Transformative Lessons That Revolutionized 2025 (so far)
- Lay Jordan
- Jun 30
- 11 min read
What does it truly mean to nurture ourselves in an increasingly demanding world? As we reach the midpoint of 2025, June has been a month of intentional slowdown and self-reflection. With "Nurture" as my theme, I've embraced that adulthood requires learning how to properly care for ourselves. This month, I chose to approach my goals with a lighter touch, creating space to prepare for Quarter 3 while honoring my need for rest and realignment.
The lunar cycles this month provided perfect anchors for manifestation work. Working with both the Gemini New Moon (May 26th) and Sagittarius Full Moon (June 11th), I created intentional affirmations that guided my thinking and actions throughout June.
Moon Cycles & Manifestation
For the Lunar Cycles, I create affirmations. I am sharing the affirmations I created for the cycles before this post. The New Moon was in Gemini on May 26th, and the Full Moon was in Sagittarius on June 11th.
New Moon Affirmations
I THINK of unconventional and unique topics to present in my work
I THINK with clarity and precision to take the aligned actions to achieve my goals without getting overwhelmed
I THINK resourcefully and creatively about solutions when faced with obstacles
Full Moon Affirmations
I aim to clear what is necessary in order to live my dream life
I aim to create freedom and whimsy in my day-to-day life
I aim to get more in touch with my intuition to adapt and shift the ways I need to fulfill my long-term vision
This lunar cycle was focused on introspection and cultivating mental clarity to honestly assess the bigger picture of my life. It encouraged making space to adapt rather than remaining stuck in old patterns and mindsets, while reconnecting to what truly matters through value evaluation. I explored questions about authentic self-expression and examined whether my daily structure allows enough room for joy alongside productivity. Ultimately, this cycle guided me to thoughtfully consider how to adjust my approach for the remainder of the year.
3 Key Takeaways from this transit based on the focus:
Authenticity requires regular self-assessment and a willingness to change direction
Creating space for joy is not optional; it's essential for sustainable growth
Our daily rhythms should reflect our deepest values, not just our immediate goals
June 2025 marks a significant milestone: we're halfway through a year that completes half a decade. This reflection feels extremely meaningful, which is why this monthly review will focus on the transformative lessons, mindset shifts, and habit changes that have made the greatest impact on my life so far this year. These insights represent not just what I've done, but how I've grown in ways that will shape the remainder of 2025 and beyond.
5 Key Lessons from 2025: Part 1
Habit: Increasing my daily step count by walking
This habit transformation has been the single most impactful change in my daily routine this year. What started as a simple health goal has evolved into a powerful act of self-prioritization that has rippled through every aspect of my life.
In college, specifically during the COVID era, my mornings followed a predictable pattern: wake up, handle basic hygiene, and immediately dive into responsibilities (working on blog posts, completing assignments, or responding to messages). My energy was directed outward from the moment I opened my eyes, leaving little room for self-nurturing.
The shift began when I decided to restructure my mornings entirely. Now, I complete my hygiene routine, enjoy a protein-rich breakfast, go for a meaningful walk while incorporating whatever movement feels right that day, then shower and change into my outfit. This sequence has become sacred; a declaration that I deserve to be nurtured before I give my energy to external demands.
The benefits extend far beyond physical health. This morning ritual grounds me, creates mental clarity, and establishes a boundary between personal care and productivity. Walking has become my moving meditation: a time when I can process thoughts and set intentions for the day ahead.
If I could go back and adjust my approach, I would make two significant changes. First, I would have implemented a gradual increase in my step count rather than immediately aiming for 10,000-15,000 steps. The dramatic jump led to inconsistency: I averaged 12,626 steps in January, only to decrease to 5,761 in March when my body couldn't maintain the pace. Second, I would have prioritized hydration alongside movement. The increased activity without proper water intake resulted in muscle fatigue and cramps that further hindered my consistency.
I've since learned to be more patient with this process. By gradually rebuilding my step count and being mindful of hydration, I've established a more sustainable routine. The numbers are climbing again, but this time with the wisdom that true transformation isn't about immediate results; it's about creating patterns that can be maintained for life.
Mindset Shift: Karma is not about punishment; it is about truth, lessons, and redirections.
My understanding of karma shifted dramatically when I began viewing a significant relationship in my life through this lens. When reviewing our relationship patterns, the stark contrast became undeniable: my reserved, emotionally responsible approach against his impulsive, emotionally reactive tendencies. We were, quite literally, operating on opposing emotional frequencies. Initially, I struggled with the realization that something so meaningful could be temporary. How could a connection that brought such joy, healing, and growth during a very low period of my life be something we needed to move from? What had either of us done to "deserve" this experience of deep connection followed by inevitable separation? Who was at fault?
