From PLAY to HOPE

As you might know, I like to pick a word at the start of every year – a word that challenges me, excites me, and helps me grow. It becomes my guiding star for the year ahead. For 2024, I chose the word PLAY.

This was my way of challenging myself to let go of performance. Instead, I wanted to explore what happens when I lead with play – when I focus on testing, experimenting, having fun, and just letting things flow. Could I make space for more play? And what will be different when I do?

2024, with PLAY, gave me the freedom to:

• Try out ideas, just to see where they might lead.
• Take bold steps, even when they felt uncertain.
• Create without worrying if things were good enough or what others might think.
• Reconnect with the joy of curiosity and exploration.

Once you make room for play, it starts to flow naturally into everything you do. Who would have thought I would be more playful as I turned older?

2024 has also…

This year has also been about deepening my curious creator journey. I’m witnessing over and over again that curiosity is an aim in itself. It brings more joy, passion, empathy, growth, connections, wisdom, and reflection. There’s something powerful about the eagerness to know more, to explore, and to gain clarity. Combining PLAY with curiosity allowed me to create from a place of joy and passion. It’s a liberating feeling – teaching me the importance of fully and honestly expressing myself to rediscover my joy.

2024 was also about being unapologetically me. Standing firm in my boundaries, speaking my truth, and daring to go my own way. The more I stepped out of my comfort zone, the easier it became to do it again and again.

To finish 2024 with style, I contemplated getting a tattoo with the word PLAY. However, I settled for a pair of grown-up glasses – yes, it’s becoming increasingly necessary to read up close. But I wanted glasses that reminded me of staying playful, so I chose a pair of asymmetrical, playful glasses with a hint of green. Have I received not-so-positive comments about them? Indeed. But I’ve stood strong in my choice, and since I show my love for them, others quickly accept them as part of me.

2024 has been a year of profound insight into myself and my capabilities. It’s been a time of introspection, building inner strength, and discovering my voice through playful expressions. This year has been about growth, understanding myself more deeply, and learning to stand strong in who I am while embracing my unique path and truth. As I look ahead to 2025, my focus shifts to guiding others – sharing what I’ve learned and helping them discover their own paths. Together, we can live and lead with joy and purpose, creating a world grounded in unity and curiosity.

That brings me to my word for 2025: HOPE.

Why HOPE?

While PLAY was a very personal journey in 2024 – an opportunity to explore and express myself – I’m looking forward to continuing to play but in a more collective and co-creative way in 2025. So while PLAY will stay but take a different shape and form, I’m leaning into the word HOPE in 2025. I feel the need to believe in a brighter future and stand strong in it, and I know I’m not alone in this need.

HOPE has a collective aim. It’s about believing in brighter tomorrows and contributing to a better world together. My mission, as always, is to continue sparking curiosity and working on the hypothesis: Simply be curious, together we make an impact that matters – which is also the title of my book. The more of us that lead with curiosity, the easier it becomes to make an impact that matters.

HOPE isn’t passive. It’s active, resilient, and purposeful. It’s about taking meaningful steps toward change. It’s about creating ripple effects – small actions that grow and create lasting, positive impacts.

As I step into 2025, I will:

• Stay true to who I am and fully embrace the curious leader I am.
• Guide others discover their unique path to becoming confident, curious leaders.
• Share hope and curiosity with everyone I meet.
• Continue to step out of my comfort zone and take purposeful steps that inspire and make a difference.

I can’t help but wonder what my word will be for 2026? What can possibly come after HOPE?

Discover YOU as a confident leader

To embrace HOPE and share my learnings, I’ve designed the next Curious Creator experience, Curious Leaders. This program is all about helping you uncover your strengths, connect with your purpose, and step into the confident leader only you can be.

This is a follow-up to It’s your time to shine, but even better – more focused on co-creating your personal mission so that you can lead your life and career with confidence and purpose in a sustainable way.

This isn’t for you if you’re looking for an easy, one-size-fits-all framework. But if you’re ready to:

• Dive deep into self-reflection.
• Challenge your blind spots.
• Step out of your comfort zone one step at a time.
• Explore your authentic leadership potential.

Then this experience is for you.

You can join in two ways:

• Private coaching experience: A personal journey tailored just for you, available in Malmö, Sweden, or online.
• Group coaching experience: A collaborative space to grow alongside others, available online.

This isn’t about perfection – it’s about showing up, embracing the process, and stepping into the confident leader only YOU can be.

A year with HOPE

While my experiences are about building you up, they also have a collective aim. As we focus on you becoming the best version of yourself, you naturally contribute more to those around you – whether it’s family, friends, colleagues, or others in your daily life. When you shine, you allow those around you to shine brighter. It’s a win-win-win…

You become a role model of authentic living and leadership, standing strong in who you are with all your flaws and quirks, creating a more open and allowing environment for everyone.

As we step into 2025, I want to wish you not just a Happy New Year but a Happy New YOU. I hope we will have the opportunity to co-create in one way or another in 2025. I’m super excited and full of energy for a year of bold steps, meaningful connections, and positive foresight.

What word will be your guiding star in 2025? What intention will you set to make it a year of growth and purpose?

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