7 things that worked for me in 2025

For years, I’ve closed out the month of December by sharing a few things that worked for me that year. You can see all these posts here!

During the time of setting goals, it can be easy to focus mainly on what didn’t work well or what you want to change for the coming year and it’s nice to think about the things that were successful!

As a bonus, for the past couple of years I’ve asked the Daily Reading Team for their thoughts on things that worked for them the previous year and here they are again – I love hearing about their wins!

I hope this article gives you a little nudge to think about what worked well for you this year too!

Here are seven things that worked for me in 2025:

1. Read earlier to girls. This was one of my goals for 2025 and I’m really happy with how well it turned out. Resetting my internal clock to read to them at 7:45 instead of 8:15 means we read for longer each night AND they still go to bed on time and I have time to do a few things afterward or read in bed until we’re ready to watch a show.
2. Amazon Music Audiobooks. It launched really late last year, so now I’ve been using it for a year and I’m completely obsessed. I’m careful with my Audible credits, but listening to a free audiobook every month on Amazon Music Unlimited is just my favorite. There’s no pressure to choose a “perfect” book because it’s use it or lose it and it disappears when you choose your next month’s listening, so it’s so free and easy! (You can try it for free for 3 months here!)
3. Use a counterspray. This is literally the stupidest thing in the world, but it has actually made a big difference in my daily life. A few months ago I purchased a fall counter spray and after a few days Bart commented on how I was suddenly wiping down the counters and table while he was doing the dishes. There’s just something so nice about finishing cooking for the night and coming home the next morning to a lovely smell! I just ordered this one for January!
4. Make an orderly list of things to do for my morning work period. I get up at 6:30 a.m., get dressed for my workout, then come to my office for about 45-60 minutes to work before working out. It’s easy for me to spend that time checking a million things and accomplishing nothing, which is a difficult way to start the day. I started making a little list the night before of the 3-4 things I want to do during this time, in order of importance, and it’s been really helpful in keeping me from getting derailed first thing in the morning.
5. Pass our Yoto cards from binders to rings. We’ve had all of our Yoto cards in binders for years, but this year, while working on this article about storage solutions for Yoto cards, I finally ordered the viral tab-and-ring system and was immediately hooked. I no longer have random cards lying around. I would never go back! (And the tabs and rings are very affordable).
6. I listen to scripture as I prepare for the day. I’ve struggled to adjust to daily personal scripture study for years and this year I finally gave myself permission to listen to it in the morning while I do my hair and makeup instead of feeling like it only “counted” if I sat down with a physical copy and a highlighter. And guess what: I’ve been more consistent than I’ve been in a decade!
7. Take into account meals for lunch. It’s been new for about a month, but I’m such a fan. I have prepared my daily breakfast, but lunch has always been very tricky for me. Finally, after a million rave reviews from my Instagram community, I decided to try it and it’s literally my favorite thing. Having a quick, balanced breakfast every day is like magic (and Bart loves them too!). You can try them for 50% off your first box here.

And here are some of the things that worked for my team this year!

anal

1. Block planning
   I heard about it a few years ago from Janssen’s sister, Merrick, and tried it this year. This has helped my productivity so much! I try to create a block schedule for each of my days the day before. I probably do it 80% of the time during the week (never on the weekends) and when I do it makes a huge difference. If you don’t know what block scheduling is, it divides your day into separate blocks of time during which you complete a certain task. For example, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at work, from 12:00 p.m. to 12:45 p.m. I do three things on my to-do list, from 12:45 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. I clean the bathrooms, etc. This helps me stay focused on the task at hand because I know there is a time slot for other things to do. It also takes the pressure off of completing everything on my to-do list. As long as I know I’m doing a few each day, I can sleep easy.
2. Nachos on Sunday
   We come home from church at 1 p.m. every week and everyone is starving. I don’t like cooking a big lunch and dinner and I hated thinking about what to make for lunch, so I made the official decision to eat nachos every Sunday. Every time I do a Walmart delivery, I add all of our nacho ingredients to make sure we have everything we need. It’s nothing fancy (we don’t even eat meat, we pant…no protein), but it’s probably my favorite meal of the week because my effort is so low and everyone loves it.

Kelly

1. Using a sinking fund for insurance
   We pay all our insurance in one annual payment to save 10-15%, but the January bill used to be shocking and stressful, especially right after Christmas. This year I opened a separate savings account and put a little aside each month, and when the bill came, the money was already there. The peace of mind alone was a complete game changer.
2. Distribute the load of bedtime and cooking
   My husband and I started alternating nighttime responsibilities: One of us does the kids’ bedtime routine (pajamas, teething, baths, and stories) while the other cleans up dinner and closes the kitchen — and then the next day we switch. We both tuck the kids in and say goodnight, but dividing up the rest of the work has made a huge difference. We’ve done this seamlessly for an entire year, and it’s been one of the easiest and most effective ways for us to truly share the load.

Jennifer

1. Strength training
   I have been so diligent in taking a HIIT class at the rec center for over two years. I even convinced a lot of my friends to start going. But earlier this year I felt stagnant and my fitness had plateaued. I stopped going to class and started weight training with my husband early in the morning and it was really fun. I have the leanest muscle mass I have ever had and remarkable muscle tone.
2. Listen to podcasts
   Can I say this on a blog primarily about books? I became a convert to podcasting last year. It’s been a fun way to learn new things and consume information. I particularly like listening to the same episodes as my husband or my friends so that we can discuss them. Some of my favorite podcasts are Down The Well, DOAC, BYU Sports Nation, and Follow Him.

If you liked this article about what worked for me this year, you might also like these other articles: