How to set flexible goals in 2025 🎯

Hi, Reader!

How’s 2025 treating you so far? Three weeks in, it seems like a mixed bag for many people I’ve chatted with, myself included!

The start of the year can feel underwhelming when the “new year, new me” energy doesn’t quite match reality. I came down with a cold two days into the year, and it's been a reminder of my intention to embrace flexibility in my goals. It's never easy for someone who loves to plan, but here's how I'm approaching goals this year.

This year, I’m shifting my mindset and thinking of my goals more like projects. They’re still things I want to accomplish, but framing them this way helps me embrace experimentation, make adjustments, and give myself permission to pivot when needed.

In the past, I’ve set rigid goals that left no room for change. Even when it became clear something wasn’t working, I stuck to the plan, only to feel disappointed when I didn’t “succeed.”

But now, I’m putting more focus on action steps, the things I need to do day-to-day to move projects forward. Every task on my to-do list aligns with building the kind of business I want to run.

To stay on track and remain flexible, I’ve started scheduling regular check-ins to evaluate my progress. I ask myself:

  • Do I still want to pursue this project?
  • Is my audience responding positively?
  • What adjustments do I need to make?
  • How can I simplify this process?
  • What can I delegate?

These check-ins allow me to experiment and evolve rather than lock myself in.

For 2025, my focus is treating goals not as black-and-white measures of success or failure but as benchmarks and starting points to grow from.

How do you balance focus with flexibility in your goals? What’s been working for you so far this year? I’d love to hear about it!

❤️ Abby

And now, onto this month's RECAP!


The Recap 07

Recommending / Favorites I'm loving right now that I want to share with you

Elevating / Aspects of my life or business that I'm working to improve or revamp

Caring / All things my daughter Essie and motherhood

Admiring / People and products I’m excited about or currently eyeing

Planning / Ya girl loves to plan. What I'm currently organizing and strategizing

💅🏻 Recommending

If you're like me and love doing your nails at home but love that long-lasting gel mani effect, let me introduce you to Dazzle Dry. I discovered it at a local waterless salon when I was getting my nails done for my wedding. The tech told me it's made without harmful chemicals and it lasts 2 weeks and dries in 5 minutes and comes off with regular nail polish remover. I was sold. I was even happier to find out I could buy it online and do my nails at home with the same results. I've been a devotee ever since. I think it's my favorite invention ever!?

🎨 Elevating

Last fall, I fell down the Instagram rabbit hole of seasonal color analysis (#algorithm). You may have seen it too- trained experts draping colorful fabric swatches over their clients to figure out which shades suit them best.

Naturally, I had to try it! I booked an online color analysis with Julia Dobkine of Agile Styling. Drumroll... I’m a “True Winter”! My palette is all about cool undertones, and deep or light hues with bright intensity.

At first, it felt like a silly Instagram trend, but it’s been such a fun way to rediscover my wardrobe.

🤸🏻‍♀️ Caring

Essie’s second Christmas was a success! Hunter and I are all about keeping the toy clutter to a minimum, so Santa brought her a few “big” items she can grow into like a balance bike, chairs for her play table, and a slide. My parents nailed it with an experience gift: a gift card for gymnastics classes!

I did gymnastics as a kid, so it felt so full circle taking her to her first class last week. She loved it, especially the trampolines (and honestly, who wouldn’t?). This season was such a sweet reminder that the experiences matter so much more than the stuff. At this stage of life, she barely even cares about the gifts anyway!

⭐️ Admiring

In just a couple of weeks, my mom and I are hosting a baby shower for one of my best friends, and I’m so excited! Her nursery will be themed around animals from Harry Potter and Star Wars, so we thought why not combine the two for a magical baby shower?

How perfect are these owl and lightning banners, envelope napkins, and celestial plates from My Mind's Eye?

I could seriously spend hours shopping for party supplies and I'm so glad I have an excuse to do it for my friend's shower! 💌

🚨 Planning

Preparing for emergencies should always be a priority, but it’s so easy to fall into the mindset of “it’ll never happen to me.” We live in a hurricane-prone area (Charleston, SC), yet my emergency prep still isn’t perfect. Watching the devastation unfold in LA has been a sobering reminder to take it more seriously.​

I’m currently reevaluating my family’s emergency plan, especially when it comes to saving our photo albums and precious mementos.

​It’s been heartening to see memory-making companies offering free reprints of photo albums for families affected by the fires. It’s such an important reminder to update your plan and take steps to protect the memories that mean the most.

Abby Murphy | Brand Photographer & Educator

📸 I help women entrepreneurs take the guesswork out of brand photoshoots, so they can show up confident, prepared, and get images that attract the right clients and grow their business.