Top 10 Revitalizations For 2025

As we ramp up to 2025, I’ve been reflecting on what I’ve learned, how I’ve grown, and the lessons I want to carry into the new year. It’s been a year of saying yes—yes to big projects, meaningful conversations, and opportunities to grow personally and professionally. But with all that growth comes the need to pause, reflect, and refocus.

In this edition, I’m sharing some of the biggest lessons I’ve learned this year.

I hope they resonate with you and help inspire your journey into 2025.

 Top 10 Revitalizations for 2025

10. You can burn out on the good things, too. 2024 was the year of, yes, big trips, launching a book, rebranding my podcast, and growing the simulation lab. These are all wonderful and exciting, and I’m entering December tired. In this episode of Drive Time Debrief, The Whole Physicians interviewed Dr. Sasha Shillcut, who shared that we can burn out on good things, too. This resonated with me, and as I enter 2025, I’m thinking about traveling less and focusing more on what matters.

9. There are glimmers that the tide may be turning ever so slightly in medicine. Some C-suites are starting to recognize that groups not supporting physician autonomy and voice are not great investments. Physician-owned and led practices are beginning to make a comeback. This is good for patients and physicians!  Learn more in this inspiring conversation with Dr. Leon Adelman.

8. It’s the best time to be alive to be pre-menopausal and menopausal. Getting smart about weight training and nutrition to thrive, not just survive this phase of life. Dementia and osteoporosis are not destiny. It’s never too late to make a lifestyle change; starting sooner is always a good idea. Listen to my interview with the author of The Birth of Joy, Dr. Beverly Joyce, to learn more.

7. Virtual assistants are a game changer. They are more affordable than you probably think, and they have different skill sets (and often better) in many organizational aspects of your life. I’m noticing a month in that I have more time for what matters and less stress around my email inbox, and I can see how I’ll have more time to do the fun and creative aspects of what I love doing.

6. Entrepreneurs who keep their “day job” are more successful (reference here). Sometimes, I feel guilty about not spending enough time on my podcast or coaching business. Learning that entrepreneurs with another job may be more successful has relieved that guilt. Now, I’m focusing on what skills are transferable and how I can continue to find the sweet spot in my professional mix.

5. The power of the two-word check-in to start meetings. Dr. Brené Brown introduced me to a two-word check-in, asking everyone at the start of a meeting to share their two words, which might be “Excited and nervous.” I started a recent educational session with a group of doctors with this prompt, and the two words were negative, “tired, anxious, exhausted, etc.” Two things struck me: 1) I couldn’t have predicted these descriptors based on their initial body language when they entered the room (they hid it well). 2) When offered the choice to reschedule the session to rest, they declined. They reported feeling a bit better after simply having a chance to share. Wow. I didn’t have to do anything. Just holding space was therapeutic.

4. Allow for ruptures and repairs. Relationships are messy. Ruptures- from minor to significant disagreements happen. A couple of years ago, I committed to having firm boundaries, which were necessary to keep me safe. As my emotional well-being improved, I didn’t lose those boundaries, but I allowed for a softening to allow some people to re-enter my life. Viewing ruptures as not always bad and often a path towards deepening a relationship has been transformational.

3. The power of amends. In many traditions, from religious to 10-step programs, the act of amends is a key teaching. Sometimes, amends involve an apology. Other times, an apology is not possible or safe. Amends may include learning more about a case that could have gone better or going to therapy to unlearn a maladaptive coping mechanism. The road to amends starts with making amends to ourselves and forgiving the version of ourselves that messed up. 

2. Healing our healthcare system starts with healing our workforce. Healthcare is sick right now. The emergency department, in particular, is one of the most dysfunctional places in the hospital. With boarding, workplace violence, and waiting room medicine, it’s clear that a lot needs to change. It’s easy to employ maladaptive coping mechanisms to survive this toxic milieu. It’s harder to recognize the moral injury, choose an act of compassion and agency, and uphold boundaries that support our integrity. As more of us embrace a wholehearted way of practicing medicine, it will have to change. My interview with Dr. Jonathan Fisher on wholehearted medicine and recovery from burnout and moral injury was one of my favorite conversations this year.

1. Embracing the changemaker identity. As I finished my thesis for my Master’s in Health Professions Education, I learned that a changemaker is a change agent who tackles problems for the good of society. This word resonates with me. It describes the why behind everything I spend time on: I want healthcare to work for patients and workers. Adopting this changemaking identity has increased the joy and meaning I find in my work. I’m excited for the changes to come in 2025!

I share many revitalizations in my book Revitalized: A Guidebook to Following Your Healing Heartline. Order your copy today from Amazon or Ingram (Indy-friendly option)!

Thank you for being here.

I’m so grateful to share these reflections and lessons with you. I hope they inspire you as much as they’ve inspired me. Here’s to making space for growth, joy, and meaningful change in the year ahead.

Follow your Heartline,

Andrea

P.S.

Coaching curious? Schedule a strategy session with me to see if coaching is what will help you follow your hearline!