Between the actual year end, and my year-end birthday, I do love taking stock of the year. It's a way of going into the traditional new year refreshed and focused.
But towards the end of Q1 2025, I felt like nothing had gone the way I wanted.
Some mis-starts, some redirection, and I felt like I'd been running in circles.
Nothing exciting about it.
I realized I had a choice... I could carry that feeling (and likely the same momentum) further into the year. But what good would that have done anyone?
Instead, I went in a different direction... April 1 was going to be my "New Year."
I just picked up, reset my goals and my mindset, and moved forward as if it were January 1.
And now, going into my next "New Year," you're getting a little piece of my reflections, including my top 10 list from 2025/2026, free for your perusal, starting at the top with my...
Top Mistakes I Made In The Last Year
Oh the laundry list here is easy. Narrowing into a #1 is a bit harder. Thankfully there were no business-ending mistakes this year but I did get myself in some awkward situations.
A Classic Missend
#10 in my top 10 countdown... I went from having zero people in my life with a certain name to having three of them this year, two of them clients. And I ended up sending a sensitive email to the wrong person... Apologies made. A little egg on my face.
Ignoring The Red Flags
I whitewashed some red flags (a new favorite phrase of mine!) in a business relationship which ended up creating a whole lotta drama I did. not. need.
This #9 on my list almost tanked trust in several other relationships and I had to spend hours in what felt like late night "are we breaking up now?" conversations. Except midday and about business.
But singing "I Can See Clearly Now..." in time, and not badmouthing anyone in return, paid off.
Mindsets I Upgraded In The Last Year
Values Outweigh Ideas
As mentioned, I spent a lot of time and opportunity cost in the first quarter on a business initiative that didn't work out... at all. In retrospect, it was something I thought I wanted, but really didn't. And it was part of a value set that didn't really fit.
But I put a ton of effort in based on the idea of wanting it. Even if the market couldn't tell, I could see it in my results.
It sits at #8 on my top ten list having learned that going against your values, your identity or even just wanting something because you think you ought to isn't the recipe for success.
Also, in case you missed it, hindsight is 20/20.
Expecting Success
Big one here at #7... I also realized I hadn't been expecting success. I mean WTF?
For all the education and effort and past wins and effort and even all the woo-woo, my little reptile brain has been thinking all this time that maybe I couldn't be successful in business. All it (finally) took was someone pointing it out in a way that may have been the 5,000th time I'd heard it but sounded like the first... and I realized I better fix it.
It was like a switch got flipped and my business hasn't been the same since. If I had to give a #1 boost to results in the last year (and probably all future ones), I think it was this decision to expect success.
Stop Letting Systems Become The Distraction
On the runner-up list, and coming in at #6, I leveled up my belief in how far I could go without my business being all buttoned up and planned. Maybe that's weird to admit as someone associated with building "systems" but we all have our superpower/kryptonite combinations and that's one of mine.
Working with clients behind the scenes this year, I saw some amazing people doing amazing things and getting there with a whole lot of controlled (and sometimes uncontrolled) chaos.
Yes, systems can save the day, but I don't need the skyscraper foundation for my currently cabin-sized business.
Getting Out Of The Not-Good-Enough Zone
I had also been feeling a lot of negativity around one of my "extra" activities, something that is and will continue to be a priority.
But this #4 on my top ten list was feeling like a can't-win situation. Like the benchmark just gets higher and I'm always in the not-good-enough zone and being reminded of it.
Talking to people who'd been there before helped me get out of that cycle. I've given feedback on how I would like to be supported but I've also let go of requiring that from others so I can just do what I need to do, having decided that it's okay to do it my way.
The progress will come.
Key Decisions That Propelled Success
Letting Go Of The Extra Pressure
I also (#5) let go of a lot of the extras I felt pressured about. For example, I've kept up with my email newsletter but I've been almost absent on social. I'll be back on there at some point but it had worked itself into the noise category, not production or lead generating.
I let it go and my time, focus and profit has gone up, not down.
Saying No So That I Can Say Yes (Again)
Finally, I started to realize more power in what I say no to, particularly as it relates to my values. My #3 of 2025 is realizing just how much this matters.
I value autonomy and bespoke work. (You'll almost never hear me advocate for a one-size-fits-all, cookie cutter solution.)
I'd rather talk about ROI and effectiveness than efficiency. That investment background and the ability to build up value through people using behavior-focused implementation is becoming more important to my work, not less.
And I think generative AI is just as cool as anyone else my age who didn't grow up with it, but I value data. And the data continues to give off signals that AI is going to be profitable for the markets and some key individuals, but not for the business owner who's using it just to seem modern and in-the-know.
So I said no to an opportunity that was prescribing cookie cutter solutions, I started giving well-received talks about how to use AI objectively, particularly in the context of your personal economy and the End Point Optimization Process, and I'm setting up some things for my fractional engagements that will solidify the ROI focus.
Which bleeds a bit into...
Success Highlights
The Consistency Streak
I'm still here, right?
Literally right here because this newsletter is #2 in my top 10 list for the last year. In 2024, I added well over 500 people to my email list when I ran the Small Law Big Profit Summit. And in the following months, I emailed them value-adding content about zero times.
Such a waste.
Having any kind of consistency and discipline around producing content has been a big struggle for me over the years. So while I hope that showing up week after week since early July via the email newsletter has meant something to you, I know it's meant a lot to me.
Have I done everything I want to with it? No. But I've continued to write it, without AI, week in and week out. That's big for me on the discipline and confidence front. And I do love getting the emails back from you (I read them all!) to know that my sometimes meandering thoughts are resonating.
A Big Transition
This was also a big transition year for me. I'd been doing some project management and fractional COO work for awhile, but 2025 is the year where it's come full circle and truly become my business. Making this #1 on the my top 10 list for 2025.
And as crazy as these big transitions can be, I've loved the process. I'm also seriously excited about what's coming next for me and for the businesses I'm helping.
We own the identified desired outcome for clients all the way down to the action taking (as opposed to coaching them through it). They get to stick to their genius zone and grow their business. And we get to make sure the strategic stuff they need done actually gets done.
And A Personal Win...
Finally a bonus shout out (#0 and the grounding of it all) to my son who graduated high school and went off to college this year. Thankfully he's both embraced his newfound independence buy also still likes spending (some) time with his mom.
That transition to empty nester has been going on behind the scenes this year and I'm excited for the way this and other VIP relationships in my life have grown this year.
Looking Ahead To The Next Year
Looking toward the next 12 months, there will always be this combination of things to navigate. Lessons learned, mindsets to upgrade, and real wins to celebrate, both personal and professional.
Keep in mind that sustainable growth comes from through this kind of clarity - understanding how your business (and life) aligns with your values and Identity, having a willingness to learn from missteps, and the courage to say no to one-size-fits-all solutions, the traditional and the trending.
