If you don't want to rush straight into 2026 without intention (or set goals just for the sake of setting goals) this episode is for you.

So many high-achievers move from one year to the next carrying the same patterns, pressures, and habits forward, simply because they never paused long enough to understand what the previous year was actually teaching them.

In this episode, I walk you through a simple, structured reflection process designed to help you learn from the year you've just lived. This episode is designed to be listened to alongside the free End-of-Year Realignment Guide, which you can download and work through at your own pace over the end-of-year break or early in the new year.

I talk you through each section of the guide, explain what it's asking you to reflect on, and share practical examples to help you use it in a way that gives you clarity and direction going into 2026.

Download the End-of-Year Realignment Guide here.

If you're ready for reflection that builds self-trust, momentum, and more intentional career decisions, rather than another year of staying busy without moving forward, this episode will support you.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ Reflection builds clarity and clarity creates choice. You can then make informed decisions about where your energy is best invested.

2️⃣ The things that drained you, triggered you, or felt misaligned this year is all data. We need to practice extracting the lessons without staying stuck in the story.

3️⃣When you understand how you work best and where your strengths create the most value, you can position yourself for opportunities in a way that benefits both you and the business.

PREVIOUS EPISODES REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

What If the Part You're Avoiding Is the One You Need Most?

The Working Genius Playbook: Clarity, Energy, Results

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Thanks for tuning in to Unwind Your Mind. See you in the new year! 🤍

Have you moved through the entire year at full speed, only to look back and realise you've been repeating the same patterns: overworking, overthinking, over-delivering, and wondering why things still feel harder than they should?

In this episode of Unwind Your Mind, I unpack five of the biggest lessons high achievers tend to learn through experience (often the hard way).

Think of this as an invitation to reflect on how you've been operating, what's truly driving your decisions, and how you want to show up in the year ahead.

If you're someone who prides themselves on being capable, reliable and driven, but you're ready to create more aligned, sustainable success, this episode is for you.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ Clarity opens doors that hard work alone can't.

2️⃣ Being busy doesn't mean you're productive.

3️⃣ Confidence is built through action, not overthinking.

PREVIOUS EPISODES REFERENCED IN THIS EPISODE:

Why Reflection Matters More Than You Think: Stop Repeating the Same Year

What If the Part You're Avoiding Is the One You Need Most?

The Working Genius Playbook: Clarity, Energy, Results

The Power of Receptivity: Balancing Doing and Being

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Thanks for tuning in to Unwind Your Mind. See you next week! 🤍

Are you finishing up the year feeling tired, unsure how you actually got through the last few months… but also not entirely clear on what you want to do differently next year?

Or maybe you look back and realise the whole year felt like you were running, reacting, adjusting, pushing, without ever getting the chance to think about what was working for you and what wasn't.

In this episode of Unwind Your Mind, we explore why reflection is one of the most important practices you can build into your professional life and your leadership capability, especially at this time of year.

You'll learn why high-achievers often skip reflection, how it impacts your confidence and sense of capability, and why pausing to acknowledge your wins (not just your challenges) strengthens your self-efficacy and shapes the way you step into the new year.

Whether you're a team member wanting to grow more intentionally, or a team leader wanting to support your people, this episode will help you enter next year feeling clearer, more grounded and far more connected to what actually matters.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ Whatever we don't reflect… we repeat.

2️⃣ Recognising your accomplishments builds self-efficacy, the belief that "I've done hard things before, so I can do it again"

3️⃣ Teams need reflection just as much as individuals do, to work out what worked, what didn't, and what needs to shift.

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Thanks for tuning in to Unwind Your Mind. See you next week! 🤍

Have you ever noticed how quickly you can go from grounded and clear… to defensive, frustrated, or trying to fix everything all at once?

In this episode of Unwind Your Mind, we explore one of the most practical tools for understanding your emotional patterns: the difference between operating above the line and below the line.

You'll learn how fear shapes your reactions without you realising it, how this model connects directly to the Drama Triangle and the Empowerment Dynamic, and what it looks like to shift from reactivity to intention in real time.

We walk through everyday examples and the exact cues to look out for when you've slipped into protection mode, plus what to do next so you can move back into clarity and grounded leadership.

