Closing Out 2025: Wins, Misses, and What They Taught Me

December 22, 2025

As we come to the end of 2025, I wanted to share a candid update on how the year went - the successes, the failures, the lessons, and where I’m placing my focus going forward.

Earlier this month, I worked with my executive coach on an exercise called the Wheel of Life. I broke my life into eight categories:

  1. Family

  2. Faith & Spirituality

  3. Health

  4. Project Delivery

  5. Networking & Client Relationships

  6. Newsletter, LinkedIn, & ActuaryList Job Board

  7. Business Ventures & Financial Freedom

  8. Learning, Growth, & Self-Development

I rated myself from 1–10 in each area and reflected on where my time and energy actually went this year.

Family

This is the area I’m most proud of.

I spent significantly more time with family and friends in 2025, and rated myself an 8/10 here.

My consulting revenue stayed roughly flat compared to 2024 - but that was intentional. I chose family over pushing for more revenue, and I’m genuinely happy about that tradeoff.

I’ve never viewed myself as a traditional consulting firm trying to scale 10x.

I value independence, freedom, and control of my time. As The Psychology of Money puts it, “the ability to control your time is one of the highest dividends money pays.” I felt that deeply this year.

Networking & Relationships

This is an area where I fell short.

From 2021 (since I became an independent actuarial consultant), I was very proactive - reaching out, having calls with chief actuaries, appointed actuaries, CFOs, and others. But in 2025, I didn’t maintain that rhythm.

Part of it was increased focus on project delivery, health, and family. But the reality is: I simply didn’t prioritize networking, and my 2026 plan reflects that correction.

Health

I rated myself a 6/10.

I managed two gym sessions a week consistently - but my goal is four or five. Between work, travel, and having three kids, routine is hard. And without meal planning, sticking to a healthy diet becomes almost impossible.

What I learned this year:

“Discipline in health starts with environment.”

If healthy food like blueberries, Greek yogurt, salmon, and avocados is already in the house, it becomes much easier.

This will be a big focus in 2026.

Personal downtime

This year I also allowed myself more downtime than usual, and a surprising amount of reflection came through the movies and shows I watched.

One of my favorites was Frankenstein on Netflix - the way they humanized the character was brilliant, and both Oscar Isaac and Jacob Elordi delivered outstanding performances. I also watched Severance Season 1, which became my favorite show of the year.

I recently started Pluribus, the new Vince Gilligan series on Apple TV, and it already feels like something special. For horror, Hereditary remains one of the best I’ve ever seen, and Squid Game Season 2 was strong as well. These small pockets of entertainment became an unexpected way to recharge - a reminder that creativity, rest, and perspective often come from the unlikeliest places.

Newsletter, LinkedIn & ActuaryList

This year, I delegated heavily - and it worked. My admins and freelancers handled much of the execution while I focused on direction, content oversight, and strategy.

In 2026, I want to personally invest more time into growing all three platforms.

My plans:

  • Bring in at least one high-quality newsletter sponsor

  • Use that revenue to increase value for readers

  • Share more actionable insights, personal lessons, and thought leadership

  • Expand referral rewards

  • Strengthen ActuaryList partnerships with TA teams, hiring managers, and recruiters

I firmly believe there is no replacement for having an engaged audience. It amplifies everything - opportunities, business, relationships, and impact.

And a quick teaser:

I’m developing a new course for actuaries that I’m really excited about. More on that in Q1.

Learning & Self-Development

This year I started taking reading more seriously. I’m slow at reading, so I rely heavily on Audible - but in 2025 I switched to a deeper approach.

I now:

  • Listen while working out

  • Read physically

  • Write reflections in a journal

  • Speak the ideas out loud

  • Revisit my notes

Using multiple senses helps concepts sink in.

Books I completed this year that made a huge impact:

  • Awareness - Anthony de Mello

  • The Psychology of Money - Morgan Housel

  • Never Split the Difference - Chris Voss

Reading has been one of the highest-return habits of my life. As the saying goes:

“The knowledge and secrets of the world are hidden in books.”

We just need to take the time to access them.

I also worked with my coach to improve communication, leadership, and executive presence. We gathered feedback from clients and colleagues - and I’m grateful for the thoughtful responses.

Consulting Work

My focus remained the same:

Deliver high-quality modeling projects, support valuation teams, simplify data pipelines, and make appointed actuaries’ lives easier.

This year I also licensed Moody’s AXIS and Slope. I’m betting that both tools will continue gaining traction in 2026, and I want to be ahead of that curve.

Closing Reflection

2025 wasn’t my most financially explosive year.

It wasn’t my most productive year.

But it was one of my most aligned years.

  • More time with family.

  • More clarity on what matters.

  • More systems.

  • More learning.

  • More consistency of thought.

And equally important - a clearer understanding of what I need to improve.

Thank you for being part of this journey. This newsletter and community mean a lot to me, and I’m excited for what we’ll build together in 2026.

Here’s my year-end video message, shared on behalf of Actuarial 360 Solutions.

Watch on Youtube