A Love Letter to Everyone Who Survived 2025

If December has you replaying the year in your head, thinking about the money choices you made, the goals that shifted, or why things didn’t quite land the way you thought they would back in January, you’re not alone. A lot of us get to this point feeling tired, reflective, and a little unsure how to sum it all up. This episode is a chance to look at the year differently. Not through the lens of what you achieved or didn’t, but through the stuff you carried, adapted to, and figured out as you went. The money stress, the plans that changed, the moments you just kept going anyway. None of that was wasted, even if it didn’t feel impressive at the time. If you want to close out the year feeling a bit more grounded and a lot less hard on yourself, press play. 

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Acknowledgement of Country By Nartarsha Bamblett aka Queen Acknowledgements.

The advice shared on She's On The Money is general in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's On The Money exists purely for educational purposes and should not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision. If you do choose to buy a financial product, read the PDS, TMD and obtain appropriate financial advice tailored towards your needs.  Victoria Devine and She's On The Money are authorised representatives of Money Sherpa PTY LTD ABN - 321649 27708,  AFSL - 451289.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
My name's Anatasha Bamblet. I'm a proud First Nations woman
and I'm here to acknowledge country t Glenn Young Ganya, Niana,
Kaka yah y and beIN Ahaka Nian our gay In Mbina,
yakarum jar Dominyamka Domaga Ithawakaman damon Imlan bomber bang gadabomba
in and now in wakah ghana on yakram jar Watnadaa. Hello,

(00:22):
beautiful friends, we gather on the lands of the Aboriginal people.
We thank acknowledge and respect the Abiginal people's land that
we're gathering on today. Take pleasure in all the land
and respect all that you see. She's on the Money
podcast acknowledges culture, country, community and connections, bringing you the tools,
knowledge and resources for you to thrive.

Speaker 2 (00:44):
She's on the Money. She's on the Money.

Speaker 3 (01:07):
Hello, and welcome to She's on the Money, the podcast
that usually brings you deep dives, het takes Money, diaries,
and the occasional chaotic rant. But today, my friend, it
is just you and me and we're doing something a
little bit different because it's the end of the year
and if you're anything like me, this time feels big, emotional,

(01:29):
maybe a little bit sparkly, a little bit exhausting, and
somehow like you're meant to have your life completely sorted
by December thirty one, and honestly, really, honestly, most of
us do not. So today, my friend, is not a
lesson or a recap or a list of goals that
you should think about setting. It's a bit of a
moment to exhale together, a moment to kind of slow

(01:51):
the pace, a moment to close a chapter very softly,
a moment to remind you that this year it was
never wasted, even if it didn't look like the one
that you planned on the first of January. Because here's
the thing, and I say that a lot. Here's the thing,
my friend, nobody's year goes to plan. Ever, nobody's spreadsheet
actually survives all twelve months perfectly, And if yours does,

(02:13):
please call me and let me know how and why.
Nobody ends December feeling like, my goodness, I nailed every
single financial goal, every single relationship, every career milestone, every
goal that I set myself. I have slayed this year.
Even when you see someone doing their mood board recap
and they make it look really pretty on Instagram. What
matters is that you made it through this year. Because

(02:35):
this year was hard, and I wanted to take a
moment and literally an entire podcast. I suppose to reflect
on that with you, because this year, you survived things
that never made it into your camera role, things that
were really heavy, things that you didn't post on social
media about, things that you carried really quietly because that's
who you are, and you just didn't want to share,

(02:57):
things that cost you emotional bandwidth that you didn't even
know that you were spending at the time. And now
it feels like it's come back to bite you. And
I need you to hear me when I say all
of that counts, and do you know what? So do
all the little things the morning that you got up
when you really didn't want to and meet either Queen,
the bills you paid even though you were so stressed

(03:18):
about money, all of those nights that you stayed up
worrying about somebody that you love or something that you're
wildly passionate about, the work that you did that nobody
ever said thank you for those appointments that you made,
or those appointments that you kept rescheduling or the appointments
that you actually finally went to, the budgeting attempts that
you didn't stick with, But I feel like it taught

(03:40):
you something. Anyway, days that you chose rest when you
were scared it might make you look and feel really lazy.
I'm really proud of you for the boundaries that you set,
or the boundaries that you tried to set, even if
your voice shook, and the courage it took you to
genuinely just keep going, my friend. Maybe you didn't save

(04:01):
as much as you'd hoped this year. Maybe you dipped
into an emergency fund and that makes you feel not
so good. Maybe you had a setback that knocks your confidence,
and maybe maybe you felt like you were just starting
again again. That doesn't actually make you behind, though. Small
steps in the right direction are still steps, and that
makes you human, and honestly, it makes you so flipping brave.

(04:25):
I'm seeing so many people, especially on social media at
the moment, talking about this year like it was a checklist,
like it should be measured in milestones and achievements. But
life is not, and never will be checklists. Life happens
in the middle bits, the moments where nothing looked glamorous,
but you were still quietly building resilience. You were learning,

(04:46):
you were healing, then you were on learning, and you
were also adapting. And you know what, you didn't film
any of that. None of that shows up in a
highlights reel. But it shapes your entire life. It shapes
who you are, who you're becoming, It shapes who I'm becoming.
Imagine how different you'd feel if, instead of judging yourself
on what you didn't achieve this year, you acknowledged that

(05:07):
you carried everything, You held everything together, you made it
at work. The weight of the world on your shoulders
was not too heavy. Imagine if you gave yourself the
same compassion that you would give your best friend. Because
I promise you, she would never ever ever talk to
you the way that you talk to yourself in your head.

