End-of-Year Reflections for the Mental Performance Entrepreneur

As the year winds down, it is important to create time and space in your business to take a look back. It can be hard to pump the brakes (if you’re like us and feel like you’ve still got a lot of balls in the air mid-December), and it is a practice that we have found to be meaningful and empowering. Reflecting on the year - what worked, what you accomplished, what challenges you faced, how you’ve grown as a person and entrepreneur - enables you to celebrate, evaluate, and look forward in order to create a clearer, more effective plan for next year. 

If that sounds good in theory but you’re not sure where to begin - we’ve got you covered! Below are six questions - three looking back and three looking ahead. These questions will help you reflect on your year so that you can enter the new year with confidence and clarity.

Looking Back:

1. What have you accomplished this year that you are proud of?

Begin by thinking about your business, but also acknowledge the personal accomplishments or memories that light you up when you reminisce about the year. These accomplishments may be big, small, or anything in between. The important part is simply to recognize all of the good that has occurred this year, kind of like when you reach the vista on a hike and pause to soak in the views.

2. What challenges did you experience this year?

There is no such thing as a perfect year, especially as an entrepreneur. There will likely be challenges that you faced and hopefully overcame this year (or maybe you are still figuring out a solution). What are some of those challenges? This can also help you to recognize how much you actually have accomplished and overcome. Or sometimes it is simply a reminder to give yourself some grace through the rough parts or detours of your journey. 

3. What are some key things you have learned about yourself and your business this year?

Pause to think about how you’ve changed over the last 12 months. What do you know now about how you want to make business decisions, about the landscape of the field in your area, or the specifics of your business operations? You and your business are always evolving. Maybe you realize you really enjoy in-person work. Maybe you’ve found that slow mornings help you to be more productive later in the day. Maybe you’ve noticed a change in your busy season and can think about how to utilize your time in a different way. Take the time to reflect and learn - slow down to speed up. 

Looking Forward:

4. Next year, where do you want to invest your time related to your business?

Your most limited asset as an entrepreneur is your time - invest it wisely. Based on your reflections, where do you see the biggest opportunity to invest your time next year? This may be something more external, like updating your website, engaging in networking events, or seeking opportunities for speaking engagements. You might find that you need to invest your time more internally - creating more efficient operating systems, iterating your paperwork templates, or trying out a different time management strategy. You can always make changes throughout the year, but having some clarity when you get started can help you better structure your time and energy along the 2026 trek. 

5. What do you want to keep learning next year?

Yep - learning isn’t just for school. One of the best parts of being an entrepreneur is that you get to decide what you want to learn. This may be specifically related to your client work such as learning more about injury recovery, perfectionism, or self-compassion. It may also be related to your business - learning more about technology, understanding SEO (search engine optimization) for your website, or improving your bookkeeping skills to better manage your finances. A mark of an entrepreneur who makes it long-term is someone who is always learning.

6. In this upcoming year, what do you want to start doing, stop doing, and continue doing?

All too often we get stuck in the habit of looking for things to add to our day or our business. While adding can be very helpful (and necessary at times), it is just as important to name the things you want to stop doing. If you are someone who likes to make lists (we just raised our hands), feel free to name all the things that could go under each category (start, stop, continue), and then, try to cull it down to 1-2 things for each. Creating a summary helps to keep it simple and allows you to actually take action. 

After taking the time to reflect, consider what support you might want or need to make your journey easier in the coming year. Support can often look like resources or people, such as:

• joining our Establish course to get everything you need to set up your business, alongside a community of 14 other entrepreneurs, 

• signing up for our free monthly e-newsletter to keep a pulse on entrepreneurial life, or

• joining the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) Business Ownership Special Interest Group to meet virtually with other current and aspiring entrepreneurs. 

We recently did a similar reflection exercise with some of our Establish course members. It turned into a meaningful, validating discussion about progress, imposter syndrome, patience, perfection vs. good enough, ideal clients, decisions, and systems. We hope that this exercise helps you to create a new year that fits your definition of success and propels you to where you want to be. Cheers!