Every year, I make time to pause and look back.
It’s a simple ritual I’ve kept for a long time. I scroll through the photos on my phone and choose the moments that mattered – kids’ milestones, time in the woods, work that energized me, small joys that might otherwise be forgotten.
I print a handful of those photos and spend an evening with an old friend from high school, going through the year page by page. It’s a tradition that helps me remember what mattered most – and what I want to carry forward.
That reflection shapes something even more important for me: intention. Rather than setting resolutions or performance goals, I choose one or two words to guide the year ahead. Not KPIs. Not targets. Just a clear intention I can return to when life gets noisy.
Two words, in particular, reshaped how I showed up last year: home and healthy.
For me, “home” was never about geography. It was about identity – about finally feeling settled after years of exploring, trying on new roles, and, as I often describe it, lifting as many rocks as I needed to figure out what a new home felt like.
That search is what ultimately led me to Vision Coaching. The sense of belonging I found there has been grounding. It has given me purpose, momentum and a feeling I hadn’t experienced in a long time – that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
The second intention – healthy – emerged from a deeper fear: not being able to do the things I love. When that realization landed during a family conversation, I knew I had to make some changes.
I overhauled how I eat, how I move and how I take care of myself. The results weren’t just physical. I had more energy. I felt more present – in my work, with my family, and in the everyday moments that make life meaningful.
What I’ve learned is that intention is powerful precisely because it’s simple. It cuts through overwhelm and brings us back to what matters most. When paired with discipline and support, it becomes a steady guide rather than a fleeting burst of motivation.
If you’re reflecting on what comes next for you – whether at the start of a year, the middle of one, or a moment of transition – I’d encourage you to choose a word, or two, that will guide you. Let them anchor you through the busy days and into the quieter ones.
Sometimes, that’s all it takes to begin moving with clarity and purpose again.
Pete Stoddard
Chief Operating Officer & Leadership Coach
Vision Coaching Inc.