(05:28):
She wouldn't say your year was wasted. She wouldn't literally
never even think about telling you that you were behind.
She doesn't think you are. She wouldn't say that you
should have done more. You know what she'd say, She'd
say exactly what I would say. She'd say, I saw
how hard this year was for you, and you still
showed up. You legend, And that's exactly what I'm saying

(05:49):
to you right now. This year was not about wins
and losses. It was about the invisible work that you
did just to keep going, the boundaries that you set,
the boundaries that you really try hard to keep, the
habits that you tried, the moments that you chose rest
over burnout, the time that you said no even though
you were very scared you were terrified, or that you

(06:10):
felt like you were disappointing someone, and the relationships you protected,
maybe even the relationships you walked away from. The clarity
that you gained, the softness that you rediscovered, the parts
of yourself that you have ultimately outgrown in the last
twelve months, the parts of yourself that you feel like
you might have come home to now. I want you

(06:30):
to try something with me, bear with me, please, and
maybe entertain me on this one. I want you to
think of just one thing from this year that you
are personally proud of. Maybe it's not an obvious thing,
not maybe something that goes on a CV, but like
a quiet thing. Maybe it's the moment where you showed
yourself strength or softness or honesty or maybe even courage,
even if nobody else noticed, have you got it? I

(06:53):
want you to hold onto it. Maybe you pause the
podcast and have a little bit of a think about it,
because that thing is is proof that growth doesn't always
look like a milestone. Sometimes it's just choosing yourself in
a tiny moment that maybe nobody else noticed, but you did,
and that's what contributed to your growth. I really hope
you can find something that you can grasp onto that's

(07:15):
going to give you enough space to let that moment
rise to the surface, because those quiet winds matter, honestly,
so much more than you realize. They're the things that
build your confidence really slowly, not in the loud, instagrammable ways,
but in the quiet rewiring of how you personally treat yourself.
Something else I want you to hear before this year

(07:36):
ends is when January rolls around, you don't need to
reinvent yourself. You do not need a color coded plan
twenty twenty six. You don't need to become a brand
new person at midnight. You don't suddenly become worthy because
of calendar resets. You are worthy, You were always worthy.
You get to grow at the pace that feels kind.

(07:57):
You get to choose a soft little rece If you
want to reset at all, you get to take one tiny,
intentional step instead of trying to change your whole life
in one goal. That's silly. Maybe for you, next year
isn't about major overhaul. Maybe it won't be dramatic or
esthetic or goal heavy. Maybe next year is about steadiness.

(08:18):
Maybe it's about consistency or rebuilding your confidence slowly, or
maybe finding your joy again, because that's what it's going
to be for me. Future you doesn't need you to
be perfect next year. She doesn't need you to hustle
yourself into exhaustion, I promise. She doesn't need you to
have absolutely everything sortered. You know what she needs. She

(08:39):
just needs you to keep showing up, to keep caring,
to keep trying in whatever capacity you have. And you've
already done that. You've already proven that you can do
that because you made it through this year, every single
little messy bit, every surprise cost, every unexpected life tea tour,
every I'm just really doing my best or I'm trying

(09:01):
to do my mess moment. And before we wrap up
as well, I just I really want to say thank you,
thank you for being here, thank you for trusting me
with your money stories, your fears, your dreams, your winds,
your unhinged Instagram messages. I love them. Thank you for
listening on your commute or your walk, or you hide
from the kids in the pantry while you're eating the

(09:21):
snacks you told them you didn't have. Thank you for
letting this community be part of your life. This community
is the heart of literally everything I do. And I'm
just I'm so incredibly grateful for you. And just so
you know, I'm not going anywhere in January. We are here,
we are with you. We're not hitting pause, we're not
having a podcast break, We're not disappearing because we believe

(09:45):
in you as you are. You are learning, you are growing, healing,
trying rebuilding, becoming more confident with every conversation and every
small decision. Everything that my team and I create next
month and every month after is centered around you feeling confident,
You're feeling supported, and you being empowered with your money. But,
my friend, it's not in a pressure filled way, but marena, grounded,

(10:07):
real life. I've got your back, my friend away. So
as we step into a new year, here's what I
really want you to carry with you. You're not behind
you're not late. You're not starting from nothing. You're starting
from here. You're starting from experience, from everything. This year
taught you every single thing you survived, every single thing

(10:28):
you navigated, everything you learned about who you are and
what you value. And I am so unbelievably proud of you.

Speaker 4 (10:42):
The advice shared on She's on the Money is general
in nature and does not consider your individual circumstances. She's
on the Money exists purely for educational purposes and should
not be relied upon to make an investment or financial decision.
If you do choose to buy a financial product, read
the PDS TMD and inappropriate financial advice.

Speaker 3 (11:01):
Tailored towards your needs.

Speaker 4 (11:03):
Victoria Divine and She's on the Money are authorized representatives
of Money sherper P T Y L t D A
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seven zero eight a F s L four five one
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