There is a lot of pressure at the end of any year to rush straight into planning. New planners. New goals. New intentions. New versions of ourselves.

As a matter of fact my to-do list has exactly that type of stuff right at the top of it right now.

What do I want to do? What do I need to plan it? What exciting new things will I do?

But reflection is the part most people skip.

And when reflection is skipped, the same patterns quietly repeat themselves.

This episode is not about fixing anything. It is not about setting goals yet. It is about slowing down long enough to actually see what this year gave you, what it took from you, and what it revealed about how you operate as a business owner.

Because clarity does not come from pushing forward harder. It comes from looking back honestly.

I have a lookback process that I have done with my clients that walks through a lot more than just how much money you made or whether you liked all your clients and work or not.

Looking back at what you have done can show you the bad stuff that you don't want to repeat, but also all the good stuff that you might not have even realized happened.

This past year probably stretched you in ways you did not expect. Some of those stretches were good. Some were uncomfortable. Some may have felt disappointing.

Instead of labeling the year as good or bad, successful or unsuccessful, this is your invitation to look at it as information.

Information about how you make decisions. Information about how you handle uncertainty. Information about where your confidence showed up and where it disappeared.

And use that information to make this year better!

Get help when you don't know how to do something. It could be a simple coaching call, or a short course, or maybe you do need longer term help with accountability.

Whatever it is, know that there are options and you can move forward when you invest in getting help.

When I work with VAs one of the things I tell them is that I teach them things ONCE, that they can continue to apply over and over again. They are fundamentals. So if you need help with some fundamentals, reach out.

Connect with me at YourVAMentor.com/links and let's chat.

In the next episode, we will talk about setting goals that actually support who you are becoming, not who you think you should be.

But for now, let reflection do its quiet work.

Pause. Then plan. It's a much better way to do it.

Thanks so much for tuning in this week. I'm Tracey D'Aviero, The Confidence Coach for Virtual Assistants. I'll see you next time!