New Year's resolutions feel empty because they skip the most important part: honest reflection. This isn't another "new year, new you" message—it's the anti-resolution episode you need. Before you set any goals for2026, you need to pause and look honestly at where you've been and who you're becoming as a practice leader.
What You'll Learn:
+ Why reflection matters more than resolution-setting for sustainable practice growth
+ The exact journaling questions Cecilia uses every quarter to assess her practice
+ How to evaluate your year through the lens of lessons learned, not just wins and losses
+ What made 2025 successful in Cecilia's practice (ecosystem building, strategic hiring, marketing experiments)
+ The habits you need to start and stop to become the leader your 2026 vision requires
+ How to identify what needs to be released before you can move forward
+ Why personal growth is the prerequisite for business growth (not the other way around)
Key Topics Discussed:
+ The CEO pause: taking off your clinician hat to reflect as a business leader
+ 2025 wins: building an ecosystem practice with diverse specialties, promoting from within, experimenting with AI optimization
+ 2025 challenges: bad hires, letting go quickly, investment experiments that didn't pay off
Lessons learned:
+ Experimentation mindset, stabilization after growth, team culture importance
+ Releasing unfinished conversations and letting go of what no longer serves
+ Committing to stopping harmful habits and starting wellbeing habits
+ The identity shift required for your next chapter: who do you need to become?
+ Measuring success: defining what makes 2026 successful on your own terms
+ Growth happens at the edges, not the center—embracing discomfort as necessary
+ Personal disclosure: Cecilia's commitment to stop phone scrolling and prioritize self-care habits
Mentioned in This Episode:
Reflection Questions Worksheet - Download the complete journaling prompts from this episode
Full Practice Formula Program - Over 50 graduates excelling in practice growth
Marketing Experiments - AI optimization, blog post format testing (changed 5 times)
2026 Focus - Stabilization year after growth and experimentation
Key Frameworks:
The Reflection Process - What went well, what didn't, why it happened, lessons learned?
Habits Assessment - Committing to starting new habits and stopping old ones
Identity Evolution - Who you need to become for your success vision
The CEO Pause - Stepping into leadership perspective quarterly
Success Definition - Your definition, not external benchmarks
Reflection Questions from This Episode:
+ How did 2025 go for you? (What went well and why?)
+ What lessons did you learn that you're taking forward?
+ What needs to be released before moving into 2026?
+ What habits are you committing to starting and stopping?
+ What would have to happen by the end of 2026 for you to consider it successful?
Who do you need to become for this year's chapter to turn out the way you'd write about it?
ABOUT YOUR HOST:
Cecilia Mannella is a leadership coach for therapists and wellness practice owners with 25 years as a mental health practitioner and 17+ years building her group practice from solo therapist to seven-figure success. She practices what she preaches—using quarterly reflection to guide strategic decisions and sustainable growth.
Connect with Cecilia:
Website: https://www.ceciliamannella.com/
Download Reflection Questions
LOVED THIS EPISODE?
⭐ Share it with a practice owner who needs permission to pause & reflect
⭐ Download the reflection questions worksheet and actually use it
⭐ Leave a review sharing one insight or commitment you're taking into 2026
⭐ Hit follow so you don't miss the live coaching sessions coming this month
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Scale Without Sacrifice
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