Tonight, not just counting down seconds, I'm taking stock of a year that tested his foundations and preparing to build something new.
The Rearview Mirror: Making
Peace with 2025
If 2025 had a theme song for me, it might have been a quiet, steady drumbeat. It wasn't necessarily the year of explosive fireworks or non-stop highlight reels. Instead, 2025 was the year of the "grind." It was the year of roots growing deeper underground where no one could see them.
Looking back, I can see the moments that defined the year. There were the silent battles fought in the early hours of the morning—the anxieties managed, the doubts overcome just enough to keep moving forward. There were plans that dissolved upon contact with reality, forcing a pivot. There were times when progress felt excruciatingly slow, like walking through waist-deep water.
But to dismiss 2025 as just "a hard year" would be a mistake. It was the crucible. I learned about resilience this year—not the flashy kind they talk about in motivational speeches, but the gritty, everyday kind that simply means showing up when you’d rather hide. I also redeemed the traditional life value while developing a better connection with the Lord. Last but not least, I discovered that I'm actually stronger than the obstacles placed in my path following the Holly guidance.
2025 taught me a vital lesson: You can survive the storms you never tell anyone about. And for that, the year deserves a respectful nod of gratitude before being closed like a heavy book.
The Pivot: The Power of Release Standing on the edge of midnight, the
most important act is the act of release. I know it for facts I cannot walk into 2026 carrying the heavy baggage of the past twelve months. The disappointments, the "what-ifs," the self-criticism for not being further along—they have to be left at the door. They are artifacts of a time that no longer exists.
Tonight is about forgiving days of 2025 for the mistakes I made, and thanking myself for getting them this far. It is a conscious decision to unclench the jaw, drop the shoulders, and let the tension of an entire year dissipate into the winter air.
The Horizon: Embracing the 2026 Adventure
And then, the clock strikes twelve.
2026 rushes in—a vast, terrifying, beautiful blank slate.
Personally, I'm confident that the energy of 2026 is distinct. If the previous year was about survival and introspection, the incoming year is about action and expression. It’s time to take those deep roots cultivated in the dark and use them to push upward into the light.
The world remains uncertain, and there will undoubtedly be new challenges. But I, along with my team of Matt J. Doyle am entering this new chapter equipped with better tools. I have a clearer vision of what I want and, more importantly, what I will no longer tolerate.
2026 is the year to trade caution for curiosity. It’s the year to stop waiting for permission to be the main character in my own life. It’s time to take risks—calculated ones, perhaps, but risks nonetheless. To love deeper, to create more boldly, and to step into arenas I previously thought were off-limits.
The page has turned. The ink is wet. I keep repeating to myself - "... the story is yours to write, Matt! Don't look back; you're not going that way."
Welcome to 2026!
Matt
Matt J. Doyle
https://www.MattJDoyle.com
