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.

We all have so many things to do and so much responsibility. I reached a point earlier on in my life when I knew that something needed to shift for me. Doing it all was no longer an option. This led me to create a two-question filter system I use now whenever I am presented with a new work project or a social event. I have found this filter system works so well that I now share it with my clients and they are finding it beneficial too. The good part? It is so easy. It feels like common sense, yet pausing to ask yourself these two questions can completely change the way you work.