As we reach the end of another busy year, it’s the perfect time to pause, reflect and celebrate. Before the new goals, plans and to-do lists of 2026 take over, I’d like to invite you to look back over the past twelve months and really recognise how far you’ve come – both personally and professionally.

What went well? What have you learned? What will you take into next year?

This article is all about appreciation and awareness: appreciating what you’ve achieved and being aware of what helped you to grow, so that you can carry those lessons confidently into the new year.

How have you grown this year?

Growth comes in many forms. Sometimes it’s visible and measurable, like reaching a specific goal. Sometimes it’s quieter and more internal, such as finding your voice in meetings, trusting your own judgement more or trying out things despite your fear or anxiety.

Take a moment to think about how you’ve developed this year. Have you grown in confidence? Have you made progress towards your professional or personal goals, or discovered new strengths you didn’t know you had?

You can ask yourself:

• What have been my biggest or most significant wins this year?
• What did I do that made these happen?
• What else contributed to those successes?
• Were they what I expected to achieve, or surprises that unfolded along the way?

Often, the most meaningful achievements are the ones we didn’t plan for – the challenges that stretched us, the opportunities that apparently came from nowhere, or the times when we simply said “yes” and saw where it led.

Gratitude and support

As you reflect, think too about what and who helped you along the way. Where did your best support come from this year? Perhaps it was a friend or colleague who believed in you, a mentor or relative who challenged you, a team that worked brilliantly together under pressure or your family pulling together through a difficult period.

Gratitude has a quiet power. When we take time to acknowledge the people and circumstances that supported our growth, it deepens our sense of connection and strengthens our motivation to give back. So, ask yourself: how can you pay that support forward next year? How might you be that same source of encouragement for someone else?

The power of connection

I’ve talked in previous newsletters about the importance of growing your network – not just in size, but in depth and quality. This is another great area to reflect on.

How have you positively expanded your network this year? That might mean building stronger relationships within or outside your organisation, joining new professional groups, or reconnecting with old colleagues. Who have you met who’s inspired you? Who has helped you to grow?

Networking, at its best, is reciprocal. It’s about shared growth and learning. As you plan ahead, think about where you can nurture those meaningful connections next year and how you can contribute to the growth and development of others in your network.

What did you miss out on?

It’s also worth gently asking yourself: what did I miss out on this year and why? Was it through lack of time, confidence, or opportunity? Was it about saying ‘No’ when you could have said ‘Yes’? The goal here isn’t to criticise yourself, but to notice patterns. Once you see them, you can make conscious choices to do something differently next time.

Looking ahead to 2026

From what you’ve learned in 2025, what will you carry forward into 2026? What will you leave behind that maybe held you back or got in your way? If you could go back to January, what two or three pieces of advice would you give yourself at the start of this year? Something like: You’ve got this. Or Trust yourself more. Or Say yes – it will work out.

As you complete this reflective exercise, I hope you can see that you’ve achieved more than you thought you had. Even in challenging times your resilience and ability to keep getting up and getting on with things every day should still be acknowledged. How can you positively recognise the year? Has it been a learning year, a moving year, a growth year, a treading water but not going backwards year, a grab whatever comes year? A year of firsts, a year for you, a year of changes or a year of settling? Well done for your achievements!

Positive Practice – Write Yourself a Christmas Letter

Here’s a simple and inspiring exercise to end the year. Write a letter to yourself dated December 2026. In it, recognise and thank yourself for everything you’ve achieved in the coming year, as if it’s already happened. Describe what you’re proud of, what you’ve learned and how you’ve grown. Write about how you’ve looked after yourself and what you’ve done for others. Tell yourself what was exciting, what you tried out that seemed difficult at first and what was new and different. End with your learning from 2026 that you’ll take through to 2027.

It’s a powerful way to focus your energy and intention for the months ahead. You’ll be surprised how often what you write now becomes your reality next year. It’s worth holding on to the letter until December 2026 just to see what has come true.

As we wrap up 2025, I’d like to say thank you to all of you – for reading, reflecting and staying connected this year. Here’s to celebrating how far you’ve come and to an exciting, fulfilling and positive year ahead.