What This Year Taught Us About Starting, Fear, and Finishing
The holidays are here, and in the minutes we all have between running errands and preparing for time with family, friends, or maybe some quiet time alone, it’s easy to get caught up in messages from people like us offering well meaning reminders as the year comes to a close.
“Pause. Take a minute to reflect on all that has happened this past year and what you can take from it to help you in the year ahead.”
And so on.
As you’d expect, we think this is a great idea, but it’s also something you’ve likely heard countless times. So rather than adding to the list of things you feel like you should do this holiday season, we wanted to simply share the reflections we’ve done ourselves.
Yes, we took our own advice and spent some time looking back through the year, reflecting on the things we’re proud of and what we want to carry forward into 2026. We hope that sharing some of these reflections is useful in one or more of the following ways:
Some of what we’ve learned may sound familiar. We’re not unique or special, so maybe one or more of these ideas will resonate with you too.
We actually did the exercise, and it was fun to reflect on the year together. We hope you take time to do the same, whether on your own or using our Reflection Guide, ideally with your feet up and maybe a fire nearby.
We’ve shared a few quick stories, and as you spend some time with us during this busy season, we hope that at the very least, what we share is entertaining.
We talked through many of these reflections in our final podcast episode of the year and the season one finale of The UNBLOCK Yourself Podcast. We’ve organized them here into three themes.
#1. From Idea to Reality: The Power of Finishing
“Nothing changes until something is completed.”
When we began the work that turned into Vienna Waits, we had to fight the feeling from the very beginning that, despite everything else we’d tried or done before, we hadn’t done this before. Whether it was launching a program, starting a newsletter, or releasing a podcast, self doubt was never far away for either of us.
When we started the first UNBLOCK Yourself program, we had never delivered a course like this before, and we had never shared content like this publicly. We questioned whether it would be helpful or valuable all the way through the process, right up to the end. But by staying with it, we saw that the work did help. Sometimes in ways we expected, and sometimes in ways we didn’t.
It wasn’t uncommon for us to ask ourselves throughout the year, who am I, or who are we, to offer something like this?
What we came to learn is that no matter who you are, you haven’t done anything until you actually do something. We are all imposters until we aren’t.
This seems obvious, but it really isn’t. Most of us stay stuck in the world of ideas and never put them into action because it feels safer to question ourselves than to do something for the first time.
Looking back now, we’ve done some pretty cool things. The program. The retreat. The podcast. Our first corporate programs. Each of these experiences has given us more confidence to keep going and to explore new ideas in the year ahead. But that confidence only came from starting and finishing the things we committed to. It wasn’t always easy, and in the beginning it was deeply uncomfortable, but it has become easier over time.
What we’re taking from this is the importance of finishing what we start. Not everything will turn out the way we imagine, but nothing happens if we don’t see things through.
#2. Fear Shrinks Once You Move
“The thing you’re most afraid of rarely survives contact with action.”
Greg shared this idea in our last blog post, but it felt worth repeating because it was such a big lesson for us. One we wish we’d learned sooner.
We’ve talked about skydiving before. Neither of us has any interest in doing it, but Greg in particular gets a knot in his stomach just thinking about it. When we imagine the experience, it’s the moment when you have to step out of the plane that feels unbearable.
Even writing this makes us uncomfortable.
But when we think about it, once you’re actually out of the plane, it’s probably not so bad. The hardest part is everything leading up to that moment when the door opens and you have to jump.
This has been such a strong parallel for what we’ve experienced this year. It’s not that people who skydive aren’t scared. It’s that they’ve prepared, and when the moment comes, they jump.
The years of conversations, brainstorming, and wondering what we might build together were the buildup. When the time came to take the leap, we were uncomfortable but ready. And now that we’ve jumped, it just doesn’t feel as scary anymore.
Looking back, what makes us nervous now is the idea of going back to being afraid again.
Once you’ve created something, there’s very little you wouldn’t do to keep going and help it succeed. But until that thing exists, it all feels scary.
What we’re carrying forward is this reminder. The scariest part is before you begin.
#3. Impact Changes People. Including Us.
“The work works, and it changes the people doing it too.”
In February, we set a goal to work with 50 people in 2025. Between the UNBLOCK Yourself program, the Waypoint retreat, and our first corporate programs, we’re proud to say we reached 56.
Not everyone has come back to tell us how the work helped them, but many have. We love all of those stories, though we do have a favourite.
A few weeks after Waypoint, one participant told us he felt like a different person. He was having bolder conversations at work and in other areas of his life, and people around him were starting to notice. In fact, one colleague asked if he had started microdosing mushrooms.
We still laugh about that. And to be clear, he hasn’t started taking mushrooms.
When we were first considering this work, a friend asked us if we would do it if we knew we’d only impact one person. Our answer was yes.
What we didn’t anticipate is how much doing this work would change us too.
Every time someone shares how something we created helped them, it shifts how we think, how we work, and who we are. Feedback has made our writing and programming better and has helped us become clearer about how we can be useful in the world.
As much as we may have helped others this year, it’s the people we’ve had the opportunity to meet, work with, and learn from who have helped us just as much, if not more.
Yes, we mean you.
Beyond the work itself, our lives feel more connected to purpose. We’re more energized day to day. We’ve seen each other’s strengths and shortcomings on full display, which has deepened our appreciation for one another and strengthened our marriage. That was an outcome we never expected.
What we’re taking from all of this is that being of use to others has changed us in ways we couldn’t have imagined. At the end of a year filled with uncertainty and hard work, we’re deeply grateful for the opportunity to do this work because it has shaped us too.
Whether you’ve been with us all year or are just joining now, we’re so grateful you’re here. We’re excited for what’s ahead and can’t wait to share what we’re building in 2026.
For now, we hope you’re able to take a little time, whether it’s ten minutes or a few hours, to look back on what’s gone well this year. There’s always more to learn and improve, but we all deserve to acknowledge what we’ve done and what we can carry forward. We’ve created a short reflection guide (download below) with prompts to help you. :)
Odds are, when you look back, you’ll find a few things you’re proud of too.
Have a safe and happy holiday season. Thank you for being here.
We’ll see you next year.