A Look Back Before We Step Forward
Do you mark the change of the new year?
Or do you celebrate it?
Do you treat it with dread, or open the door and welcome it in like an old friend?
I have a small ritual that started years ago when I started attending my friend and coach Jen Jones Donatelli’s Word Up! Word of the Year workshop.
Instead of creating a resolution that I’ll abandon by mid-January (sound familiar?), I choose a guiding word or phrase for the year ahead.
Before choosing a word, though, I look back.
As this year comes to a close, I’ve been reading 10X Is Easier Than 2X. One idea from the book really stopped me in my tracks: evaluating where you are based on where you started.
Isn’t it true that we usually measure ourselves against an ideal future version of ourselves? A goal we set. A finish line we haven’t reached yet. That way of measuring only sells us short.
To truly evaluate success, we have to look back. To where we started. To the last check-in. To the moment the idea first took shape.
That perspective really resonated with me, and I wanted to share it with you as you reflect on your own year.
2025 has been a year of movement for me. Let’s take a look at where I am from the perspective of where I started.
Dream of being an author → Published author of Own Your Career: Take Control + Accelerate Your Professional Growth**
Occasional speaker → Delivering keynote addresses
Helping women land jobs → AND helping women manage their careers and increase visibility at work
Weekly live conversations → Evolving Exposing the Hidden Reality into a full podcast with Sandra Wint
It’s important to say this out loud, too. This year has not been all celebrations and roses. It’s included a fair share of ups and downs, gains and losses, challenges, and growth.
When I reflect back on 2025, I started the year with my word: poise.
That word held many meanings for me, but my favorite definition is this:
a dignified, self-confident manner or bearing; composure; self-possession.
This is how I intended to embody my word of the year — with dignity, self-confidence, and full ownership. Every time I looked at my unlocked phone screen saver, that is exactly what I reminded myself to do.
Looking back now, I think what I was really doing was setting myself up to be poised for what’s next.
As you close out this year, I invite you to look back before you rush ahead. Notice the movement. Notice the growth that didn’t always come with applause. Notice how far you’ve come.
This time of year is also a powerful opportunity to take stock of your professional year. Not everyone enjoys this kind of reflection, but investing the time to notice your accomplishments, challenges, and growth pays off. Building a thoughtful self-assessment now strengthens how you show up in your performance review and in conversations with your leader and their leader. Trust me — this work matters.
To support you in doing this well, I’m inviting you to a workshop called Review Without Regret. If you want to feel prepared, capable, and ready to advocate for yourself, this session will give you the structure and language to do exactly that.
What reflection do you do at the end of the year to prepare your heart and mind for the calendar change? Connect and share with me. I love learning from you.
See you in 2026!
PS: Want to take on a word of the year in 2026? Check out Jen Jones Donatelli’s Word Up! workshop here. Hope to see you in one of the sessions.
**As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from your purchase through the shared links.