If you've ever found yourself thinking, "Why did I react like that?" or "I wish I'd handled that conversation differently," this episode will give you the language, awareness, and tools to change the pattern.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ We all slip below the line. Fear takes over, and we default to old patterns: defensiveness, blame, fixing, overthinking, or withdrawal. The key is learning to recognise the signs early.

2️⃣ The shift isn't about being calm, it's about being conscious.

3️⃣ One simple question can change everything: "Am I above or below the line right now?"

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Podcast Episode: The Drama Triangle: Why we Lose Our Personal Power (and How to Get It Back) Listen here.

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Do you ever catch yourself spiralling into stress the moment an email lands in your inbox, assuming it needs to be done immediately, only to realise later that no one expected it urgently at all?

In this episode of Unwind Your Mind, we unpack the pattern so many high-achievers fall into: creating pressure that doesn't actually exist.

From imagined deadlines, to guilt over delayed replies, to resentment that builds when others don't acknowledge the pressure you put yourself under - this cycle is very common!

You'll hear why your nervous system jumps to worst-case urgency, how old habits from fast-paced workplaces shape your assumptions, and what drives the people-pleasing, over-responsibility and perfectionism that sit underneath it.

Most importantly, you'll learn how to interrupt the automatic stress response, set clearer expectations, and work in a way that feels lighter and far more sustainable.

If you've ever thought, "Why do I keep doing this to myself?" this episode is for you.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ Most of the pressure you feel isn't coming from others, it's coming from habit. Our brain fills in the blanks based on past environments and old patterns, assuming urgency even when none exists.

2️⃣ There are deeper reasons we move into urgency mode so quickly and most have nothing to do with the task itself.

3️⃣ One simple question can interrupt the spiral in the moment, pausing to check what's actually expected gives you back clarity and control.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

🎤 Podcast Episode: Are You Living by What You Think They'll Think? Listen here. 🎧 Download the free Boundary Reminder audio guide here.

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Have you ever walked away from a conversation wondering, "How did that get so intense so quickly?"

Maybe you were trying to have a calm discussion, but the energy shifted, emotions ran high, and suddenly you were defending yourself or trying to fix someone else's problem.

Or maybe someone else came in heightened, and you left the interaction feeling completely drained.

In this episode of Unwind Your Mind, we unpack the Drama Triangle, a psychological model that explains how we get caught in reactive roles of Victim, Villain and Hero, and how to step out of the drama into something much more constructive.

You'll learn what these roles look like at work and in leadership, why they feel so validating in the moment, and how to replace them with the Empowerment Dynamic (TED*) where you operate as the Creator, Coach, or Challenger instead.

If you've ever found yourself walking away from conversations feeling powerless or misunderstood or swooping in to rescue others, this episode will help you understand what's really going on and how to get your personal power back.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ When we fall into Victim, Villain, or Hero, we trade genuine communication for control, validation, or protection and everyone ends up feeling drained. 2️⃣ By shifting into the roles of Creator, Coach, or Challenger you move from reaction to choice fostering accountability, curiosity, and growth instead of blame or rescue. 3️⃣ Spotting the signs of drama and reframing conversations around outcomes helps people reclaim their agency and rebuild trust.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

· The Empowerment Dynamic (TED*) by David Emerald

· 3 Vital Questions: Transforming Workplace Drama by David Emerald

· Dr Stephen Karpman's Drama Triangle

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Have you noticed that even when you've slowed your pace and learned to trust your own rhythm, you still feel the urge to fill every moment? To keep doing, producing, pushing forward?

In this final episode of the From Drive to Flow mini-series, we explore the other half of productivity: receptivity.

You'll hear about the psychology behind why our best insights often happen away from the desk: in the shower, while driving or on a walk. We'll unpack what's really happening in the brain when we step out of focused effort, and how this mental space becomes the birthplace of creativity and problem-solving.

You'll also learn how to bring more receptivity into your day-to-day life, not just when you're burnt out or on holiday, but as a regular rhythm that fuels both wellbeing and progress.

Because receptivity isn't about doing less, it's about allowing more.

If you've ever felt guilty for pausing, or worried that rest means falling behind, this episode will help you see that stillness isn't the opposite of success. It's part of the process that makes it possible.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ Receptivity isn't passive, it's an active open state, open to ideas, insight and inspiration. 2️⃣ The brain's default mode network activates when we're not focused on a task, it's where creative connections form and "aha" moments emerge. 3️⃣ Sustainable flow comes from balancing doing and being, not pushing too far in either direction.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Unwind Your Mind Episode: Understanding the Worry Cycle (And Why You're Not the Problem). Listen here.

