To 2025

A love letter to the year that was.

Hiiiii my loveee.

If you’re reading this, come closer.

I know it’s been a while here, and trust me, I’ve missed you deeply. I’ve missed writing to you, talking to you the way I talk to my journal, letting you into the tiny corners of my life and the big feelings I don’t always post online.

But here we are. The very last day of 2025.

And it felt wrong to let this year close without writing to you. So think of this as my end-of-year letter. And also my quiet documentation of a year that stretched me in ways I didn’t expect.

I’ve been seeing creators share lists of what they’re grateful for this year, and I wanted to do that too. I genuinely did. But every time I tried to write my own list, I paused.

What am I grateful for… really?

Aside from life?

The more I thought about it, the more stuck I felt. Because everything I could name sounded… normal. Mundane. Ordinary. Like things people already have, things people don’t think twice about. And I didn’t want to sound unserious or repetitive.

But then again, I thought to myself, what if my mundane gratitude is someone’s prayer point for next year?

What if my “normal” life is someone else’s hope, someone else’s inspiration?

So I decided to write anyway. Even if it feels small, or ordinary.

Because maybe, just maybe, writing it down is how I finally learn to give myself the credit I deserve, and recognize how much grace carried me through this year.

I started 2025 like most people do. With goals, excitement, and declarations.

My watchword for the year was UNWAVERING DETERMINATION AND PRODUCTIVITY.

And if I’m being honest… was I determined?

Yes. I tried. I really did.

My biggest goal was to strengthen my deen and grow closer to Allah 🥹. I started well. I even brought my friends on board as accountability partners. But somewhere along the way, I fell through. I didn’t finish strong, and that still hurts to admit.

Another goal was to learn at least half of the Qur’an and be fluent in Hifz. My love… I started this too. And I fell through again. 🥹

There were many goals like that. Goals I genuinely wanted. Goals I believed in. Goals that didn’t work out.

But in between the unfinished goals were the ones that held me up.

One of them was improving my writing, becoming more expressive, more honest, more skilled. And this? This one worked. I grew. I learned. I even had viral posts.

I took professional courses in content writing and digital marketing. I made new friends — like-minded ones. I maintained healthier relationships. I built connections. I made better decisions. I became more aware of my impulsive actions and started taking responsibility for my life.

And for that, I’m grateful. Truly.

Improving my social media presence was also high on my 2025 list. I told myself I belonged in bigger spaces. I set numbers. Big ones.

Instagram to 20k followers.

TikTok to 10k followers in my niche.

Substack to 5k subscribers 🥹.

A defined blog niche with a professional feel.

Did I hit these numbers? No.

And yes, self-doubt played a huge role. I wanted visibility but kept shrinking myself at the same time. I regret that a little.

But here’s what did happen:

My reach grew. I now get over 150k+ reach in 30 days, despite disappearing from my socials several times.

My pages now have identity, personality, and intention. Through them, I got jobs — real jobs, in content writing, social media management, and digital marketing.

So even where I “failed,” something still bloomed. 🥹

And I’m grateful for that.

One thing I loved starting this year was my gratitude jar. I was so excited about it, and then I stopped. I guess that’s why it’s been hard to remember what I’m grateful for, I didn’t document enough.

Because this year, this year was heavy. I experienced grief for the first time.

I lost my mum in August. And I still don’t know how to properly explain what that did to me.

I struggled with myself in ways I’ve never shared fully. I lived in a lot of what ifs. I battled doubt. I had many quiet, cosmic moments that almost broke me. Moments that could have taken me out entirely.

But I’m still here.

To my achievements of the year, I currently hold ten executive leadership positions. I interned at 3 law firms.

I wrote a total of 45 articles, some of which are unpublished. I’m working on 3 books, one of which I hope to publish by June 2026. I currently work with 5 top tier brands.

I read 40 books (60 short of my goal, but still something). I participated in LMUN as a delegate of New Zealand. And many more others which I can’t remember right now.

But more than all of that, I’m grateful.

I’m grateful to God. I’m grateful for life. I’m grateful to myself, for staying.

I’m grateful for my family. For my dad. For my sisters. I’m grateful for you, my love. For reading me. For staying connected.

I’m grateful for the gift of friendship and shared presence. I’m grateful that I wasn’t left alone when life was dealing with me. I’m grateful that my life is an inspiration to people, even when I thought myself less.

I’m grateful for my writings. I’m grateful for times that pushed me to be this version of myself. I’m grateful for the gift of retrospection. I’m grateful for the gift of discernment.

I’m grateful for so much that now, I understand that my gratitude isn’t mundane at all. I have so much to be grateful for.

My love, tomorrow is another day. But it’s also a new year. A new dawn. A new beginning. A new month. And, in many ways, a new life.

And you know what’s beautiful about it? It’s a year that hasn’t seen your mistakes yet. A year that doesn’t know your fears, your fatigue, or how many times you almost gave up last time.

It’s a new beginning which doesn’t mean you have to reinvent yourself overnight. It simply means you get to try again. We get to try again, on our own terms. We have space to pause, breathe, and choose differently.

So if you’re going into the new year tired, well twin, that’s okay. If you’re hopeful but still scared, that’s okay. If you don’t have a five-year plan, a vision board, or big declarations yet, that’s okay too.

All that matters is that we’re here. Still standing. Still becoming. Still choosing to show up for ourselves, even when it’s hard.

And my love, thank you. Thank you for being here, for reading, for holding space with me, and for letting yourself feel it all — the messy, the tender, the brave parts of you.

I hope you walk into the new year gently. With faith, grace, and hope tucked in your pocket. And know that I’m cheering you on, always.

With love, always.

Haleey coco. 💋