25 things 2025 taught us about work, wellbeing, & AI

In this special crossover episode with my mate Shelley Johnson from This Is Work, we sat down with printed lists and compared notes on 25 things that 2025 taught us. Along the way, patterns emerged around how we show up, where our energy gets spent, and the ways our work is changing beneath us.   Shelley and I discuss:  Why energy has become the most useful lens for thinking about performance, focus and resilience  How boundaries, rest and creating margin changed the way I worked this year  Why embarrassment can be an unexpected teacher and a healthy check on the ego  The difference between psychological safety and psychological comfort at work  Why connection matters more than charisma when it comes to influence  How AI has shifted from being a tool to something closer to a coworker  Why deadlines, postmortems and focusing on the problem instead of the person improve team dynamics  Small posture and workflow changes that made a big difference to how I felt at work    KEY QUOTES  “Energy is the new KPI.”  “The wins are never as good as you think, and the losses are never as bad as you think. Keep going.”  Connect with Shelley Johnson on Boldside HR’s Instagram, LinkedIn, and listen to her podcast This Is Work.     My latest book The Health Habit is out now. You can order a copy here: https://www.amantha.com/the-health-habit/  Connect with me on the socials: Linkedin (https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanthaimber)  Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/amanthai)  If you are looking for more tips to improve the way you work and live, I write a weekly newsletter where I share practical and simple to apply tips to improve your life. You can sign up for that at https://amantha-imber.ck.page/subscribe  Visit https://www.amantha.com/podcast for full show notes from all episodes.  Get in touch at [email protected]  Credits: Host: Amantha Imber Sound Engineer: The Podcast Butler See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.