Hard Choices, Easy Life: Your Best Year Starts Here.

It’s January 5th, and we’ve all been bombarded with self-improvement hacks and perfectly curated planners ( me too 🙋‍♀️).

Your goals are written, your calendar blocks are set, and your new notebook is in pristine shape.

You’re READY to conquer the year—YAY you!

The beginning of the year isn’t just a fresh start. It’s an invitation to take action in a new way—a chance to open a new door and walk through it with intention.

You’re being presented with two options — repeat or, evolve.

What I’m about to share might feel like tough love, but if you’re open to it, it could open the door to your best year yet.

My Word of the Year

Do you create a word of the year?

I’ve been doing this for years, and I love how it anchors my decisions and helps me align with what success looks like in each chapter of my life.

This New Year’s Eve, I confidently wrote my word on the wall for 2025: CHOICE.

To me, it meant being intentional with what I say yes to and what I say no to.

Pretty solid, right?

But then, a little voice whispered to me: “You’re playing it too safe.”

That’s when another word showed up—one I didn’t want to hear: DISCOMFORT.

oof.

There’s a quote that keeps echoing in my mind…

“Hard choices, easy life.”

One of my biggest lessons from the past three years—and perhaps one of the hardest truths to face—is this:

The conversation you don’t want to have is the one you need to have.
Avoidance only makes things worse.
Choosing comfort, will kill your growth.

When I sat with this idea, I started picturing how embracing discomfort all year could transform my life.

How would committing to the hard choices make things easier in the long run?

If I choose discomfort over comfort this year, I will grow.
If I lean in when I want to avoid, I will feel proud of myself.
I will stop tolerating the things I’m afraid to talk about or change.
“Hard” conversations would eventually become easeful.


The short-term cost: vulnerability.

The long-term payoff: saved time and energy, and the freedom that comes from choosing honesty, truth, and authenticity over hiding in fear.

Hard choices aren’t easy—but they are worth it.

The Truth About What You Want

What you want is crystal clear:

More freedom.
Less overwhelm.
More presence with your family and friends.
More time for yourself.
More money in your bank account.
More energy in your tank.
More connection and intimacy.

If you’re certain you want all this, ask yourself:

Why don’t I already have it?

This question is powerful. It reveals where we unconsciously stay small. Where we avoid discomfort and choose the familiar. Where we may second-guess our worthiness for what we really want in our lives. The gap between knowing what to do and actually following through.

Here’s the thing about comfort. Human nature will always seek comfort—even if it’s not good for us. Even if what we’re used to is chaotic. Even if it’s unkind, unsupportive, or holding us back, it still feels comfortable because it’s what we currently know.

Even when it’s not safe, we tolerate it. We bend, fit, and shrink to keep squeezing ourselves into comfort. But if we want to grow, we have to learn to recognize this pattern and ask:

“Is what I’m choosing helping me become who I want to be?”

Nothing changes if nothing changes.

The gap between knowing what to do and actually doing it often comes down to this question.

The hard truth: Comfort is killing us.

It’s easier to tolerate a familiar kind of chaos than to step into the discomfort of change.

But that discomfort—the edge you’re avoiding—is exactly what will change your life.

How to Start: Keep One Promise to Yourself

You don’t need a perfect plan for the next 360 days or a list of 12 new habits.

You need one clear commitment.

This doesn’t have to be drastic. It might not require an all-or-nothing decision like quitting drinking or leaving your job.

Your edge might be deciding to do less.
It might be setting a boundary—and keeping it.

For many of us, the medicine we need isn’t deprivation. It’s learning to trust ourselves, moment by moment.

And trust me, that won’t feel comfortable.

People will have opinions.
You’ll trigger others by making new choices for yourself.
Your growth may put others on edge.

But at the end of the day, ask yourself:
Do I want to keep others comfortable, or do I want to live my most expressed, full life?

When you honor your commitments to yourself, big or small:

You become the person you can count on.
You tend to your own needs.
You own your actions, words, and decisions.

This is why systems like 75 Hard are successful—they break old patterns, build new ones, and challenge you to become a different person in the process.

Start small. Keep one promise to yourself. And watch how it changes everything.

