The Miracle of Finishing Strong



Hello valued friends, partners, and colleagues,

As we enter the final months of the year, it is natural to look back with pride at what we have accomplished. It is also easy to feel overwhelmed by everything still left to do. The list can seem endless while the days on the calendar keep getting shorter.

This week, I came across an excellent email from my mentor, John Maxwell, and his advice reminded me of something important: We cannot manage time, but we can manage our priorities. Instead of asking, "How can I fit everything in?" we can ask, "What matters most?" Then we can let the answer guide the time we have left.

John shared a simple exercise that I hope will help you finish the year with greater focus and purpose. Take a blank page and write down everything competing for your attention between now and the end of the year. Include work projects, personal goals, and conversations you have been meaning to have. Write it all down without judging or editing yourself.

Then, consider each item through the three R's:

Requirement: Is this something only I can do, or would it not happen if I stepped away?

Return: Where will my time and energy make the greatest difference?

Reward: What will bring me genuine fulfillment and remind me why this matters?

Mark the items that earn a yes to more than one question. You may discover that only a few truly deserve your focus.

Then choose one and complete this sentence:

"By the end of the year, the one result that would make me proud is __."

Write it somewhere you will see each morning.

When we give our most important goal a name, the rest of the list may still be there, but it no longer gets to claim the front seat. Our days can begin to feel lighter, clearer, and more purposeful.

I am grateful to John Maxwell for sharing such practical and powerful advice. Sometimes finishing strong does not mean doing everything. It means being intentional about what matters most and giving it our best.

So, what would your one result be? What might you need to set down to make room for it?

With love and gratitude,

Luisa