Today, this candid and reflective episode of Awf The Record is your go-to year-end reset. Jeannette and Mona ditch the highlight reel to unpack what 2025 really looked like: burnout, blurred boundaries, constant “work mode,” and the pressure to overachieve.

They break down the habits that kept them running on fumes, unpack the immigrant-kid conditioning that glorifies exhaustion, and reveal the small but powerful shifts they’re making to build a more intentional, joyful, sustainable 2026.

Whether you're overachieving yourself into exhaustion, struggling to balance personal joy with professional hustle, or just looking for a more sustainable way to grow – this episode is for you. 

KEY POINTS 

- Why we glamorize burnout and miss the signs

- How to stop “performing productivity” and start practicing boundaries
- Why your “work mode” is stealing your joy (and how to reclaim it)
- The value of hobbies that don’t pay you
- Why scheduling your personal life is the ultimate form of self-respect

- How to slow down without losing ambition

- The difference between big wins vs. consistent wins

- What Mona & Jeannette are leaving in 2025 (and what they’re carrying into 2026)

QUOTES 

“2025 dragged me by my edges.” - Mona Kosar Abdi

"There are some years that ask questions and some years that answer, and for me, I felt like this was a year of a lot of questions being asked, and I hope that 2026 is the year that answers." - Mona Kosar Abdi

"Don't let perfect be the enemy of good. Before, my excuse was they can't do better. Do it better than I can. But now you want, first off, you find out some people can. You just got to give them some time to learn."- Jeannette Reyes

"I'm leaving anxiety in 2025 because it does not serve me at all... I am going to celebrate things and celebrate myself and allow my friends to celebrate me." - Mona Kosar Abdi

RESOURCES: 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:

Youtube: @AwfTheRecord

Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast

TikTok: @AwfTheRecord

Mona Kosar Abdi

IG |  @monakabdi 

Jeannette Reyes

IG |  @msnewslady 

Keep in touch with Awf The Record:
Watch on Youtube: @AwfTheRecord
Follow us on Instagram: @awftherecordpodcast
Follow us on TikTok: @AwfTheRecord
Visit our website: www.AwfTheRecord.com

Follow Mona on TikTok and IG
Follow Jeannette on TikTok and IG