deeper, and more curious questions.
• Some say curiosity is the first step to hell… I prefer to see it as an adventure mindset!

Following my curiosity this year, I’m exploring more and more things.

Why am I writing about this?

Because curiosity has led me to explore new things this year, and I have even more plans on how to keep exploring…

This year, I started swimming classes. I can swim, but I learned by myself and never developed a proper technique. So, I finally decided to take lessons.I love water. Being born and raised by the sea, it’s my favorite place to be!

So, in December, when I was traveling, I went to the hotel pool, and it reminded me how much I love being in the water. But I didn’t know why.

Then, on Monday, during my coaching session, I realized the reason.

Swimming feels so good because, in the water, I focus only on swimming. I don’t think about anything else. I focus on making sure I don’t drown. Now, practicing my technique, I focus on making each move correctly. When I snorkel, I just focus on the underwater world.

And this makes it unique.

(I had the same feeling back when I played football (soccer). I trained once a week, and it was the best way to switch off from work. And yes, I was working in consulting back then! I feel like I’ve rediscovered that feeling in swimming now.)

This insight led to a broader topic for me—focus and living in the present.

My curiosity this year is focused on that:

• How to live slower but experience more.
• How to slow down to speed up.
• More meaningful things.
• More real things.
• More emotions.

Why do I need this?

"An Aquarius can sometimes be consumed by their own thoughts, especially at night. They can't find the off switch." — Unknown

Being an Aquarius, this quote resonates deeply with me.

I find myself constantly thinking about something.My mind doesn’t stop.It just works non-stop, always trying to optimize things and make the most of every minute.

Btw, if this sounds like you, here are some books I recommend:

• 📖 Stolen Focus by Johann Hari (AMAZING book, I’m finishing it now)
• 📖 Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen
• 📖 The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

But back to the topic…

Because of this constant thinking, I’m working (as one of my goals for this year) on slowing down.

But I’ve realized—it’s hard to have a structured plan for how to live slower.

It’s not easy, especially for someone who has been a high achiever all their life, constantly looking for more, chasing new goals, and always striving for the next achievement.

So, I know I need to do it step by step.

I started by reflecting more—building the habit of longer, regular journaling. Writing down my thoughts.
This is going well, so I’m continuing to explore.

Now, I’m building small habits around different things I do to make them more meaningful.
For example, when I read a book, I take a lot of notes—writing down quotes, ideas, and interesting points.
I’ve also planned a longer solo trip at the end of this month, and I want to make it different from how I’d normally do it—to experience more and remember more.

A Quick Tip on Slowing Down (Try This Today!)

If you also struggle to slow down and be more present, try this:

So yes, 2025 is and will be about curiosity!

I hope this inspires you to become a bit more curious about yourself too. 🙂

Your Turn: What’s Your Word for 2025?

I’d love to hear from you! If you had to pick one word to define your year, what would it be? And why?

(Feel free to reply—I read every message!)