Before you sprint... ⏸️

It makes the difference between moving fast and moving fast in the wrong direction.

Author

Jess Yuen
December 10, 2025

In partnership with

Your 2026 calendar is already groaning, isn't it?

Planning sessions and board decks demanding your attention. Emails and meetings stuffing your inbox like that Thanksgiving turkey. When life and work stack like Jenga blocks, the instinct (the pressure, really) is to rally the troops and charge ahead. 

Pausing… slowing down… is… almost as irksome as using three sets of ellipses in a row. 

I’ve lived it, and I see it with my clients: Fast-growing companies reward velocity, so the “speed is currency; hesitation is death” mindset is almost impossible to tune out.

Nevertheless, in this issue, I invite you to swap tactical to-dos for reflection and self-analysis just for an hour or so. You could skip this and speed into 2026, but leaders who do that move fast in the wrong direction.

I could drone on about how leaders who build reflective practices make better decisions, lead more resilient organizations, and prevent months of misalignment with just a few hours of strategic thinking. But that would be akin to me telling you about the benefits of sleep or exercise. 

Pausing to reflect is one of those behaviors that’s good for you but rarely executed. (We actually talked about this in last year’s December issue, “Why smart people do dumb things.”)

So this year, I'm making it easier.

I'm sharing the reflection exercise I’ve historically given only to my coaching clients. It's a straightforward guide that takes ~30 minutes. 

Because I believe in taking my own medicine, I'll go first! Here’s a sample of my responses.

My Own Year in Review

Q1: How would I describe my coaching practice in 2025?

Incredibly fulfilling, as ever. And also… intense. 

Thinking of this week alone, one client's entire business model had to change in days due to an unanticipated external shock. Another client's work has been heavily impacted by Federal policies and the uncertainty they generate. Yet another is processing childhood trauma, which now shows up in their leadership. Meanwhile, caretaking is ramping up for three clients managing newborns, and two more clients are processing their parents’ cancer diagnoses.

Looking at it from the ten-thousand-foot view, the prevalence and severity of the situations my clients have been facing this year seem unprecedented. They’re navigating these challenges in an environment that also feels tumultuous: 

  • Economic and geopolitical instability

  • Workforce reductions and disruptions with labels like "The Great Exhaustion" and "The Great Squeeze"

  • AI acceleration and adoption adding layers of complexity and uncertainty that few could have prepared for

And in all that mayhem, life keeps life-ing: From micro stressors like missed appointments, constant notifications, sick pets, overactive kids (or vice versa) to births, deaths, and other significant life challenges. My executive clients are trying to lead through it all while managing their own uncertainty and fear.

So my job this year has been more about helping clients meet the moment, sometimes strategically, sometimes just by creating space to process chaos and find clarity.

Q2: What's the biggest risk I've taken over the past year?

Taking a step further into thought leadership. 

In October, Andrew Bartlow and I launched the People Leader Accelerator Podcast. I’d toyed with the idea of hosting a podcast before, but I always found a compelling reason not to: 

I’m too busy. What if no one listens? What if I do a terrible job? 

For an introverted overthinker like me, putting myself out there is always a major risk. But it’s been easier with a co-host (especially one as experienced as Andrew) and with topics we’re both well-versed in (business, HR, and leadership). 

The discussions are a form of learning that energizes me; getting to catch up with people I admire and respect who are doing good work, and being able to both learn and share at the same time. 

Q3: What investment (time, effort, money, etc) had the most positive impact this year?

For the last few months, I've been going on a weekly hike with a friend. This isn't just a leisurely stroll; it's an intense (by my standards, at least) 2-hour hike with INCLINES! About 15 minutes in, I'm sweating, kind of in pain, and wondering why I ever agreed to this. But by the end, it's always worth it.

I initially committed to only one month, but I've stuck with it beyond that, and I've cleared my Tuesday mornings in 2026 for it!

It’s an especially big win because I’ve never thought of myself as athletic and was traumatized in middle school with an embarrassing tripped-in-front-of-the-whole-class moment. I blamed myself and my awkward limbs that didn't move deftly enough (I was already 5’8” at that point and constantly slouching to fit in with the other kids). That cemented my inner critic's message: "I'm just not athletic."

So, actually committing to hiking, showing up week after week, even when it would have been easy to skip—that's a proud moment for me.