Through honest reflection, I've come to understand that karma isn't the black-and-white punishment system often portrayed in popular spirituality. This relationship didn't end because of dramatic betrayal or because either of us was inherently wrong or bad. Rather, it served as a mirror, showing me exactly what I thought I wanted, then revealing what I truly needed. The charts illuminated our purpose: I was meant to stop romanticizing emotional chaos (the thrill of young love that they portray in shows and movies) and prioritize emotional safety, while he needed to develop emotional self-awareness and the ability to express and communicate what he felt. We were each other's teachers, not punishments.
This perspective has transformed how I approach spirituality beyond relationships. As a 23-year-old navigating my first 12th house year (often described as challenging), I no longer fear these "difficult" periods or dread my eventual Saturn return. Karma isn't about cosmic retribution: it's about alignment, redirection, and growth. It's the universe's way of guiding us toward our highest path, even when that guidance feels uncomfortable. By releasing the anxiety around karma as punishment, I've found freedom in trusting that every experience (whether joyful or painful) is moving me toward greater truth and alignment with my authentic self.
Habit: Making learning a priority in the post-graduate journey
For those who thrived on academic validation, the identity loss that comes with no longer being in school after years of structured education can be disorienting. The classroom provided clear metrics for success, regular feedback, and a sense of purpose. Without these external frameworks, many graduates find themselves questioning their relationship with learning itself.
This transition forces important questions: Did you genuinely enjoy learning, or did you primarily value the recognition that came from it? Were you driven by curiosity, or was learning simply a means to an end (a stepping stone toward a specific career path)?
Redefining my relationship with learning post-graduation has been truly transformative. This period has offered me an opportunity to explore topics outside the confines of a curriculum, whether that means diving deeper into career-specific knowledge that wasn't covered in my niche major, or branching out into entirely new areas like health, meditation, or even meta-learning (learning about the learning process itself).
The key shift for me has been learning for the sake of learning rather than solely as a means to an end. When education becomes purely instrumental, it often leads to abandoning the learning journey once specific milestones are reached. By cultivating my curiosity and embracing lifelong learning, I've discovered unexpected passions, developed multidisciplinary thinking, and continued growing intellectually long after my formal education ended.
Mindset Shift: Health is finding what allows you to be consistent with positive habits
One of my most significant revelations this year has been reframing how I view health and wellness. I've come to understand that true health isn't about achieving a specific aesthetic or hitting arbitrary numerical goals; it's about discovering what enables you to maintain consistency with habits that align you with your future self.
I began questioning why so many people (myself included) become fixated on making health journeys as visually appealing as possible. The answer became clear: habit formation is inherently challenging. We get impatient waiting for results, bored with repetition, frustrated by plateaus, and overwhelmed by conflicting information. By finding something that shifts our focus away from outcomes and toward the process itself, we create sustainability.
This led me to develop a theory about how our learning styles might influence our health motivation strategies. Just as we absorb information differently, we also stay motivated differently:
Social learners thrive in workout classes or group settings where accountability and community provide motivation
Independent learners maintain consistency when exercising alone or in one-on-one sessions with trainers
Visual learners stay engaged through aesthetically pleasing environments, progress photos, and visual tracking
Kinesthetic learners remain motivated by focusing on functional improvements, how movement feels different, and what new capabilities emerge
Auditory learners benefit from carefully curated playlists or podcasts paired with specific activities
Verbal learners find success through writing detailed plans, creating personalized tracking systems, and journaling about their journey
Logical learners approach health like scientists, forming hypotheses, collecting data points, and methodically testing variables
This framework has been transformative for my relationship with health. The constant comparison that once plagued me has diminished significantly. I've recognized that visual learners (who make up the largest percentage of the population) naturally gravitate toward aesthetic motivation, explaining the prevalence of transformation photos and beautifully arranged meal prep on social media.
While I now understand the importance of aesthetics for some people's motivation, I've discovered it's not my primary driver. For me, a combination of logical tracking and verbal planning creates the most sustainable approach. By honoring your unique motivation style instead of forcing yourself into someone else's framework, consistency becomes much more attainable.
The beauty of this mindset shift is its permission to personalize. If tracking numbers makes you anxious, abandon the scale and focus elsewhere. If aesthetic transformations leave you feeling inadequate, direct your attention to how activities make you feel. There is no universal "right way" to stay motivated; there is only the way that works for you consistently.
Habit: Allowing more reflection time
By structuring my reflection periods around lunar cycles rather than the traditional weekly or daily check-ins, I've created a rhythm that feels both natural and sustainable for my lifestyle. This approach provides 8-9 dedicated moments of introspection each month following new moons, full moons, and quarter phases, which strikes the perfect balance between the overwhelm of daily journaling and the disconnection that can happen with just weekly reviews.
