INSIDER, December 2025

The end of each year brings with it an opportunity for reflection.
“We tell ourselves stories in order to live. And it is worth pausing to ask: Are the stories you are telling yourself nourishing you? Are they brave? Are they generous? Do they allow for change, for growth, for the breaking and remaking of the self? If not, let them go and rewrite them with care. You are the author, after all.” – Joan Didion

I am the author. You are the author. We are all the authors of our own stories. Yet it feels far too easy to get caught between the “insanity of Q4” and the chaos of the holidays and, all of a sudden, a New Year begins and our time for reflection has passed.

Let’s not let that happen this year, OK? That’s my nudge for you, and reminder to myself. We’re worth some time to reflect, to thoughtfully ponder what about this year we’re proud of and what worked – not for the business, but for us. And to consider what to carry forward, with intention, as well as what thoughts, behaviors, or practices of the year didn’t serve us that we need to make a point to leave behind.

Before we were friends and spouses and parents and leaders and doers of all sorts, we were simply human. So, find some time before the year ends to honor yourself with a bit of thoughtful reflection and a good old pat on the back.

An Annual Ritual of Performance Reengineering

From a leadership perspective, I really appreciated Eduardo Bonefont’s recent retelling of what he describes as his annual ritual in our podcast discussion on intentional leadership. Eduardo is adamant that “the status quo is almost always the enemy of the intentional leader” and fights complacency through an annual ritual of performance reengineering, where he carves out time to really reflect on the question: “How am I going to significantly improve my personal and team performance for the coming year?” He feels a reflective period after the holidays is perfect to do this work of assessing what worked and what needs to change.
His framing of this as a ritual vs. a routine or process is well aligned to another recent podcast guest’s new book – Erin Coupe who recently published I Can Fit That In: How Rituals Transform Your Life. Erin’s mission is to help leaders who feel maxed out from a productivity standpoint but not as fulfilled as they’d like – and how she describes the power of rituals over routines is important food for thought.
When it comes to the power of reflecting, rituals, and the overall concept of creating more space to BE versus DO, I’ll readily admit I am a work in progress. I’ve made great strides in the last two years and am proud of that fact. This December is a great time for me to put some thought into how best I can nurture my being in 2026.

I saved a post from Brittany Cobb (@ablackfemaletherapist) on Instagram that I thought I’d share with you. It’s a list of questions to consider asking yourself as we head into a new year:

1. What is something I’ve learned about myself this year that makes me feel grateful?
2. What habits have served me well, and which ones are quietly holding me back?
3. What story have I been telling myself about my limitations, and how can I rewrite it?
4. What is one fear I could face this coming year that would unlock growth or freedom?
5. What are the most important lessons I’ve learned in the past year and how have they shaped me?
6. How can I cultivate joy, even in the midst of challenges or uncertainty?
7. How do I recharge and find balance, even when life feels overwhelming?
8. What does ‘enough’ look like to me right now, and how can I recognize it more often?
9. How can I challenge my perspective to see opportunities where I’ve only seen obstacles?

Maybe that list feels too long to you, but one or two questions stand out. Start there.
Wishing you all a wonderful season of reflection, rest, and regenerative time with loved ones over the holidays.
We have a lot of exciting things in store for 2026 and I look forward to being back with you in January!

Best wishes,
Sarah