That's me standing up for 12-year-old Jess, letting her know she's capable just the way she is.

Q4: What created energy for me this year?

The first thing that comes to mind is my clients. I genuinely look forward to every session. There's such an energy that comes from discovering insights or figuring out how to move the ball forward.

Another energy source: Conversations with my kids. 

Before you come for me, parents of toddlers, hear me out; kids can sometimes be energizing. Mine are at this age, where they're no longer little; they're starting to blossom into young people. I'm in awe of how they form their own thoughts, not just questions, and express their ideas in mature ways. It often happens: they'll share a fact and ask, "Did you know?" I honestly answer, "I had no idea! You're teaching me new things." Learning is naturally energizing to me, but learning from my kids is a whole new level.

An unexpected energy source: volunteering at my kids' library. 

There's something deeply satisfying about taking a cart of chaotic books and putting them back in order. It's tangible, finite, and one small corner of the world where I can restore order and be fully present. Most weeks, my days are back-to-back client sessions. I genuinely love and find those energizing, but volunteering is my "me time." It’s almost meditative. 

Q5: What was my hardest lesson?

That you don't always have to have the answers to be a great leader. In fact, you shouldn't. Your job is to unlock the intelligence that's already in your team. You create the conditions for them to solve problems themselves rather than bringing everything to you.

I keep learning this lesson over and over; in coaching, in parenting, and in my own work. How many times do I need to stop myself from jumping in with the solution? Instead, I must give the other person more time to sort through it themselves.

Apparently, more than I think. I'm still working on it.

Q6: If I could distill my intention for the year ahead to one word, phrase, or mantra, what would it be?

I spent a lot of time this year sitting in anxiety over things that ended up being fine. For instance, in planning our trip to Japan, I spent so much time researching, going back and forth for dozens of hours, only to end up mostly sticking to my original plan. My sister kept telling me, "Whatever you pick will be fine. We will all enjoy it regardless." And, indeed, everything was fine!

It made me see that I need to cultivate a quieter mind, with more space to let things work themselves out instead of overthinking every decision. When I tried this "think less, live in the moment more" approach on the Japan trip, it felt so much better. 

So, while I’m still playing with the wording, I know I want to approach 2026 from this perspective: "Decided is done.”

Your Turn!

2. Block ~30 minutes on your calendar.

Protect it like it's a board meeting. This is strategic reflection, not indulgent self-care.

3. Answer the questions honestly.

The guide walks you through questions like:

  • What created energy for you? What drained it?

  • What were your proudest moments and hardest lessons?

  • If you could do 2025 again, what would you change?

  • Who had the most positive influence on you?

  • Who did you feel you had to be this year to survive or succeed?

4. If your second brain is AI… 

Consider using your favorite AI tool as a reflection partner. I suggest you do your reflection work first, in your own words, with your own thinking. AI can be helpful for synthesis and pattern-spotting, but the raw material (your honest assessment) must come from you, ideally untainted by what an algorithm suggests. 

Example prompts: 

  • Using my answers from this workbook, draft a 1‑page “Year in Review” that highlights my impact, growth, and lessons learned. Keep my voice, avoid buzzwords, and suggest three headline options.

  • Here are bullet points from my year: projects, feedback, major events, and habits. Help me identify my five biggest wins, five most important challenges, and the key themes that connect them. What might I be under‑ or over‑estimating?

  • These are snippets from my journal entries and meeting notes. What patterns do you notice about my leadership style, energy, and recurring problems? Where do you see growth over the year?

5. Share one insight (optional but highly encouraged). Hit reply and tell me. I read every response, and your insights often spark the topics we explore in future issues.

Next month, we'll talk about setting intentions that actually stick—the missing piece that makes goals sustainable and meaningful. But you can't set good intentions without first understanding where you've been.

So pause. Reflect. Then sprint. You'll be amazed at how much faster you can move when you're running in the right direction.

Keep reading, keep leading,

Jess

P.S. A bonus lesson I’ve learned from hiking this year: The best way to commit to something you don't naturally want to do? Make it relational, put it on the calendar, and remove the opportunity to rationalize your way out of it. Works for reflection too. Block the time now, before your calendar fills up with everything else. It is a strategic habit to make it non-negotiable. Commit to yourself the way you reliably are there for everyone else.  

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