What a beautiful, magical time of year this is, my friends. We’ve been captivated by the intricate details in the decorations, the energy of the seaso’s spirit, the kindness of strangers, and the simplicity of a joyful smile that can light up a room.

We’re also profoundly grateful to you—for being part of our community. Whether you engage with us weekly on LinkedIn, read our messages straight from your inbox, or catch snippets shared on social media, thank you for allowing us to share our mission:

“Be the one to show the world how truly great life can be.”

Together in 2024, we didn’t just create ripples—we made waves. The work we do at The Amplified Life Company wouldn’t be possible without the relationships we’ve built and nourished this year. These connections form the foundation of our shared success, and we’re honored to journey alongside you.

As the year draws to a close, we’ve completed our annual business planning and forecasting for 2025. Now, December is our time to reflect—individually and as a team. This process allows us to celebrate milestones, acknowledge lessons learned, and appreciate the unique gifts and talents that have driven our impact.

One practice we’ve found invaluable is using the Personal Annual Review, inspired by Salih Bloom. These 11 questions have guided us for years, fostering both personal reflection and meaningful team connection.

We’d love to share our process with you, hoping it inspires you to embrace conscious leadership in the new year.

The Reflection Process

1. Set the Scene:
Create a warm, inviting environment for your team to gather for 3 hours. Choose an alternative location, if possible, and provide healthy snacks, warm beverages, and comfortable seating. Encourage everyone to dress casually.

2. Prepare in Advance:
Share the Personal Annual Review with your team ahead of time. Let them know you’ll be completing it together during the session.

3. Reflect Individually (1.5 Hours):
Allow your team time to complete their reviews, encouraging them to move around and ask questions if needed.

4. Share and Celebrate (1.5 Hours):
Each team member shares their reflections, with a focus on these key areas:

• What Created Energy and What Drained Energy?
• What Were My Greatest Hits and Biggest Misses?
• What New Skill Did I Develop This Year That Elevated My Performance?
• How Did My Daily Habits Align (Or Misalign) With The Person I Want to Become?
• Where Did I Allow Fear To Stop Me?
• Who Were My Boat Anchors and Who Put Wind In My Sails?
• What Did I Learn This Year?
• I Am at My Best When ___________ (Aim for one word or a concise sentence.

5. After each person shares, invite 2-3 team members to offer specific, heartfelt appreciation for the individual who just spoke. Consider using a scribe to record responses and create a visual representation, like a word cloud, using tools like Wordle.net.

6. Dream for 2025:
Close the structured session by asking:
If anything were possible in 2025 (with no limitations—money, time, commitments, etc.), what would you want to see happen in your life?

Allow 30 minutes for team members to connect informally and process their reflections.

As We Transition into 2025

We invite you to carry these three truths into the new year:

1. There is no better time than the present—why wait? ACT.
2. You can do, be, and have anything you can think, dream, or imagine—but not all at once. FOCUS.

If this exercise resonates with you, we’d love to connect further. Set up a briefing with us at The Amplified Life Company—a holistic leadership development firm dedicated to helping small and mid-sized businesses transition from good to great in 2025.

Click HERE to tell us about your team and set a time to meet. 

• Efficiency vs. Productivity: Am I optimizing the systems and processes that support my goals, or am I simply busy?
• Growth as a Leader: What am I doing to help my team grow and become better leaders themselves?
• The Ultimate Goal: How can I inspire and empower others to reach their highest potential in 2025?

“Trying is wanting credit for something you never intended to do.”

Read that again.

Last week in Scottsdale, AZ, we wrapped up a two-day immersion coaching session with one of our executive clients. These unique experiences allow high performers to move through awareness, breakthroughs, and transformation rapidly to achieve sustainable growth.

One of the recurring themes during these sessions is the word “try.” It’s a word CEOs and executives often use unconsciously, yet it can subtly undermine leadership and decision-making.

Here’s why:

Why Executives Use the Word “Try”

1. Limiting Beliefs: Saying “I’ll try” is often a placeholder for self-doubt. It signals an internal belief that success might not be possible, limiting the potential for breakthrough actions.
2. Fear of Commitment: The fear of failure—or of being held accountable—leads leaders to hedge their intentions with “trying” instead of fully committing to action.
3. Lack of Clarity: When goals or desired outcomes aren’t clearly defined, “try” becomes a way to avoid making a clear decision, leaving teams without direction or focus.

How to Get Out of the “Trying” Cycle

High-performing leaders don’t “try.” They decide. They either DO or DO NOT. Breaking free from the “trying” cycle begins with effective decision-making.

1. Clarify Your Intentions: Before you commit, ask yourself: What does success look like? Define the outcome you want to achieve.
2. Commit to Action: Replace “I’ll try” with “I will” or “I will not.” Even a “no” is more powerful than an ambiguous “try.”
3. Follow Through Strategically: Use tools and frameworks to align your decisions with execution. Build a culture where accountability and commitment are celebrated.

The Right Fit for Executive Leaders

At Amplified Life, we specialize in helping CEOs and executive teams identify the roadblocks holding them back, refine their leadership approach, and create alignment for sustained success.

If you’re ready to move beyond “trying” and lead with clarity and conviction, let’s connect. Our Right Fit Conversations help us determine if we are aligned to work together as your executive coaching partner.

Book your conversation here: carmenohling.com/enquiry/

No more “trying.” It’s time to decide.

