Before You Plan 2026…Take Inventory of the Leader You Became in 2025

Before you write a single 2026 goal, you need to hear this truth about your 2025 that no one talks about. Every December, leaders everywhere do the exact same thing:

We sprint. We strategize. We look ahead.

What’s next? What should I achieve next year? What goal haven’t I hit yet?

But rarely—so rarely—do we stop and look back at the year behind us with the depth, compassion, and presence it deserves. We jump to the next mountain without pausing long enough to recognize the strength it took to climb the last one.

And yet, this is where our deepest power lies.

Why Taking Inventory Matters Just as Much as Setting Goals

When we take inventory of the year that has passed—not just of what we accomplished, but of who we became—we reinforce to ourselves that we are capable, growing, adaptive, resilient.

Growth is far more than checkmarks on a goals list.
Growth is how you met the year.
Growth is how you moved forward, even when conditions weren’t perfect.
Growth is who you are now that you weren’t in January.

Your brain needs evidence of your progress.
Your nervous system needs the grounding of acknowledging, “I did that. I grew there. I changed in meaningful ways.”

Otherwise, you’ll spend your entire life chasing the next goal without ever recognizing your own evolution.

So before you plan 2026, I want you to do something most leaders rarely do:

Pause. Celebrate. Record your growth. Integrate it.

There is a power in writing it down. There is a power in seeing your year through the lens of who you became.

A Personal Note: My Own 2025 Inventory

When I did this exercise myself, here’s what surfaced—much of it not on any vision board last January:

✨ I earned my Master Certified Coach (MCC) designation, the highest credential in the coaching profession—held by only the top 3% of coaches globally. Receiving that official notice this year felt like both a culmination and a beginning.

✨ I travelled with my girls to the Bahamas, creating memories I will cherish forever. It was a reminder to choose joy, connection, and moments that feed the soul.

✨ I came off two long-term medications—a milestone in my ongoing healing journey from a brain injury and the complex layers of resilience required to navigate it.

✨ I did deep emotional work around patterns and wiring that have shaped my “jump-jump-jump” nervous system since my early corporate days. I’ll share more about that journey in future newsletters, because I know I’m not alone—and I believe leaders need to hear this more than ever.

None of this showed up on a standard goal sheet. But all of it represents meaningful growth. All of it matters deeply.

Your Turn: A Master Certified Coach’s Inventory Reflection

Here are reflective questions and tips to guide your own 2025 inventory—questions I use with executives across North America:

1️⃣ Who did I become this year that I wasn’t before?

(Think identity shifts, emotional transformations, leadership maturity.)

2️⃣ What did I learn about myself that strengthened my leadership?

3️⃣ What challenges shaped me—and how did they grow my resilience?

4️⃣ Where did I move the needle in ways that may not show up on a KPI sheet?

(Think relationships, confidence, boundaries, courage, communication.)

5️⃣ What am I proud of that I have not yet acknowledged?

6️⃣ What did I let go of in 2025 that created space for something healthier?

7️⃣ Which moments reminded me of my values, my humanity, or my purpose?

8️⃣ What evidence do I have that I am more capable, more grounded, and more prepared for the year ahead?

9️⃣ If 2025 had a headline for my life, what would it be?

Write your answers down. Let your brain see your growth in black and white. Let your body feel the reality of how far you’ve come.

The Leadership Insight to Carry Forward

You are already becoming the leader you hope to be. Not next year. Not when the goals are achieved. Not once everything aligns.

You are becoming that leader right now—through your lived experience, your choices, your healing, your courage, your humanity, and your willingness to keep rising.

Take the time to notice it. Your future success depends on integrating the growth you’ve already earned.

📩 CALL TO ACTION: Share Your 2025 Headline With Me

I would love to hear what surfaced for you. I invite you to reply to this newsletter and share your personal headline for 2025.

It could be profound, powerful, funny, messy, honest—whatever feels true. I read every reply personally, and I’d love to celebrate this year with you.

Here’s to closing the year with intention, reflection, and grounded leadership. Here’s to your growth. Here’s to stepping into the next chapter with clarity and strength.

Development Opportunities:

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