If you’re tuning in at the turn of the year, here’s a little love wave—landing where you are. You’re getting sentimental Kate today. For whatever reason, my heart is overflowing with love and gratitude for every single vegan and plant-positive person showing up in their own way. Not just for what you do — also for who you are.

This year, I spent more time than ever thinking about the person I want to be, the impact I want to have, and what truly supports me to live that way — especially when things feel heavy. Maybe it’s a world that feels dark, unstable, and too much to carry alone. Maybe it’s grief, lingering and persistent. Certainly it’s age and perspective, shifting what matters most.

Whatever the reason — my instinct this year was to turn inward. To double down on clarity. On self-trust. On belief. And those things mattered deeply. Yet here’s the honest truth:

They weren’t enough on their own.

Looking back, a few practices carried me this year — I want to share them with you.

I’ve long believed that clarity is a guiding light — and self-belief is an anchor. So this year, I leaned into that harder than ever.

I kept returning to three powerful questions — questions I still journal on regularly and will be taking into 2026 with me:

That’s tough-love Kate talking — and sometimes I need to hear from her.

It’s easy to stay stuck in patterns of accepting poor results without making changes. Maybe those changes need to be to our expectations. Or maybe they need to be to our actions.

A gentle reminder to A) Let go of the stuff beyond your control and B) Accept responsibility for the things in your control.

That last one is borrowed from Alex Hormozi, and it’s filled with action and agency.

A possibility-focused approach. When something isn’t working — instead of aiming for the fastest, easiest fix — what if the question became, “What would it take?” The answer often isn’t one line. It might take a page of journaling. Or more.

Alex also shared a quote this year that genuinely stopped me in my tracks:

“The greatest skill you can develop is the ability to stay in a great mood in the absence of things to be in a great mood about. And if you can be in a bad mood for no reason… you might as well be in a good mood for no reason.”

That landed. Partially, because it’s who I used to be. Who I am determined to be again.

So I stopped waiting for conditions to improve before choosing joy.

Instead, I started practicing it — deliberately.

I created a simple acronym for myself: C.H.O.O.S.E.

Are you ready to get our acronym on?

Create reliable joy sparks — tiny, free moments that soften the day. A glorious coffee. A nourishing plant-based meal. Quiet reading before bed.

Happy place — for me, it’s the river near home. Calm. Grounding. Ever-changing. If I could recommend just one thing, it’s this: find your place, and visit it often.

Ongoing amping up the good — training my mind to notice what is working. And the people doing good in the world. Not ignorance. Intentional optimism.

Ongoing amping down the bad — acknowledging what’s heavy, learning where possible, and then letting it go.

Smile reframe — when frustration hits, especially around things outside my control, I smile. It sounds silly. And yet, it works. Finally:

Expect the positive — because when you do, people often meet you there.

This isn’t about pretending everything is always fine. It’s about taking responsibility for your inner climate.

Some of what I leaned into this year really worked… and some of it surprised me.

I thought that if I was clear enough… relentless enough… passionate enough… I wouldn’t need much else.

However somewhere along the way, I realised something important:

Turning inward is powerful — and also, it has limits.

I live in a place I love. And yet, after two years here, I deeply notice the absence of a vegan, values-aligned community I can just drop into.

Add to that the quiet weight of grief — four years without my mum, my biggest supporter, my brightest spark, and the only vegan in my family — and something became clear.

Self-belief doesn’t thrive in isolation.

It grows faster when it’s witnessed. It sticks when it’s shared. And joy? Joy multiplies in community.

Turns out, joy and impact aren’t meant to be solo projects — they multiply when we work together.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned this year, it’s this:

I don’t want to be strong by myself anymore.

I don’t want to care deeply alone. I don’t want to choose love, compassion, and kindness in isolation.

Being vegan — being values-led — can feel lonely. And it doesn’t have to.

My biggest learning of 2025 has been the power of community. Not as a “nice to have” — rather as a foundation.

Support makes change sustainable. Accountability can feel like friendship. And joy… joy is louder together.

That realisation is why I created Thrive in 30.

A space to grow together and support real change.

A place to reset with a flourish.

To choose nourishment over perfection.

To build belief by showing up — alongside others who care.

If you’ve been feeling like you’re doing all the right things, and carrying it on your own — this is your reminder:

You don’t have to do this by yourself.

As we move toward a new year, maybe the question isn’t, “What should I do differently?” Maybe it’s, “Who do I want to become — and who do I want beside me as I do it?”

If you’re ready to step into that with support, Thrive in 30 begins Jan 5.

We’ll spend 30 days taking real, actionable steps — building clarity, confidence, and consistency together.

This program is geared towards:

Small changes. Meaningful momentum. A like-hearted team walking beside you.

You don’t have to figure this out alone — we’ve got you.

Early bird spots are $79 if you join by Jan 2, and spaces are limited. If this resonates, now’s the time to secure your place and step into the new year with clarity, confidence, and community.

To grab your spot or learn more, check the show notes or the pinned post in Plant Positive on Skool. Thrive in 30 runs quarterly, so if you’re listening later, you’ll have another chance to join.

And if you’ve listened this far — thank you.

Thank you for being part of my 2025, for keeping an open heart and an open mind, and for having the courage to face things most people turn away from.

There’s no perfect way to live vegan in a non-vegan world — yet wherever you sit, from plant-curious to vegan-animal-rights-activist, you’re going against the norm. And I’m grateful.

Standing out from the status quo can feel lonely. We need each other. We are stronger together. In fact, together is the only way.

Big love. Huge gratitude. See you in 2026.

JOIN THRIVE IN 30: Starting January 5th 2026.

Thrive in 30 is a 30-Day Group Coaching program designed to make eating plant-powered, staying consistent, and building habits simple, fun, and effective.

Prioritize Your Health, the Animals, and the Planet—One Empowering Habit at a Time with the Plant Positive Journal:

This journal and daily planner follows a twelve month format however is not dated so it is perfect to use at ANY time of the year.

Connect with Kate across the socials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube and her FREE Skool Community, Plant Positive.

With love and gratitude plant friends.

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