Listen to the Insight

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2025 asked a lot of us.

Some days felt steady. Others felt like we were holding things together with whatever we had left, and yet here we are. Still standing. Still leading.

As people start setting their 2026 goals, I've been reminding my clients of something simple but important:

"You can't change your life direction if you don't know where you are right now." — Lewis Howes

Goal-setting isn't just about where you want to go. It starts with knowing your current reality: your capacity, your energy, your wins, your lessons, and what you're no longer willing to carry into the new year.

That's why I encourage clients to create SMARTER goals. SMARTER keeps the structure of SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound) but replaces "relevant" with Risk and adds two elements that make goals stick: Excitement and Reward.

Your 2026 goals should support your growth, give you something meaningful to reach for, and energize you at the same time.

That's why I use my Calibrate Leadership® Framework to get grounded before mapping out what's next. I built it to help leaders assess, adapt, and align, especially in seasons like this.

Reflection is not about staying in the past. It is about positioning yourself for a stronger next chapter.

This month, I'm sharing tools from the framework on my YouTube channel. If you're setting goals for 2026, these will help.

You made it through 2025. Now let's build from a place of clarity, not chaos. Clarity first; goals second.