“Purposeful reflection produces purposeful results.” – Coach John Gallagher
Happy Friday, Brew Nation!
It’s that time of year again. 2025 is nearly behind us. Yes, it is Christmas, but as Uncommon Leaders, the final week of the year is also the greatest opportunity for us to look back on our wins and our challenges and course correct moving into 2026!
Most people use this week to drift. Champions use it to reflect.
Don’t let the calendar simply flip into January 1st without intention. Commit to blocking off four hours between Christmas and New Year’s, go to a place where you can truly focus, and complete these five essential steps.
Your 5-Step 2025 Year-in-Review
1. Review Your “SO THAT”
Do you have a personal mission statement? Have you clarified your personal values? As Simon Sinek says, your ‘why’ is “The compelling higher purpose that inspires us and acts as the source of all we do.” Your SO THAT is the compelling reason that will inspire you to get out of bed in the mornings even when you don’t want to!
Example: “I want to be an uncommon leader. Therefore, I must invest in myself and grow daily SO THAT I become the leader, spouse, parent, or friend God created me to be.”
2. Assess Your Performance
Did you set personal and professional goals for the year? Have you achieved those goals or are you, at a minimum, making progress? We are wired to win, and having a scoreboard is essential. An effective scoreboard will follow the “five in five” rule: from five feet and within five seconds, I can visually determine if I am winning or losing. I use a personal tracker that turns red if I missed the goal that month, or green if I achieved it.
3. Identify the Gaps
This is where the sizzle starts. To complete this, grab a legal pad and draw a line down the middle with a ‘+’ on the left and a ‘–’ on the right.
- List the things in the ‘+’ column that went well.Â
- List things in the ‘–’ column that didn’t go as well as you wanted.Â
Crucial Note: Don’t jump to solutions! We are looking at behaviors and disciplines, not outcomes. Instead of writing, “I need to lose weight,” write: “I went three months without journaling my nutrition.” Review your calendar, your journal, your photos, and your goals to find the specific actions that propelled you forward or held you back.
4. Course Correct (Keep, Start, Stop)
The fourth step is to translate those behaviors into actionable habits for 2026. This system is simple, yet powerful:
- KEEP: What things went well in 2025 that you must solidify? (e.g., Keep the weekly one-on-one time with your spouse.)Â
- START: What new habits must you integrate? (e.g., Start using a monthly scorecard to track my goals.)Â
- STOP: What must you eliminate? This is the hardest step. You may have to give up things that are merely good to get to things that are UNCOMMON. (e.g., Stop wasting 30 minutes a day on social media before starting work.)Â
5. Share & Commit
Do not tuck the results of this process away! Commit to the change and tell the world. The “World” may be your coworker, spouse, friend, or coach. Find someone who will hold you accountable—a quarterly meeting is good, a monthly meeting is better, a weekly meeting is best.
Pray for Power
After I complete this 5-step exercise, I commit the reflections to God, knowing that I am not strong enough to achieve SMAHT goals on my own.
“Commit your actions to the LORD, and your plans will succeed.” (Proverbs 16:3)
“Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.” (1 Chronicles 4:10)
Figure It Out: Do you want to become an Uncommon Leader? Then, you must: Review your ‘why’, Assess your performance with a scorecard, Reflect humbly on your gaps, Replace old habits, and Identify someone to hold you accountable.
- Quote of the WeekÂ
“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
– Will Durant (paraphrasing Aristotle)
Being effective as a leader means consistently choosing discipline over distraction. It’s about deeply reflecting on what’s worked, humbly learning from what hasn’t, and courageously course-correcting in relentless pursuit of uncommon growth. Leaders don’t just drift into success—they evaluate, decide, and act.
Email me at coachjohngallagher@gmail.com with the subject line “2026” and share the time block you set aside between now and New Year’s Day to complete your 4-hour review! I will also share the template I used to guide me in these important steps.
What you need to do:
Your Call to Action: Design Your Legacy
Don’t wait until January 1st to start. Commit your time and your plan today.
Email me at coachjohngallagher@gmail.com with the subject line “2026” and share the time block you set aside between now and New Year’s Day to complete your 4-hour review! I will also share the template I used to guide me in these important steps.
It’s an honor to be your trusted Friday Coffee Guy. Each week, I bring what I’m learning and living in the trenches of leadership. If this edition challenged or encouraged you, share it with someone who leads, stays faithful, or learns alongside you, then click subscribe. To learn more about how we can work together on your growth journey, visit my website at www.coachjohngallagher.com. Let’s grow Brew Nation together!
Until next time—stay focused, stay faithful, and keep growing, Champions! 💪
