It’s November, and I can already feel it starting.
The subtle pressure. The mental list-making. The whispers of “new year, new you” creeping into conversations and social feeds.
Soon, everyone will be talking about goals, resolutions, and fresh starts. Planners will sell out. Gym memberships will spike. LinkedIn will flood with ambitious proclamations about 2026.
And by February? Most of those intentions will be abandoned, forgotten, or replaced with guilt.
I know because I’ve lived this cycle. Both as someone who made (and broke) those resolutions, and as a coach who watches talented, ambitious women repeat this pattern year after year.
But here’s what I’ve learned: The problem isn’t your willpower. It’s your starting point.
Let me tell you about two very different year-end experiences.
I was exhausted from a brutal year as VP of HR at a Fortune 500 company. We’d been through a major reorganization, I’d worked countless 60-hour weeks, and I felt completely depleted.
Did I pause to reflect? Absolutely not.
I powered through the holidays, made a list of ambitious goals, and hit January at full speed. By March, I was more burned out than ever. And I couldn’t figure out why I felt like I was working so hard but getting nowhere.
I was trying to build momentum without understanding where I actually was.
Now contrast that with the next year.
I did something different. I carved out a full weekend in early December—just me, my BuJo Pathway Planner, and some hard questions. I looked honestly at every area of my life: my career, my confidence, my energy, my relationships, my impact.
Some of what I discovered was uncomfortable:
- I was professionally successful but personally miserable
- My strengths were being underutilized in my current role
- I had clarity about what I didn’t want, but no vision for what I did want
- My boundaries were nonexistent
- I wasn’t enjoying my hobbies; they felt like just another commitment squeezed into a busy schedule.
That reflection changed everything.
Instead of making the same generic resolutions, I made strategic decisions based on reality. By spring, I’d launched my coaching practice part-time. Within a year, I’d transitioned fully into work that aligned with my values, leveraged my strengths, and gave me energy for all areas of my life instead of draining it.
The difference? I paused before I planned.
Why Reflection Creates Real Momentum
There’s actual science behind this. Research from Harvard shows that people who spend just 15 minutes reflecting on their experiences perform 23% better than those who don’t.
Reflection isn’t navel-gazing or overthinking. It’s the difference between:
- Reacting and responding
- Repeating patterns and breaking cycles
- Generic goals and strategic growth
- Temporary motivation and lasting transformation
Think about it: If you don’t understand why you’re exhausted, how will you find energy? If you don’t know what drained your confidence this year, how will you rebuild it? If you haven’t identified where you felt most misaligned, how will you create alignment?
You can’t plan your next year without assessing where you are right now.
The Eight Dimensions of Your Professional Life
In my experience, coaching emerging female leaders, I’ve noticed something: Women are excellent at identifying one area they want to improve—usually related to career advancement or confidence—but they miss how interconnected everything is.
You can’t build authentic confidence if you don’t understand your core strengths
You can’t create meaningful career progression without clarity on your vision and purpose
You can’t develop executive presence when you’re running on empty
You can’t lead change if you haven’t built your own resilience
Everything connects.
That’s why I created the Momentum Mapping framework—a holistic assessment of the eight dimensions that determine whether you’re building sustainable success or headed for burnout:
- Strengths Discovery – Understanding your natural talents and developed abilities
- Vision & Purpose – Integrating career goals with personal values
- Confidence & Authenticity – Building sustainable confidence across all life domains
- Career Progression – Strategic planning that honors your whole life
- Impact & Executive Presence – Creating meaningful influence while staying true to your values
- Intentional Energy Management – Managing energy across work, family, and personal wellbeing
- Resilience & Adaptability – Building grit while maintaining grace under pressure
- Change Leadership – Driving positive change while staying true to your values
When you assess yourself across all eight dimensions, you get a complete picture. You see where you’re thriving, where you’re maintaining, and where you desperately need attention.
That clarity is what creates real momentum.
Your Invitation to Pause
Before the chaos of December hits, before you’re swept up in year-end work demands and holiday obligations, I want to invite you to pause with me.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing insights on each dimension of Momentum Mapping, how they work together, and how to create a strategic plan for 2026 that actually sticks.
But let’s start today with reflection.
Ask yourself these four questions:
1. What worked well this year? Not what you accomplished—what actually worked? Where did you feel energized, aligned, authentic? What brought you joy? When did you feel like yourself?
2. What drained your energy? Where did you feel depleted, resentful, or misaligned? What patterns do you keep repeating that aren’t serving you? What situations or relationships consistently left you empty?
3. Where do you feel misaligned? Where is there a gap between who you are and how you’re showing up? Between what you value and how you’re spending your time? Between what you want and what you’re pursuing?
4. What would you not want to repeat in 2026? If you could eliminate one pattern, behavior, situation, or feeling from your professional or personal life, what would it be?
Take 15 minutes with these questions. Actually write down your answers. Don’t overthink it—first thoughts are often the most honest.
This is where momentum begins
Next Steps
This month, I’ll be walking you through how to turn this reflection into strategic action. We’ll talk about mapping your momentum, why you can’t do this alone, and how to enter 2026 with clarity instead of chaos.
But if you want to go deeper right now, I’ve created something for you: The Momentum Mapping Assessment.
It’s a free, comprehensive tool that will show you exactly where you are across all eight dimensions. It takes about 10 minutes to complete, and you’ll receive immediate insights about your priority development areas.
Think of it as a GPS for your professional life—you can’t plan the route until you know your current location.
>>Take the Free Momentum Mapping Assessment<<
If you take the assessment, pay special attention to your lowest-scoring dimension. That’s likely where your biggest breakthrough opportunity lives. I’ll be sharing more about what to do with your results next week.
Your 2026 doesn’t have to look like 2025. But it starts with understanding where you are right now.
Let’s pause together. Let’s reflect honestly. Let’s build real momentum.