When Life Doesn’t Go According to Plan

At the start of 2025, most of us sat down with journals or vision boards and tried to map out how the year would go.

But here we are, December, and for a lot of us, life looks nothing like what we imagined.

For some, it turned out better.

For others, it’s been harder than we thought it would be.

And for many of us, it’s somewhere in between; a strange mix of gratitude and confusion.

It’s tempting to want to give up when it feels like everything is off-script.

But I’m writing today to remind you of something simple: live in the now.

Yes, life’s been throwing curveballs.

Yes, you’re tired, unsure, maybe even a little scared.

But focus on what you can control; this moment, this day, this next small thing in front of you.

If you’ve been reading my letters for a while, you probably know that I recently switched careers, and it's far from what I imagined when 2025 began.

But on the hard days, when I start to feel like I’m falling behind or wandering too far from “the plan,” I remember something my mum always says: “Whatever is worth doing, is worth doing well.”

So I do.

I show up. I try to do my best with what I have, right where I am.

And even though it doesn’t erase the uncertainty, it gives me a small sense of control again; a reminder that my life is still mine to shape, even in the middle of the mess.

Maybe that’s what this season is about, learning to trust detours.

What’s one thing that’s been helping you stay grounded lately?

Love,

-Golie from MANI