SHOW NOTES:

On this show…we’re stepping back, not because we’re tired or unmotivated, but because sometimes you have to widen the frame to see the whole picture to give yourself credit while you look ahead. Have you ever been so focused on the next thing, the next goal, the next improvement, that you completely missed everything you’ve already done? It’s easy to do. Especially at the end of a year when life feels like a conveyor belt that never stops moving. One month folds into the next, and before you know it, you’re flipping a calendar and wondering, “Wait… did I actually make any progress this year?”

Some people are wired to always look ahead. They’re scanning the horizon, thinking about what’s next, what hasn’t happened yet, what they still need to check off the list. And while that drive can be motivating, it can also leave you feeling perpetually behind. Like, no matter what you do, it’s never quite enough. Other people look back on a year and think, “Well… nothing big happened,” and use that as evidence that they somehow fell short. But what if the “big thing” wasn’t the point at all? What if the beauty of your year was tucked into the smaller details, the things you barely noticed while they were happening?

That’s what I want to explore today. Because as the world moves faster and faster, it can trick you into believing that if you don’t move at the same speed, you’re somehow failing. But that’s not reality, that’s just noise. The truth is, you’ve done so much more than you think. You’ve shown up in ways that mattered. You’ve grown in ways you didn’t track. You’ve found clarity, endurance, compassion, and creativity in the spaces between the big milestones.

So on this show, let’s take some time to take stock. Let’s give ourselves credit, real credit, for what this past year brought and who we became along the way. And then, with a grounded sense of gratitude, we’ll talk about how to set goals for next year from a place of clarity and confidence, not pressure or comparison.

CHALLENGE: Carve out intentional space and take stock of everything your life holds. Pull out the moments you forgot, honor the quiet work you did, and give yourself the credit you’ve earned. Then, with that full picture in mind, step into the new year with clarity, confidence, and compassion for the person you are becoming.

I Know YOU Can Do It!

🎶 Music that Moves the Message

All original music featured in this episode—including the Encouragementology intro, outro, and interludes—was written and performed by Matt Martino. His work brings warmth and emotion to every episode.

Find more of Matt’s music here:

MATT MARTINO

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