Last January, I sat with a client who was staring at her quota, thinking: "How am I going to hit this with everything happening in the market? Tariffs. Budget cuts. Economic uncertainty." She'd had the same conversation with herself the year before, and the year before that.

She was carrying last year's programming into a brand-new year. Every time she approached a deal, she was unconsciously projecting doubt, scarcity, and all the reasons why this would be hard onto her opportunities.

Her tone shifted. Her follow-ups became tentative. Her negotiations felt like she was asking for permission rather than creating a partnership. Her prospects could feel it. We think we're hiding it, but that energy seeps into every conversation, every follow-up, every negotiation.

Through questions and careful reflections, she realized the external stuff—the economy, the competition, the challenges—those weren't the real barriers. The real work was internal. It was about shifting her identity to become the version of herself who already over-achieves quota, gets the meeting, closes the deal, and knows her worth.

She quietly said, "The problem isn't the market. The problem is me."

Here's what I see over and over: anytime we're stuck, blocked, in a funk—it's always us. We're standing in our own way, getting into our heads, allowing fear to seep in. The beauty is, with consistent inner work, we can name it and recognize it quickly, then shift out of it.

We understand what it's ultimately trying to do. Our brain's goal is to keep us safe. When we pursue lofty goals, we hear the voices: Why do we need to do this? This is a lot of work. Where we are now is good enough.

We are not our thoughts. Swat them away and act anyway. I have a name for those thoughts—it's helpful as it creates separation between me and the external voice I know with certainty is not aligned to my best self and is trying to keep me small. Can you name your negative thoughts? The voice trying to keep you from trying new things, putting yourself out there, becoming the version of you the world is waiting to meet?

The Invisible Work That Wins the Long Game

When we're in our heads, adopting a victim mentality, we start looking around for quick fixes, shiny objects, new prompts, new tech, something to get us out of the boredom and mundane. The problem is we give up right before we reap the results. We make the calls, send the emails, do the prospecting—but when we don't see immediate progress, we question everything. Should I change my approach? Is my messaging off? Am I targeting the wrong accounts? We stop trusting ourselves and the system.

The truth is, consistency in the not-so-fun stuff is what separates the top performers from everyone else. The invisible progress you're making right now? It's compounding. You just can't see it yet.

Think about it. That prospect who ghosted you in November might circle back in March because you stayed consistent. That relationship you've been nurturing without any immediate payoff? It becomes your biggest referral source in Q3. That daily habit of reviewing your calls and refining your discovery questions? It's sharpening your intuition in ways you won't recognize until you're six months in and suddenly closing deals faster than ever.

The mundane tasks—the ones we skip when we're feeling discouraged—those are the building blocks. Sending the thank you note. Making one more call when we're exhausted. Doing the pre-call research even when we're running late. These aren't sexy. But they're what create the foundation for everything that comes next. When we use AI effectively, we buy some of our time back.

Building Your Frame

Over the holidays, I read The Frame by Justin Michael and Johnny Staker, and one concept hit me hard: the law of non-neediness. When you truly know your worth, you enter every room—every call, every meeting—with an energy and presence that shifts the dynamic. The room bends to you. Not because you're aggressive or pushy, but because you're grounded. You're detached from the outcome because you already know your value.

This is what underpins everything. When there's a knowing of self, we try less. We think less about the things that don't matter and focus on what moves the needle—being in service to others. We stop overcompensating. We stop second-guessing. We stop performing.

Here's the shift: when we're not projecting our own scarcity onto the deal, we can actually listen. We can be present. We can ask better questions because we're genuinely curious, not just waiting for our turn to pitch. Our prospects feel the difference. They lean in. They open up. They trust us faster.

Michael and Staker put it this way: "You cannot fake this signal. You forge it. You become so good they cannot ignore you, but you stop needing to be seen. You stack options until no single outcome defines you. You stop seeking closure because your alignment is internal not granted. You stop performing. You start curating. When you reach that state, rooms slow down when you speak. People straighten. Opportunities find you, not because you chased them, but because you became the field they must enter. That field is Frame."

That's the energy we need to embody coming into 2026.

Align With Your Why

This isn't about setting bigger goals or working harder. It's about aligning with your meaningful mission—your WHY. Why do we do what we do beyond money? What impact do we want to make? What legacy do we want to leave?

I spent years thinking my why was about hitting quota and earning the comp plan. And sure, that mattered. But when I dug deeper, I realized what actually drove me was helping leaders and their teams see possibilities they couldn't see on their own. I loved being the person who walked into a room and shifted how someone thought about their business. This is the work that energizes me. This is the impact that matters.

When we embody this, our prospects feel it differently. We become magnetic. Not because we're trying to be, but because we've done the inner work. We're not projecting our own scarcity, doubt, or bias onto the deal. We're in service to others because we're already taken care of from the inside out.

The shift happens when you start thinking, behaving, and acting like the future version of yourself today. You bridge the gap between who you are and who you're becoming through consistent daily practice.

Your Practice for 2026

Here's where we start: get curious about yourself. Journal on these questions:

- If money weren't part of the equation, what would you be doing?

- What lights you up? What energizes you versus drains you?

- Observe why you do certain things. What patterns show up when you're at your best? What about when you're struggling?

- What value do you uniquely bring that differentiates you and the experience you provide?

Then, go external. Ask 3-5 close friends or customers: "What is it like to work with me? Describe me in a few words." Look for patterns. Some responses will confirm what you already know. Others might surprise you. Both matter.

This is how you build your frame. This is how you shift your identity. This is how you become the version of yourself in 2026 who walks into every opportunity knowing their worth.

The work is internal. The results are inevitable. Trust yourself. Trust the system. Stay consistent even when you can't see the progress yet.

Who are you becoming this year?

Let’s Go!

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