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Mathias Ihlenfeld

Stop. Reflect. Then Plan: Your 2025→2026 Playbook

Published about 2 months ago • 2 min read

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Lead with Focus - Mathias Ihlenfeld

For founders, executives, and creators who want to lead with vision, not noise

Are you part of the 3% who have written goals?

Or are you in the 97% who wake up, check their phone, and react to whatever gets thrown at them?

Here's the kicker: even among the 3% who write down goals, most lack an actual plan to achieve them

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Which group are you in?

Before planning your 2026 goals, I recommend reflecting on 2025.

This time of year is the perfect time to reflect on 2025, your accomplishments, wins, achievements.

Even better, it's a great time to reflect on the intentions you set for yourself for 2025 and learn to see how you did.

I do this with all of my clients and I want to share a simple framework I have acquired from my Mentor Michael Mackintosh at the Awakened Academy. I just completed it for myself and wanted to share it with you:

Here is Your Year-End Reflection Process

Step 1: Looking Back with Honesty

Question 1: What Were Your Intentions Last Year?

Question 2: What Was Your Frame of Mind?

Question 3: How Realistic Were You?

Question 4: What Are ALL Your Wins This Year?

Now circle your TOP 20%—the game-changers that created the most impact with the least effort. These are your ASSETS moving forward.

Question 5: Where did you leak energy this year?

Be honest (not harsh):

  • Unproductive relationships
  • Time-wasting habits
  • Mental patterns that drained you
  • Activities that didn't serve your growth
  • Ways of working that created friction

Question 6: If you could go back to January 1st of this year and give yourself ONE message, what would it be?

Now is a good time to Look Forward to 2026

Step 2: Create your Vision with Grounded Reality

Where do you want to be one year from today?

Writing it down will be your game changer.

GET YOUR FREE REFLECTION TOOLKIT

I've created two templates to guide you through this process:

Download both templates and complete them this week.

The Daily Practice That Changes Everything

Here's the secret weapon: Rewrite your top 3 goals every single morning.

Not review. Not read. Rewrite.

This 5-minute practice keeps your vision front-and-center and reinforces commitment through repetition. The 3% don't just set goals once—they reconnect with them daily.

Join the 3%

Most people will read this, feel inspired, and do nothing.

The 3% will:

  1. Actually complete the reflection
  2. Write down their vision
  3. Create a daily practice
  4. Show up consistently

Which will you be?

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Here's how I'm practicing what I preach...

My Main Goal for 2026

One of my goals for 2026 is to start my Birthing of Giants Regional Cohort Program in Austin, Texas. I am the Regional Cohort Leader building an intensive peer learning experience designed exclusively for growth-oriented entrepreneurs who are ready to scale their businesses to the next level.

The regional cohort will meet regularly throughout the year, combining expert-led sessions on critical scaling topics—from strategic planning and financial management to leadership development and market expansion—with facilitated peer discussions that leverage the collective wisdom of the group.

If you're a growth-oriented business owner in Central Texas who's serious about taking your company to new heights, join us for an info session on January 15th in Austin to learn more about this transformative opportunity and meet fellow entrepreneurs who share your ambition.

Mathias Ihlenfeld (737-600-6142)

mathias.ihlenfeld@birthingofgiants.net

P.S. Seriously—if you're curious about coaching, advisory, or the Birthing of Giants program, just hit reply. I'd love to hear from you.

Mathias Ihlenfeld

Entrepreneur, coach, and advisor. Helping founders and leaders reclaim clarity, build bold businesses, and live with purpose

My Mission: To inspire others to become the best version of themselves—through business and personal reflections, tools, and practices I actually use. This is for founders, leaders, and anyone creating a life with clarity, balance, and meaning.

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