Things I was doing when I wasn't here Jennifer Stinnett 2025

The chair was empty.
The year was not.

I didn’t disappear this year. I just shifted my energy away from performance and toward what actually needed me.

Here’s what filled the space while I wasn’t posting on cue.

This post is a personal year-end reflection on life changes, caregiving, health, creativity, and building a calmer, more intentional business.

Writing a Book in 2025 (and Learning Where My Energy Belongs)

I wrote a book this year. That part still surprises me when I say it out loud.

What surprised me more …
The realization that I will not be recording the audiobook myself this time. I thought THAT part would be easy. It’s not … lesson learned.

The makeshift sound booth, the obsessive re-takes. (Why is my breathing so LOUD??)  It was a season. We won’t be doing that again.

Next time, I’m hiring it out. Because learning where not to spend your energy is just as important as knowing where to focus it.

My DIY Sound Booth - in the closet

Turns out, clothes make a great sound barrier!

Jenn in the Mix (Still Becoming)

Jenn in the Mix is still… mixing.

Not stalled. Not broken. Just refusing to be rushed into a voice that doesn’t sound like me yet.

I’m letting it take shape without forcing it to perform, monetize, or impress before it’s ready. That patience is new for me — and necessary.

Some things need room before they need reach.

The Work You Don’t Schedule: Caregiving & Life Load

A lot of this year wasn’t visible online.

Caregiving doesn’t care about your content calendar.
Neither does exhaustion.
Neither does grief.
Neither does logistics.

This year asked for presence more than polish. I answered accordingly.

Wisconsin Tried to Kill Me (Politely, With Wind Chill)

At one point, I was back in Wisconsin, driving in snow and managing -14 ° weather, questioning my life choices and my tire traction simultaneously.

Perspective arrives fast when your eyelashes freeze.

I had to drive in the snow again (I know I said that already, but it was traumatic ha!) … I have successfully avoided doing that for almost 14 years now since moving to Florida.  And I wasn’t happy about it…

driving in the snow

Grippin’ that wheel tight!!

What I Stopped Doing in 2025 (Dieting, Burnout, and Fighting My Body)

This matters more than the to-do list.

I stopped dieting.

Peri-menopause is a mean girl — and fighting your body while your hormones are hijacking the controls is a losing game.

Once I focused on regulation instead of restriction — hormones, nutrition, sleep — the sugar cravings faded. The food noise quieted. The urgency disappeared.

Slow, steady weight loss is following. 
No drama. No punishment. Just consistency and peace.

Turns out your body cooperates when it feels safe.

Finding Peace in Midlife (and Protecting It Without Apology)

I found my peace.

And I guard it like a very calm, very polite bouncer with a zero-tolerance policy.

I no longer negotiate with chaos, overcommitment, or unnecessary urgency. If something threatens that peace — professionally or personally — it doesn’t get access.

That boundary alone changed more than any productivity system ever has.

One Quiet Win No One Saw

I stopped explaining myself in advance.

I let decisions stand without a justification paragraph attached.
I trusted my timing.
I let things stay small when they needed to.

That might be the most strategic move I made all year.

Looking Ahead

2026 looks calmer.
More strategic.
More intentional.

In business.
In life.
In how — and when — I show up.

Less noise. Better signal.
That’s the plan.

The chair won’t always be empty.
But when it is, it means I’m exactly where I need to be.

Thanks for catching up with me,

Jennifer