Pressing Pause in 2024: My Transition Year
“2024 taught me the value of slowing down, of taking a deep breath, and finding balance.”
When I lived in Ireland, I taught transition year. It’s an optional year in secondary school that allows students space between junior and senior cycle to explore career options and have a bit of a mental break before diving into leaving cert prep for university or a more career-driven trade path. It’s brilliant for so many reasons — the core one for many kids being the ability to slow down and get their footing under them without the pressure to perform to exams.
2024 was my transition year, both personally and professionally. While there was a lot of growth and change for Uncharted Veterinary Conference, much of my year was spent immersed in the nuance of projects, conferences, summits, and community events. It wasn’t a year of big, splashy achievements or intense hustle. Instead, it was a year to breathe, reflect, and recalibrate after several years of relentless personal and professional growth.
The past few years had been a whirlwind of opportunities, challenges, and lessons. I’d poured so much energy into building, leading, and growing—always striving to do more, be better, and make an impact. But by the end of 2023, I realized I was running on fumes. The hustle had been exhilarating but also exhausting. I needed to pause, take stock, and realign with what truly mattered to me.
In 2024, I gave myself permission to slow down. I leaned into the quiet moments and found joy in the process rather than just the outcomes. I said yes to projects that aligned with my values and stepped back from things that didn’t. I embraced the beauty of nuance, focusing not on grand gestures but on the incremental shifts that pave the way for lasting change. It was a year of grounding and growth, a time to rebuild my reserves and rediscover what lights me up.
I also realized that some of the work I was doing wasn’t aligning with my values. I wasn’t walking the talk, so to speak. I was going through the motions but I wasn't engaged and aligned with the purpose behind some of my work., Accepting that was incredibly difficult for me. It required honest reflection on myself as a leader and a willingness to face uncomfortable truths about my own behavior. Thanks to therapy, I leaned into this self-examination and made intentional changes to realign myself. I worked to show up in ways that I could genuinely feel good about, ensuring my actions reflected the values I hold dear.
As I look ahead to 2025, I feel ready to step into my own senior cycle—a year of intentional action and focused growth. Here’s what I’m committing to:
Prioritizing professional leadership growth and development. I want to seek out opportunities that help me learn and grow as a human being who cares deeply about other humans. I am a life long learner and I realized that I quickly disengage when I am not challenging my growth.
Saying no more often to create space for the things I truly want to say yes to. Boundaries aren’t just about protection; they’re about prioritizing joy and purpose. No feels scary - I've said yes to things for the past few years out of fear of missing out. What I realized in 2024 is that when you say yes to all the things, you miss out on things too. Some of those things might just be the most important things.
Stepping toward happiness without fear. It’s time to embrace the things that make me smile, even if they feel uncertain or unconventional. The biggest growth comes when we feel afraid and do the thing anyway.
Curating genuine experiences with people who fill my heart with joy. Relationships that uplift and energize are worth investing in. Veterinary medicine is filled with so many people who have so much passion, love and energy. I want to continue to soak that up and impact my corner of the world.
Prioritizing professional leadership growth and development. I want to seek out opportunities that help me learn and grow as a human being who cares deeply about other humans. I've let fear hold me back from prioritizing my own development - my work with the amazing leaders at Banfield this past few years has taught me that we aren't being leaders if we don't have a plan and actually show up and work that plan to develop our strengths tenfold over working on our weaknesses.
Engaging in conversations and projects that inspire kindness, compassion, and joy in veterinary medicine. This profession is built on connection, and I want to be part of work that celebrates that.
2024 taught me the value of slowing down, of taking a deep breath and finding balance. Now, I’m ready to move forward with clarity and intention. Here’s to 2025—a year of stepping into my next chapter with purpose, passion, and a whole lot of heart. ❤️
-Stephanie