REFLECT — What 2025 Taught You

“We do not learn from experience... we learn from reflecting on experience.”

– John Dewey

The end of the year often rushes in with a roar: holiday noise, last-minute business sprints, client chaos, family obligations. It’s tempting to push through and promise yourself you’ll “figure it out” in January.

But here’s the truth: the most powerful growth strategy is reflection — and if you skip it, you start 2026 reacting, not leading.

Why Reflection Comes First

Reflection is not passive. It’s not journaling for journaling’s sake or a feel-good trip down memory lane. Done well, reflection becomes strategic clarity — a diagnostic tool that tells you:

• Where your energy went this year

• What drove your best results (and what didn’t)

• Who you became in the process

• What patterns must be broken or built upon

You can’t set meaningful goals or lead at your highest level without this. So, it requires you to take the time, slow down for a minute and ask yourself some questions.

The 3-Part Year-End Debrief Framework

Use these prompts as your personal (or team-wide) Year-End Debrief — whether you're a CEO, practice owner, or high-performing professional.

1. The Wins

Ask yourself:

• What am I most proud of accomplishing this year?

• Where did I show courage or consistency?

• What relationships or habits served me the most?

Don’t gloss over this part. Celebrate strategically — not just what happened, but why it worked.

2. The Lessons

Ask:

• What didn’t go according to plan?

• Where did I feel friction or frustration?

• What did I learn about how I work best?

The goal here is compassionate data-gathering, not shame or blame. These lessons are your launchpad.

3. The Patterns

Ask:

• What patterns repeated in my mindset, leadership, or habits?

• What environments or systems helped me thrive — or shut me down?

This is where reflection becomes powerful. Noticing patterns gives you the power to break or reinforce them in 2026.

Thought Leadership Spotlight

From the book: “Essentialism” by Greg McKeown

McKeown’s philosophy reminds us:

“We can either make our highest contribution — or we can make noise.”

Reflection is how you figure out what actually mattered this year. Not what got your attention — but what earned your energy. What outcomes were essential? What was just noise?

This is where you identify the 20% that drove 80% of your growth — and prepare to double down.

The Inner Reflection

Want to go deeper? Ask:

• What version of me ran this year?

• Did I lead from alignment or reactivity?

• Did I build systems or survive in sprints?

The leader you were shaped the year you had. The leader you become will shape 2026.

Want to Make It Even More Powerful?

• Share this framework with your leadership team

• Turn it into a team discussion in your next meeting

• Use it with your partner, coach, or accountability group

This work is powerful solo — but transformational in conversation.

What’s Next in the Series

Tomorrow (Wednesday), we’ll break down how to apply this reflection process to your business strategy — especially if you grew this year, but felt burned out doing it.

Thursday, we’ll zoom in on the dental industry to highlight what 2025 taught us from the chairside to the C-suite.

But today — pause. Reflect. Let your year speak.

Because 2026 isn’t just a new chapter.
It’s a new author — and that author is you.

I’ll share my own journey this year in the comments right alongside you. Let’s get vulnerable together.