Are you “trying?”  Share your thoughts below…

1. Avoid conflict 
2. Avoid hurt feelings 
3. Believe it’s a waste of our breath (it wouldn’t do good anyway) 
4. Nobody else talks about it, so I shouldn’t either 

1. Cultivate Self-Awareness
   • Begin by noticing what you are withholding. Pay attention to your body and emotions—tightness in your chest or a sense of unease often signals withheld thoughts or feelings.
   • Identify your reasons for withholding. Are you avoiding conflict, fearing judgment, or assuming others won’t care?
2. Commit to Truthfulness
   • Practice revealing facts, thoughts, and feelings with clarity and honesty.
   • Avoid sugar-coating or dramatizing; stick to simple, accurate expressions of what is true for you in the moment.
3. Create a Safe Space for Openness
   • Model vulnerability and candor yourself. When leaders speak openly, they encourage their teams to do the same.
   • Set the intention for conversations to be productive and connection-driven rather than adversarial.
4. Use “Impeccable Agreements”
   • Make clear agreements about how information will be shared and received in your team or organization.
   • Emphasize that candor is a tool for growth, not criticism, and establish practices to reinforce this culture.
5. Acknowledge and Own Projections
   • Recognize when you’re projecting your beliefs, assumptions, or fears onto others instead of revealing your own truth.
   • Reframe judgment as curiosity and seek to understand others’ perspectives.
6. Practice Small “Reveals” First
   • Start with lower-stakes situations to build the muscle of candor.
   • Reflect on the outcomes—how your energy shifts and relationships deepen when you are honest.
7. Give and Seek Feedback
   • Actively request feedback about your candor and how it impacts the workplace culture.
   • Share your experiences of withholding and revealing to encourage team reflection and alignment.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

It’s the holiday season, which prompts so many people to fill their calendars and attempt to do it all…. Can you relate?

This season of “busy” is the inspiration for this blog….

I recently heard someone say, “Show me the ways you avoid stillness, and I’ll show you the patterns that run your life.” 

That phrase has stayed with me, urging me to examine my own defaults—whether it’s throwing myself into work, tackling endless projects, or even organizing and cleaning. None of these activities are inherently bad, but they can become distractions when used to avoid stillness and reflection.

What I’ve been realizing is that stillness isn’t just about physically stopping; it’s about creating inner spaciousness. You can move through life with external activity while maintaining an inner sense of stillness, or you can be outwardly motionless yet internally consumed by chaos and avoidance. The intention behind your actions is what truly matters.

For leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs, embracing stillness and reflection is not optional—it’s essential for high performance.

Here are some reasons why, along with the challenges that arise when stillness is neglected:

Why Stillness and Reflection Are Crucial for High-Performing Leaders

1. Clarity in Decision-Making
• Reflection allows leaders to cut through the noise and make better, more informed decisions.
• When we don’t pause, we risk making reactive, short-sighted choices driven by stress or urgency rather than strategy.
2. Renewed Creativity and Problem-Solving
• Creativity thrives in spaciousness. Many breakthrough ideas emerge in moments of stillness, not during frantic work.
• Without stillness, innovation stalls, and we stay stuck in old patterns of thinking.
3. Emotional Awareness
• Stillness provides space to notice and process emotions rather than being controlled by them.
• Leaders who avoid reflection often experience burnout, frustration, or even conflict because they lack the emotional awareness that comes from slowing down.
4. Connection to Purpose
• In the constant hustle, it’s easy to lose sight of why we’re doing what we do. Reflection anchors us to our core mission and values.
• Without this connection, leaders often feel unfulfilled, no matter how much they achieve.
5. Healthier Relationships
• Stillness fosters self-awareness, helping leaders show up meaningfully in their relationships.
• Avoidance patterns often lead to strained communication or disconnection from teams, partners, and loved ones.
6. Sustainability of Energy
• Overworking without reflection depletes energy reserves and makes recovery harder.
• Leaders who prioritize stillness cultivate resilience and avoid long-term burnout.

Challenges of Avoiding Stillness

1. Perpetual Busyness as a Badge of Honor
• Many leaders mistake busyness for productivity, staying trapped in a cycle of overwork that limits their true potential.
2. Missed Opportunities for Growth
• Without reflection, we don’t see where we’re stuck or where we need to grow. Blind spots remain hidden, often at great cost.
3. Living in Reaction Mode
• Avoiding stillness keeps us in survival mode, constantly reacting instead of proactively leading.
4. Compromised Well-Being
• Chronic avoidance of reflection often leads to stress-related health issues, including exhaustion, anxiety, or even physical illness.
5. Disconnect from the Bigger Picture
• Leaders who never slow down can become consumed by the day-to-day grind, losing perspective on the broader vision.

How to Incorporate Stillness into Leadership

• Micro-Moments of Pause: Start with small practices—like a few deep breaths before meetings or a quiet walk without your phone.
• Journaling: Set aside time to write about your challenges, wins, and lessons learned. This can clarify patterns and uncover hidden insights.
• Intentional Rest: Schedule blocks of unstructured time in your calendar—not for tasks, but for reflection or simply being.
• Mindful Action: Engage in activities with full attention, turning routine moments into opportunities for stillness.
• Seek Feedback: Sometimes, others can reflect patterns you may not notice. Trusted colleagues or coaches can provide this perspective.

Did this week’s blog resonate with you?   Comment below and let me know how you’re going to incorporate moments of stillness in your life and work.