What makes this practice particularly powerful is how it aligns with natural cycles. The new moon naturally invites setting intentions, while the full moon creates space for celebrating progress and releasing what no longer serves me. By following these cosmic checkpoints, my reflection practice feels less like another task on my to-do list and more like an organic part of my life's rhythm.
In June, I experimented with a delightful addition to this practice: micro-journaling using the F.R.I.E.N.D.S episode title format. This idea came from a social media post I saw at the end of May. Someone was titling each day like an episode of the iconic show with "The One Where..." followed by the day's defining moment. While I initially thought this would be a simple practice, I challenged myself to create a more structured approach with three components: the date, the episode-style title, and a brief synopsis of the day.
This format has been surprisingly powerful for several reasons. First, it forces me to identify the most significant element of each day, what made it unique or meaningful. Second, the creative aspect of crafting clever titles brings a playfulness to reflection that traditional journaling sometimes lacks. Finally, the brevity of the format makes it accessible even on the busiest days.
This experiment has shown me that reflection doesn't need to be time-consuming or complex to be effective. The key is finding a format that feels sustainable and meaningful for your personal style. While daily journaling still feels overwhelming for me, and weekly check-ins aren't quite enough, this combination of lunar cycle reflections supplemented with micro-episode journaling has created the perfect middle ground.
Looking ahead, I plan to continue both practices. The lunar reflections provide depth and big-picture awareness, while the episode-style entries capture the nuances of daily life that might otherwise be forgotten. Together, they create a comprehensive reflection practice that feels both manageable and meaningful, proving that the most effective habits aren't necessarily the most intensive, but rather the ones we can maintain consistently.
Note: I have about five more of these, but since this post is a bit long, I decided to continue the list in another post that will be linked here once it is posted.
My Mid-Year Reset
My mid-year reset has been a journey of realignment and honest self-assessment. Looking back at my three main goals for the year (connecting professionally, exploring new spaces, and preparing to be seen), I've experienced varying degrees of success. While I've made significant strides in health and content creation, establishing a consistent walking routine and improving my content structure (resulting in three to four-digit blog views and daily podcast downloads since May), I've struggled with my goal of entering new spaces and building connections. Despite creating contact lists and sending occasional messages, I haven't fully committed to the social aspect of my goals, often prioritizing certification work over networking events.
The reset process has shown me where I need to refocus my energy for the second half of 2025. I've realized that my tendency to isolate while working toward goals has limited my professional and personal growth. Though I've made quality connections leading to a beauty and wellness internship, I recognize the need to balance my love for solitude with meaningful relationship building. I'm also recommitting to my wellness journey, celebrating progress in my step counts (from 5,761 in March to 10,233 in May) while acknowledging I need more discipline with nutrition to reach my weight goal of 125-130 pounds by September.
For those of you still needing to conduct your mid-year reset, I've created dedicated content to guide you through this process. These resources will help you honestly assess what's working, what isn't, and how to make meaningful adjustments to finish the year strong. Stay tuned for these resources if you're feeling stuck or simply want to maximize your productivity and well-being for the remainder of 2025.
Content SPECIFICALLY for an effective Mid-Year Reset
Content for June
(Some may be repeated from the last section since I posted a good amount of reset content)
Podcast and YouTube
Episode No. 52
Episode No. 53
Episode No. 54
Episode No. 55
Blog Post
Closing thoughts
As we navigate the journey of personal growth, it's important to acknowledge that change is rarely a linear process. June has been a month of nurturing both the visible successes and the hidden struggles that come with transformation. While I've shared many positive outcomes and realizations throughout this post, I want to be transparent about the reality: meaningful change involves both triumphs and challenges.
Some days, implementing new habits felt effortless and energizing. Other days, I questioned whether the effort was worth it or if I was even capable of sustaining these changes. This is the natural rhythm of growth, the ebb and flow that we all experience when working to become better versions of ourselves.
What I've found most valuable is recognizing that sustainable change doesn't come from grand gestures or dramatic overhauls. Instead, it emerges from consistent small actions taken day after day. Those micro-journaling moments, the extra steps on my daily walks, the intentional pauses during lunar cycles; these seemingly minor practices compound over time into significant transformation.
I'll be exploring the challenges of change more deeply in an upcoming post, particularly how to navigate the inevitable resistance and setbacks. But for now, I want to leave you with this reminder: honor both your progress and your struggles. They're equally important parts of your story.
As we move into July, I invite you to reflect on your own journey. What small changes have you been consistent with? Where have you faced resistance? Remember that becoming the person you want to be isn't about perfection; it's about persistence through both the highs and the lows.
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