This past week, I sat with nearly every leader I’m currently Coaching. Some were tired. Some were overwhelmed. Some were fired up and ready for the next challenge. But almost all of them had one thing in common:
They hadn’t slowed down long enough to really reflect on their year.
In each conversation, I gave them the same simple challenge — a 3-2-1 reflection. No fancy templates. No long journaling session. Just an honest look at where they’ve been, where they are, and where they want to go.
And the moment I asked the first question—“Tell me three wins from this year”—I watched something shift.
One leader leaned back in her chair and said, “I didn’t realize how much we’ve actually accomplished.”
Another got quiet, then admitted he hadn’t celebrated a single success all semester.
And one leader, staring down a tough season, finally said out loud what had been weighing on him for months.
Clarity doesn’t come from motion. It comes from reflection.
And if the leaders I coach needed this reset, there’s a good chance you do too.
Leaders are wired to keep going. It’s why we often carry the weight of the work long after everyone else has gone home.
But rushing into the new year without clarity is a guaranteed way to:
repeat the same patterns
misalign your time and priorities
lose sight of the work that really matters
Reflection isn’t a luxury. It’s the fuel for intentional leadership.
So today, I’m offering you the same activity I gave my leaders this week.
A quick, meaningful reset to close the year strong and start 2026 with purpose.
A simple structure. A powerful reset.
Every leader has wins.
But very few leaders take the time to name them.
When you identify your wins, you reclaim confidence, momentum, and perspective.
Ask yourself:
What has gone well this year?
What positive shifts or behaviors am I proud of?
Who helped make those wins possible?
You’ll likely realize you’ve accomplished far more than you remembered.
We don’t name challenges to dwell on them.
We name them so we can address them.
Maybe it’s:
being stretched too thin
time slipping away to urgent over important
difficult personnel or parent issues
avoiding conversations you know you need to have
instructional leadership taking a back seat
Ask yourself:
What is draining my energy right now?
What challenge keeps resurfacing?
What am I avoiding that I need to confront?
Naming the challenge is step one. Tackling it with intention is step two.
This is where clarity becomes action.
Choose one thing to make your priority in 2026 — not ten. Not five. One.
Maybe your focus is:
becoming visible and present
mastering your time
being consistent with crucial conversations
reclaiming instructional leadership
strengthening your team culture
Once you name it, define 2–3 action steps. Make them simple and non-negotiable.
This is how real change begins.
Coaching this activity across multiple schools and districts revealed something important:
Leaders underestimate their wins.
They move so fast they forget what they’ve accomplished.
Challenges feel smaller once spoken out loud.
Reflection creates needed perspective.
The “one focus” is almost always something they already knew mattered.
They just hadn’t given themselves permission to prioritize it.
Leaders crave structured reflection.
They simply rarely build it into their calendars.
Don’t wait for January 1st to create the shift you want.
Take 10 minutes today.
Complete your own 3-2-1 Leadership Reflection.
Then, if you’re leading a team, do this activity with them.
And if you want an even deeper level of clarity, structure, and focus in the new year, grab my AWESOME Leadership Guide:
This will help you clarify your values, sharpen your priorities, strengthen your leadership presence, and lead with greater purpose in 2026.
I’m doing my own 3-2-1 right alongside you.
I’m naming my wins. I’m acknowledging the challenges. And I’m setting a clear focus for 2026.
Leadership isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about being intentional.
So here’s your call to action:
Don’t let the next year happen to you.
Lead into it with clarity.
Let’s make 2026 the year you lead boldly, purposefully, and on the Road to AWESOME.
If your leadership team is ready to reset, refocus, reconnect, or rediscover your purpose, let’s talk. This is the work I Love—and the work that transforms schools.
Whether it’s a half-day retreat, a full-day workshop, or a multi-session coaching series, we can help your team build clarity, connection, and capacity that will carry you far beyond the session.
You can connect with me anytime at darrinpeppard.com, or reach out if you want to co-create something meaningful for your school or district.
Because the work is heavy.
But you don’t have to carry it alone.
And when teams come together intentionally, the results are extraordinary.
Tune in this Sunday to the “Leaning into Leadership” podcast, where I’m joined by Valor Christian High School (CO) Athletic Director Keith Wahl to talk pressure packed youth sports, the impact of the NIL era, and how great leadership means knowing and sticking to your values.
