What I Have Loved, Learnt and Let Go of in 2025

End-of-year reflection can feel like pressure. Like you’re meant to produce a highlight reel, set huge goals, and magically become a new person by January.

If you’re an ADHD parent (or you’re running a business while parenting kids with ADHD), that kind of reflection usually just adds more weight to an already full mental load.

So in this episode, I’m doing a year wrap up differently. Not as performance. Not as a “look what I achieved” list.

More like a discernment exercise.

What worked? What didn’t? What do I want to carry into 2026, and what can stay behind in 2025?

This Is About Clues, Not Pressure

I break my reflection into three simple questions:

• What I loved
  
• What I learnt
  
• What I’m letting go of
  
  

Because success leaves clues.
And so does burnout.

When we actually pause and look back, we can make next year easier, not heavier.

What I Loved in Business

First, I love my work. It feels aligned.

Even though I’m supporting families with the very same things I’m doing at home, it doesn’t feel heavy. It feels purposeful. Seeing a family have that “aha” moment still lights me up every time.

I also got my PCC credential this year, which meant:

• more coaching hours
  
• more training
  
• more accountability
  
• and the ability to mentor other ADHD coaches
  
  

That mentoring has been a highlight. Every coach brings their own style, and it’s reminded me that if one coach didn’t feel like the right fit for you, it doesn’t mean coaching isn’t for you. Sometimes it just means you haven’t found your person yet.

And of course, I loved working with the families in this community. Overwhelmed, tired, and still showing up with fierce love for their kids. That’s the kind of parent I will always back.

What I Learnt in Business

This year taught me a lot. I made a lot of mistakes. 

One of the biggest lessons?

People don’t need more ADHD content.

There’s plenty of information out there. What families actually need is clear action.

Step-by-step. Practical. Realistic. Tailored.

I also learnt:

• Boundaries made my business stronger
  Every time I say yes to something, I’m saying no to something else.
  
• Future Sharon doesn’t have more capacity than current Sharon
  Planning like she does is how I end up burnt out.
  
• I have to know my business finances
  Avoiding the numbers is not a strategy. Guessing is expensive.
  
  

And this one is huge, in business and in family life:

Action, even imperfect action, beats mindset every time.

Waiting to feel confident can keep you stuck. Doing the thing teaches you what works.

What I’m Letting Go of in Business

I’m letting go of:

• working seven days a week
  
• booking myself to my eyeballs
  
• making reactive decisions instead of strategic ones
  
• trying to be everything to everyone
  
  

In 2026, I’m niching down more into parents of primary school aged kids, because that’s where I can create the most impact with the clearest outcomes.

And a reminder I needed (maybe you do too):

Letting go isn’t loss.
It’s capacity.

What I Loved Personally

Health-wise, 2025 has been big.

Living with chronic pain and psoriatic arthritis is complicated, but this year I finally found a medication that made a real difference. More mobility. More hope.

I also prioritised walking daily and lost 17 kilos. I had surgeries that uncovered and fixed things that were driving pain. A lot of that came down to advocating for myself hard and not accepting “it’s fine” when I knew it wasn’t.

And I travelled more.

That was one of my 2025 goals because I’m an adventurer at heart. Illness can shrink your world, and I’d started to feel trapped.

So I booked things in anyway.

Some of it was uncomfortable. But I went. And every time I went, I built confidence that I can still do the thing.

What I Learnt Personally

Sleep is everything. And it’s my hardest thing.

This year I:

• stopped working nights as much
  
• moved more work into the day when my brain is better
  
• used app blockers to stop late-night scrolling
  
• tracked my sleep data and learnt even one alcoholic drink affects me
  

I also learnt I need more “me” time that has nothing to do with ADHD or business.

So yes, I’ve booked pottery for 2026. Will I be great at it? Unlikely. Will it be good for my nervous system to do something just for fun? Absolutely.

What I’m Letting Go of Personally

I’m letting go of:

• carrying the invisible load silently
  
• pushing through when my body is begging for a pause
  
  

And I’m building more buffer into 2026. If I have an event, I’m planning recovery time after it. Not because I’m weak. Because I’m learning what sustainable actually looks like.

My Word for 2026: Space

My word for 2026 is Space

Creating a spacious life with little upgrades.

Want Support Going Into 2026?

If you’d like practical support (not more noise), here are two free resources to help.

Start the Year Right Checklist
The checklist I use every January to create calmer family rhythms and protect my energy.
👉 Download it at thefunctionalfamily.com

Free Coaching Week: Your Family’s ADHD Roadmap
📅 3–6 March 2026 | 🎥 Short daily videos + 🧠 live coaching
👉 Register at thefunctionalfamily.com/roadmap

Watch & Listen

🎥 Watch the full episode on YouTube
🎧 Listen on the ADHD Families Podcast

Resources Mentioned

• Free Coaching Week: Your Family’s Tailored ADHD Roadmap
  
• ADHD Family Quest training week
  
• Oura Ring
  
• Opal app (and Jomo)
  
  

About Sharon Collon

Sharon Collon is an ADHD family coach and founder of The Functional Family. She helps overwhelmed parents create calm, functional homes through practical strategy, not fluff. Inside The Functional Family, you’ll find coaching, programs, and tools designed for real life with neurodivergent kids.

🌏 thefunctionalfamily.com
📸 Follow on social media for daily ADHD insights and support