Why Mindfulness Practices Don't Always Work: Learning the Groundwork to Meditation – Irene Lyon. Read the article here.

Check out the SIT with Your Worries Course here.

If you try to incorporate some stillness and receptivity into your week and you feel a lot of resistance to it, book a clarity catch-up with me here. We'll unpack it and work out the options for your next step.

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Thanks for tuning in to Unwind Your Mind. See you next week! 🤍

When you've always been someone who can push hard and make things happen, slowing down can feel counterintuitive, even risky.

In this episode of Unwind Your Mind, we explore what happens when the habits that once helped you succeed start clashing with the version of success you want now.

You'll hear about the shift from intensity to intention, why "keeping up the momentum" isn't always the answer, and how redefining your pace can actually help you achieve more of what matters, without burning out in the process…

Because sustainable success isn't about doing less. It's about learning how to maintain momentum without depletion, so your drive becomes something that fuels you, not something that drains you.

If you've ever caught yourself thinking "I'll rest once things calm down" (and they never do), this one's for you.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ You can work through your need for external validation and still find yourself operating at the same speed. It's the old rhythm, just showing up in a new form. 2️⃣ Research on sustainable productivity shows that more hours don't always equal more output, beyond a point, performance and creativity start to decline. 3️⃣ Redefining success means pacing yourself for the long game: building in time and space for reflection, rest, and presence so you can keep showing up at your best.

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Have you noticed that even after doing the inner work, shifting away from people-pleasing, learning to trust yourself, building a career you love, you still have the instinct to push, to fill every spare moment, to keep doing?

In this episode of Unwind Your Mind, I open up about something I'm personally working through right now: learning how to let go of constant busyness and redefine what progress really means.

We'll explore how habits of overworking can linger after the old beliefs have healed, why your brain still rewards overdoing, even when it's no longer needed, and how to build a new relationship with effort, one grounded in choice, ease, and flow.

If you've ever thought, "I know better now, but I still find myself overdoing," this episode will help you understand why and how to start changing that pattern.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ You can outgrow old beliefs and still carry the habits they created - identity takes time to recalibrate. 2️⃣ Psychological research shows that when effort has been repeatedly rewarded, your brain learns to crave it, that's why stillness can feel uncomfortable. 3️⃣ True self-leadership is learning to pace yourself for the long game, to choose energy that's intentional, not habitual.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

If you're ready to move from overthinking and pressure to clarity, fulfilment, and flow in your career, I'd love to support you. Let's catch-up and see what's best for you and your next step, book in a complimentary clarity call here.

You can also learn more about my 1-1 coaching programs and the workshops I run at realignyourlife.com.au.

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Thanks for tuning in to Unwind Your Mind. See you next week! 🤍

Do you ever find yourself brushing off compliments, minimising your achievements, or saying "it was nothing" when someone acknowledges your work?

For so many high-achievers, downplaying success has become second nature. We think it keeps us humble but in reality, it keeps us small.

In this episode of Unwind Your Mind, we unpack why we find it so hard to own our wins, how this habit erodes confidence and self-efficacy, and what happens when we start taking credit for our progress without an apology.

You'll learn how to reframe visibility as contribution (not self-promotion), how to acknowledge your achievements without feeling "arrogant," and why celebrating success helps others see what's possible too.

If you've ever found yourself saying "I just got lucky" or deflecting praise that you've worked hard to earn, this episode will help you change that story and start owning your growth with confidence.

HERE ARE 3 KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE:

1️⃣ Downplaying your success doesn't make you humble it makes you invisible. The more you minimise your wins, the more you teach others (and your own brain) to overlook your capability. 2️⃣ Visibility isn't self-promotion, it's showing others what's possible. When you share your wins and lessons, you're modelling what growth can look like for others too. 3️⃣ Confidence builds with evidence. Keeping track of your progress helps rewire your brain to link visibility with safety, and success with self-trust.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

If you're ready to go deeper into this topic and learn practical tools to overcome imposter syndrome, redefine failure, and anchor into your self-worth, join me for my upcoming workshop: Sign Up Here.

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