Introduction: December, Reflection, and the Mind’s Bias
December is a natural time for reflection. The year slows down preparing for Christmas and the New Year, the days are shorter, and many of us look back at what we planned to achieve. For some, this brings pride. For others, it brings disappointment.
As I sat down to write this blog, I realised something important: I was focusing almost entirely on what I hadn’t achieved yet. Not on what I had. This is not accidental.
Our minds are often wired to focus on what went wrong, what is missing, or what feels unfinished. This is called negativity bias, and it can quietly distort how we see an entire year.
The Trap of Focusing on the Negative
Negativity bias is our tendency to give more weight to negative experiences than positive ones. From an evolutionary point of view, it once kept us safe. Today, it often keeps us stuck.
When we review our goals, the mind does not naturally highlight progress. It highlights gaps.
The goals not completed
The income that could have been higher
The plans that took longer than expected
This can create a false narrative: “I didn’t do enough.” Even when the evidence says otherwise.
Writing This Blog Made Me Notice My Own Bias
Yesterday, while writing this very blog, I noticed that my tone was heavy. I was listing the goals I hadn’t achieved yet and ignoring everything else.
This morning, I stopped and went back to my visual map goal board for 2025. Not to judge it, but to observe it. What I saw surprised me.
Revisiting My 2025 Visual Map Goal Board
My visual board is not a wish list. It is a road map. A reminder of direction, not a deadline.
The main title for 2025 was clear: Networking.
The intention behind it was:
To be known
To build brand awareness
To make meaningful connections
To help other entrepreneurs connect
When I looked at it with honesty, I realised I had achieved this goal fully.
Brand Awareness: A Goal Achieved
Brand awareness was a core focus for this year, and the results speak for themselves.
My website traffic increased by 81% compared to 2024
My website is now on page 1 of Google for many searches
All of this growth happened organically
After the pandemic, when I returned to Scotland, my website was on page 37. Seeing this progress in black and white was grounding.
This did not happen by accident. It came from consistency, networking, visibility, and showing up even when it felt uncomfortable.
Achievements Beyond Business
When we focus only on business metrics, we miss the full picture.
There were personal achievements too. Growth that does not show up on spreadsheets. Confidence built. Relationships strengthened. Boundaries learned.
There was also loss.
This year, I lost a close relative to an aggressive cancer. Grief changes perspective. It reshapes priorities and makes some goals feel suddenly very small.
Acknowledging this matters. Progress does not happen in a vacuum.
Mistakes Are Not Failures
Yes, I made mistakes this year.
I invested energy in the wrong places. Some projects demanded a lot of work and did not bring the financial return I expected. That was frustrating.
But mistakes are not proof of failure. They are data.
They show us:
What to refine
Where to redirect energy
What no longer aligns
Visual Boards Are Road Maps, Not Deadlines
This is something worth repeating.
A visual board does not mean you must complete everything in one year. It exists to keep you aligned with where you want to go.
Progress is rarely linear. Some goals take longer because life happens. Because growth requires adjustment. Because clarity evolves.
The danger is not unfinished goals. The danger is focusing so much on what is incomplete that we become blind to how far we have already come.
A Message for Anyone Feeling Disappointed This December
If you are reading this and thinking “I didn’t achieve what I wanted this year”, pause.
Ask yourself:
Am I focusing on the whole picture, or only the gaps?
Am I judging progress with kindness or with pressure?
You may discover that you achieved far more than you are allowing yourself to see.
Rewriting the Narrative
This morning, rewriting this blog changed its meaning.
It became less about what is missing and more about awareness. Awareness of how easily the mind leans into negativity, and how powerful it can be to consciously rebalance that view.
Growth is happening, even when it feels slow and sometimes, the most important achievement of the year is learning to see yourself, and your journey, more clearly.
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Thank you for reading.
Bye for now.