the *end-of-year* audit: how to make 2026 your best year
soju with sarah
2025/12/26
the *end-of-year* audit: how to make 2026 your best year
the *end-of-year* audit: how to make 2026 your best year
soju with sarah
2025/12/26
On Christmas Eve, the host reflects on a year of transition—caring for family, launching a small business, and stepping away from corporate life—all while sipping spiked eggnog and preparing for a meaningful, low-pressure start to 2026.
This reflective holiday episode centers on intentional year-end auditing rather than traditional New Year’s resolutions. The host introduces her '2026 Playbook,' built around the 'roses, buds, thorns' framework to celebrate wins, spot emerging opportunities, and confront persistent challenges like overcommitment and control-driven decision-making. She traces her shift from unfulfilling corporate software engineering to purposeful entrepreneurship, identifying core motivations—family, creative freedom, and authenticity—while naming pride and external validation as key obstacles. Emphasizing identity-based goals over behavioral fixes, she commits to scaling her business thoughtfully, prioritizing mental wellness, delegation, and clarity of 'why.' The episode also announces a planned podcast pause after the next episode to focus on business growth and personal sustainability—framed not as an ending, but as a deliberate, values-aligned pivot.
00:00
00:00
Welcome to 'soju with sarah' on Christmas Eve
02:00
02:00
Wanting to do an episode on prepping for 2026
02:34
02:34
The 'my 2026 playbook' is a reflection and auditing framework—not a list of resolutions
04:08
04:08
This is season 1.5, not season 2, and it ends next episode
08:57
08:57
Distinguishing obligations from intentional choices reveals what drives and holds you back
11:06
11:06
Starting a small business led to rewards and fulfillment not felt in previous corporate and digital work
12:32
12:32
She launched her one-woman business feeling she rushed compared to James, who had more prep time
14:00
14:00
I create self-imposed obstacles, like taking on multiple new tasks without finishing old ones
15:17
15:17
Excessive pride in doing everything alone has slowed down progress on goals like launching a small business and personal growth
20:44
20:44
Instead of resolving to go to the gym more, aim to be a person who prioritizes health in 2026
22:58
22:58
Being defined by quitting the job was not the identity they wanted for 2026
37:33
37:33
It's unhealthy to be motivated by proving others wrong
41:39
41:39
Mental sanity is the non-negotiable priority for 2026
42:19
42:19
The upcoming episode will be the final one of season 1.5, featuring both the host and James
42:49
42:49
Moose has dominated the screen
