It’s that time of year again. Performance review season! And for many people, it brings a mix of anxiety, confusion, and self-doubt.

Before you write another goal or resolution for 2026, take a deep breath. Ask yourself: Do I really want to keep living like this? The constant running, the striving, the feeling that you’re always one step behind. It’s the modern treadmill we’ve all been conditioned to stay on. But this year, it’s time to step off.

As 2025 comes to a close, let’s ask a question that might stop you in your tracks: What if 2026 gives you everything you’ve ever wanted? Would you finally feel fulfilled?

Adaptability and learning agility have become the foundation for business transformation, innovation, and people leadership. The challenge is that most leaders say they’re adaptable, but few know how to demonstrate adaptability consistently. To advance in senior leadership, you must not only be adaptable—you must demonstrate your adaptability clearly and visibly in meetings, enterprise initiatives, communication, and relationships.

Therapist Elaine S. Belson says there is psychology behind the inner critic and it’s not screaming at you to hurt you – it’s trying to get your attention to protect you. So, you don’t need to silence it. You need to listen to your inner critic vs. outer critic and understand how perfectionism fuels self-doubt. Once you listen you’ll understand how to replace self-judgment with self-compassion and clarity.

The holidays are supposed to be a time of joy, connection, and rest, but for many of us, it’s the opposite. You’re answering work emails from the couch, checking Slack between bites of stuffing, or fielding “quick questions” during family dinner. Maybe you’re already dreading the side-eye from relatives when you skip an event or the late-night “urgent” ping from your boss after you’ve finally put your phone away.

We’ve been taught our entire lives that competition is natural. From the classroom to the boardroom, we’re told that if we want to succeed, we have to beat someone else to the finish line. Promotions are limited, resources are scarce, and only the strongest survive. But what if this mindset isn’t natural at all?

What happens when your performance review praises your results, but tears down your identity? It was 2022. I actually had an incredible year. I received a 6% raise, which was unheard of at the time, and an exceptionally large equity grant – more than the standard for my level. I killed it that year.

If you’ve ever felt like the world’s volume is turned up just a little too high for you, you may be part of the 20% of the population born as a highly sensitive person (HSP). Heather Dominick, founder of Business Miracles, has dedicated her work to helping HSPs understand their unique nervous system wiring and teaching them how to thrive rather than simply cope.