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If you know me, you know I’m not into New Year’s resolutions. I am into questions. The kind that help us notice what’s actually true instead of the stories we sometimes tell ourselves.
This December, I keep coming back to three questions. I’m not trying to answer them all at once. They show up while I walk, when I stare out of my reading nook, and when I cook.
I’m sharing them with you because maybe one will resonate. Perhaps you’ll want to sit with it too.
Question 1: What am I ready to let go of?
I just finished an intensive neuroscience certification, and one idea keeps coming up. We pour an incredible amount of physical and mental energy and attention into things that don’t actually serve us. Strategies that never worked. “Should haves” that work for others.
For me, it looks like this:
- What am I holding onto simply because I invested time in it?
- What methods am I still trying to force to work?
- What am I carrying that isn't actually mine to hold?
This isn't about productivity or optimization. It's about making space. Your brain can only hold so much. What's taking up room that could be freed for something more aligned with how you function and where you want your focus to go?
A strategy to try:
Take five minutes to brainstorm and finish this sentence in a few different ways: "I'm ready to let go of..."
Don't censor yourself. Just notice what comes up. You might be surprised by what your brain has been waiting to release.
Question 2: What lit me up this year?
Not what was accomplished. Not what looked good on paper. What actually gave me energy?
I've noticed that when I pay attention to what lights me up, it's often not what I planned or what I thought should matter. It's unexpected moments, specific types of conversations, and particular problems to solve.
For me, this year brought a surprising full-circle moment: mixing my law degree with neuroscience to help lawyers and law students. I never expected those two parts of my life to come together and watching that integration happen absolutely lit me up. So did working with my clients. Especially witnessing the moment someone realizes a pattern they hadn't been able to see before.
When you notice what actually energizes you, versus what you think should energize you, you gain valuable data about where your brain thrives.
A strategy to try:
Scan back through your year. Look at your calendar, your photos, or just your memory. Notice when you felt most alive and engaged.
What was present in those moments? Not the circumstances necessarily, but the qualities. Connection? Problem-solving? Learning? Creating? Movement? Novelty?
Write down 2-3 things that consistently lit you up. That's information worth having.
Question 3: How will I stretch in 2026?
Notice I didn't say, "How will I improve?" or "What goals will I accomplish?"
Stretching is different. It’s growth that honors where you are now while expanding what's possible. It's rooted in curiosity, not shame.
I'm asking myself: What feels a bit uncomfortable but also interesting and worth a try? Where do I want to take what I've learned and see what happens?
For me, this looks like experimenting with new formats and approaches, and paying closer attention to what makes change stick, for me and for others.
This approach is the framework I use with my coaching clients. They experiment with new structures and build awareness along the way. When something doesn't work, they return to the drawing board. There's no failure in an experiment. Just information about what you and your brain need next.
Some of my clients are already asking themselves: What would I try if I followed what I already know about how my brain works best in daily life?
A strategy to try:
Finish this sentence: "In 2026, I want to experiment with..."
Not accomplish. Experiment with. Try something new without needing certainty about the outcome. If it doesn't work, you haven't failed. You've learned something useful.
What I’m Noticing
These three questions are connected.
When I let go of what's not working, I free up space and energy. When I notice what lights me up, I see where that energy wants to go. When I stretch toward something that feels right, it doesn't feel forced.
That's not a resolution. It's self-awareness, followed by intention and choice.
Your Turn
You don't have to answer all three questions. You might not answer any of them. But if one catches your attention, sit with it and notice what it brings up. Simply notice.
Sometimes the most executive-function-supportive thing you can do is give your brain the space to tell you what it already knows.
What question are you sitting with this December? Hit reply. I read every response, and I'd genuinely love to know.
Happy holidays, and see you in 2026.
With gratitude.
Ana Isabel Sánchez
  
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