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So much happens in a year. Almost none of us realize it unless we consciously and deliberately slow down to look.

I often can't remember what I accomplished last week, let alone six months ago. High-achieving people, in particular, rush through life, checking boxes and moving on. But this habit has a cost: we lose track of how far we've come, and we keep investing in things that aren't working.

As this year comes to a close, I invite you to pause. Not to judge yourself. Not to create a punishing list of resolutions. But to do an honest accounting—a personal audit of the year behind you.

Why bother?

Two reasons.

First, your confidence depends on your history.

Genuine confidence—not the performative kind — comes from a simple formula: doing + learning + repeating. But this only works if you actually remember what you've done and what you've learned.

If you finished something hard this year, that's evidence that you can do hard things. If you held your tongue when it would have been so easy to lash out, that's a muscle you've built. But if you never pause to notice, the evidence disappears, and you start each new challenge from zero.

Second, reflection reveals your sunk costs.

This year, I spent six months learning a new language. I woke up early twice a week for a 7:00 a.m. class. I loved learning. But three hours a week wasn't enough to get where I wanted to go—and I wasn't putting in the necessary work outside of class. What I said I wanted and what I actually did were not aligned.

I could only see this clearly by looking back at the year with brutal honesty. No judgment. Just the truth.

The purpose of this kind of reflection isn't to beat yourself up. It's to stop doing what isn't working—before you invest another year's worth of precious energy.

And if you're curious about why you didn't follow through on something you said mattered, that's worth exploring. There's always a reason. But you can't find it if you never slow down to look.

One exercise I do with all my clients is what I call the 90-Day Audit—a structured look back at the last quarter. I find 90 days is long enough to see patterns, but short enough that you can still remember what actually happened.

Here, as the year closes, I'm offering you an adapted version: an Annual Audit. The full exercise goes deeper and typically occupies a full client session, but it begins with three questions—one focused on the past, one on the present, and one on the future.

1. Looking Back: What Are You Most Proud Of?

Set aside 45 minutes. Open your calendar from January 1st and scroll forward, month by month. Make a list of everything you accomplished—small or large, visible or invisible. Then choose the one to three achievements you're most proud of.

Don't rush this. The gold is buried. You have to dig.

2. Right Now: What Are You Confident About?

This is a present-tense question intended to ground you in your current life. You’ll notice your response comes first as a feeling—a sense of steadiness or capability in some area of your life. Pull the string on that feeling. Where did it come from? What did you do that built it?

Confidence always has a history. This question helps you find it.

3. Looking Ahead: What Are You Most Excited About?

Let yourself answer this one without editing. Don't dismiss your answer as silly or unimportant. Anticipation is a powerful energizer. If something lights you up when you think about the year ahead—even something small—that's worth noticing.

Friends, the new year is almost here. Everything around us speeds up at this time of year. I'm inviting you to move in the opposite direction.

Slow down. Look back. Then turn the page.

Journal