From Reflection to Focus in 2026

This episode marks the beginning of something new for me.

For nearly two years, writing has been my main space for reflection. It’s where I’ve explored many topics, and ultimately what it really means to build a life and career you love. This year, I’m evolving that space and bringing more of those reflections into audio.

This first episode is about seasons, cycles, and how I personally move from reflection at the end of one year into clarity and focus for the next.

At the end of the year, I always slow down. Autumn, for me, is a time to look back honestly at what has worked, what hasn’t, and what patterns keep showing up. Winter is when I begin to look forward and ask more intentional questions about what I want to create next.

In this episode, I talk about why reflection matters before goal setting, and how clarity creates momentum. I share how I approach this transition, from journalling and noticing themes, to setting a small number of goals that genuinely move the needle in my life.

I also talk about why focus is so important. Not everything that sounds like an opportunity is worth your time. You can't do everything, and trying to usually leads to frustration rather than progress. Choosing carefully has been one of the biggest lessons of my own journey.

This conversation is not about rigid plans or perfection. It’s about intention. It’s about building a life and career that support each other, rather than constantly pulling you in different directions.

If you are entering a new year feeling reflective, curious, or ready for change, this episode will help you pause, take stock, and begin the process of turning reflection into focus.

You might want to reflect on:

• What did the past year teach you about what matters?

• Where did you feel most aligned, and where did you feel stretched?

• What would meaningful progress look like for you this year?

Below is the transcript from this episode.

Introduction

Hello and welcome to Career Clarity Insights. I’m Elsa Hogan, and this is where I share my reflections and practical ideas to help you build a career and life that you love.

Over the past nearly two years, I have been writing a weekly blog, sharing reflections on my career, my life, and the patterns I see both in my own journey and through the people I coach and work with. As we step into this next year, it felt completely right to bring some of those reflections into an audio format and to start with something I am working on right now: turning my autumn and winter reflections into focus and objectives.

Reflection Before Focus

Each year, I set objectives. I usually set three personal and three professional ones. As I approach the end of the year, I take time to journal and reflect on what has gone well, what has not gone so well, and to get all my thoughts down on paper. That process really helps me make sense of what has happened and what I want to do next.

Once everything is out of my head and onto paper, I start to shift my focus forward. I ask myself what I want more of in my life and career, and what I want less of. There are only so many hours in a day, and we all have the same amount of time. What I consistently see, especially with high-performing individuals, is that how they choose to use their time has a direct correlation with how fulfilled and happy they feel in both their career and their life.

For me, it comes down to priorities. When I am clear on my priorities for the year, I can turn that clarity into focused action.

Cycles and Seasons

I often think about life in cycles and seasons. We all know that life moves in cycles, and we experience four seasons every year. If you are constantly pushing, chasing the next thing, and running at full speed all the time, burnout becomes almost inevitable. I have experienced that myself.

A few years ago, I started breaking my year into seasons. Autumn is about reflection: noticing patterns, understanding where my energy has gone, and being honest about what has worked and what has not. Winter is about looking forward and getting clear on what I want next. Spring becomes the planning phase, and summer is about intention and delivery.

This way of thinking helps me give myself permission to slow down when needed and to lean into action when the energy is there. It also gives structure to my year and helps prevent drifting. Time moves quickly, and it would be very easy to look up one day and realise that a year has passed without meaningful progress.

Goal Setting Without Perfection

If you have never set goals like this before, please do not worry. It does not need to be complicated. You might start with one or two small goals and build from there.

For me, three personal and three professional goals work well, but it usually takes a few months of reflection to get clear on what those should be. I am not perfect at this. I do not achieve all of my goals every year. Sometimes they take longer than expected, and sometimes they come to fruition the year after.

What matters is the intention behind them. Having goals allows me to feel genuinely proud of the progress I make, even when not everything goes to plan.

Creating a Backbone for the Year

As I look ahead to the year in front of me, one of the biggest planning tools I use is something that comes from co-parenting. My ex-husband and I plan the children’s movements for the year by October or November. Knowing where they will be, and when, creates stability for everyone involved.

That structure then becomes the backbone around which everything else is planned. Work, holidays, family time, and personal projects all fit around those fixed points. You do not need to be co-parenting to do this, but thinking ahead about big milestones, holidays, and commitments can make a huge difference.

Having those anchors in place helps with decision-making and avoids unnecessary stress.

Prioritisation and Trade-Offs

Prioritisation is the uncomfortable but necessary next step. We all have 24 hours in a day, but some people make far more progress than others because they are clear about what they are prioritising.

For me, that has meant making deliberate changes. Towards the end of last year, I reduced the number of social media platforms I was active on and chose to focus on LinkedIn. That decision came from recognising where meaningful conversations about careers and development were actually happening, and where I was becoming distracted rather than supported.

I also want to prioritise family time and my health this year. That means being honest about what I am prepared to give up. You cannot do everything, especially if you want to make meaningful changes or progress.

Applying This to Your Career

Now, think about your own career. Ask yourself what is working and what is not. Write it down. Journaling can be incredibly powerful for this.

If something is not working, ask yourself what you are going to do about it. Nobody else will fix it for you. That might mean learning a new skill, applying for a different role, setting boundaries, or having a conversation you have been avoiding.

Clear objectives give you the confidence to say yes to the things that move you forward and no to the things that do not align. Both are equally important.

Closing Reflections

Taking time to reflect on your life and career gives you clarity. That clarity leads to focus, and focus helps you make better decisions about how you use your time and energy. This is how you build a career and a life that you genuinely enjoy.

As you move into this year, consider what your personal and professional objectives might be. If you take one thing from this episode, let it be this: create the time to figure out what truly matters to you. From there, you can build objectives that support the life you want to create.

Thank you for being here and taking the time to reflect with me. I wish you every success as you build your goals for 2026. If you would like to get in touch, you can email me at [email protected] .

I look forward to continuing these career and life-changing conversations with you. I’ll see you next time.