Who Is Your Next Level Self?

In the first sessions of the year, many of you are telling me the same thing: the winter break already feels far away and work is well underway. Unless we pause to be intentional, our old patterns automatically take over.

Last week, I watched People We Meet on Vacation, a fun movie based on the novel by Emily Henry, which my daughter Chloe loves. In the film, the main character, Poppy, tries to get her friend Alex to dance in a club in New Orleans during one of their annual summer trips.

When he says he is "not a dancer," she asks him, “But what about Vacation Alex?” His more carefree traveler persona can dance, and they have a lot of fun together. Such a fun movie btw!

It made me wonder:

✨ What would my Next Level me look like? What could she do that current me isn’t able to?

One morning, just after waking up, before my mind had a chance to fully wake up, I recorded a voice note answering it. What came through surprised me.

Next-level me is authentic and courageous, she isn’t playing small. She’s can feel both content and grateful for what she has, and dream big, calling in more inner peace, more joy, more abundance.

Next-level me greets fear with compassion and thanks it for its care. She stays hopeful and centered in the middle of uncertainty. She’s grounded and empowered, strong and soft at the same time.

She co-creates with life and with others, knowing she doesn’t have to have it all figured out. She takes meaningful risks, trusting patience and creativity to guide her forward.

Looking at the year ahead from this perspective, it’s easier to come up with an aspirational vision for 2026, and the pathways forward come clearly into focus.

So I invite you to try this: record a voice note tomorrow morning, just as you’re waking up, before your mind fully switches on, reflecting on...

✨ What does your next level look like?

Then, reply to this newsletter and let me know what came up for you!

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Defining value-aligned, sustainable goals for ourselves can be surprisingly difficult. Many people say when we start coaching, “If I only knew what I wanted, I’d figure out a way.”

Someone wise said recently that the question “What do I really want?” is often the same as “Who am I becoming?”

There are a couple of reasons why defining what you really want is difficult.

First, it feels overwhelming. Our inner perfectionist wants to capture everything that could be better, all at once.

Second, we often have what feels like competing inner goals. Many people worry they don’t have what it takes to be at the next level of responsibility and subconsciously sabotage their own growth.

For example, you might want a bigger role, while also wanting more time with your family.

But what if you could have both?

Growth might look like getting better at coaching others, delegating more effectively, and modeling a healthier way of working.

No matter what your goals are this year, growth is often less about doing more and more about evolving.

“When I let go of who I am,
I become what I might be.”

- Tao Te Ching