Getting Started

1️⃣ Identify one area of your life where you’re tolerating less than you desire (maybe it’s the chaos of your inbox or the junk drawer in the kitchen). Start there, stop tolerating it. Your worthy of a clean drawer ;)

2️⃣ Decide on one promise that feels meaningful ( and potentially a little confronting ).
The promise you keep making but struggle to follow through on. Write it down.

3️⃣ Create a time frame for your challenge and, a system to track it (a calendar, habit tracker, app or get an accountability buddy to help).

4️⃣ Show up for yourself consistently. Reward yourself for every day you honor your word. This could be in kind words to yourself or a high five in the mirror …you do you.

When you trust yourself, your promise stops being a goal—it becomes part of your identity.

This is when you no longer need big life overhauls.

Living in alignment with your vision and values becomes a lifestyle.

A Story of One Promise

One of my clients broke free from years of burnout and self-sabotage by keeping just one promise to herself.

She knew her pattern: building momentum, hitting her stride, and then self-soothing with a glass of wine that often turned into a bottle.

That bottle led to late nights, skipped mornings, and lost traction.

She repeated the pattern for a decade.

Then, one day, she decided to stop tolerating herself.

She quit drinking—not because it was trendy, but because she was tired of breaking her word to herself.

That single choice interrupted her pattern.

✨ She hit a new money milestone in her business.
✨ She set a new tone in her relationship.
✨ She reclaimed her energy and health.

By keeping one promise, she reset her life.

She wasn’t fixing herself. She was stepping into her power.

Your Edge for 2025

You might not yet know the version of yourself who:

Is comfortable with peace.
Says “no” without guilt.
Sets boundaries confidently.
Takes full days off without feeling “behind.”
Hits publish without worrying what others think.

The important word here is YET.

You’re capable of becoming that person.

Stepping into your next level of leadership starts with how you lead yourself.

If your goal list feels a mile long, I invite you to pause.

Hustle culture won’t fix what feels ‘off’ because it’s built on doing more instead of doing what truly matters.

You are not broken.

To increase your capacity for success, start here:

What’s one promise you’re willing to keep to yourself this year?

What will you commit to?

One year from today, imagine telling me, “This was my best year yet.” When I ask you what made it so good, your answer will be simple:

“I kept my promise to myself.”

Cheers to the edge of your comfort zone.

Until next week friend,


❤️ Mandy

P.S. For When You’re Ready

When you’re ready to stop running on empty, release chaos, and create more calm in how you lead your life, here are the ways I can support you in 2025:

1️⃣ 7-Week Group Program: Lead Well and Live Fully: Thrive in 2025
A proven framework to help you take back your time and lead your life with intention. We begin January 28th and meet every Tuesday night for 7 weeks. [Learn More]

2️⃣ 1:1 Coaching:
Work directly with me to create clarity, confidence, and calm in 2025. Together, we’ll design a personalized plan that helps you align with your goals and values.
[Book a Power Hour]

3️⃣ Legends Retreat: Feb 25–28 in Whistler
For visionaries ready to elevate their brand and influence. Learn to stand out in competitive markets, attract loyal fans, and drive tangible results. Co-hosted with Veronica Romney (Rainmaker, Author and former BossBabe Chief of Staff) and Randelle Lusk, Founder of Rare Method. [Apply Here]

4️⃣ Mini-Courses & Tools for a More Organized and Fulfilling Life:

✨ #CoupleGoals Relationship Playbook
Build a stronger connection and shared vision with guided prompts and tools to reset your partnership. On sale until Friday for $25! [Check It Out]

✨ TIME RICH

Take back your time, create freedom, and hit your goals—without sacrificing your well-being. This step-by-step how to guide will show you how to master your schedule and live life on your terms. [Become a Time Boss]

✨ PLAN YOUR YEAR: 2025 Wall Calendar

Say goodbye to boring staples calendars! My husband and I designed a minimalist, summer-inspired wall calendar perfect for big-picture planning. Frame it, hang it, and see your entire year at a glance. Includes a digital calendar and monthly challenge template for just $10. [Grab Yours Here]

Let this be your daily reminder that you are worthy, capable and, I am rooting for you.

20-20-THRIVE. Let’s go ❤️