What Ten Years of Guiding Reflection and Goal-Setting With Others Has Taught Me

Reflection gets skipped over in a culture that rewards speed, productivity, and visible wins. Most people want to jump straight to the next goal list without pausing to tell the truth about what they actually lived through. But reflection isn't some soft year-end ritual. It's a leadership skill and a requirement for building a strong personal brand.

We live in a culture that often rewards movement, not meaning. Speed, productivity, and visible wins are celebrated, while reflection is frequently skipped. But reflection isn’t a soft reset or a year-end ritual—it’s a leadership skill and a critical foundation for building a personal brand that lasts.

In this solo episode of Branding Room Only, Paula reflects on more than a decade of guiding intention and goal-setting work. She explores why moving faster isn’t the same as moving intentionally, how clarity comes from honesty, and why alignment—not busyness—is what actually sustains growth. The episode surfaces the reflection questions that lead to real breakthroughs and the themes that show up year after year: rest as strategy, asking for help, letting go, and redefining success on your own terms.

0:35 – Why reflection changes the quality of every decision that follows

2:04 – Examples of how the power of intention quietly shapes alignment

4:39 – How words of the year serve as a clarifying anchor

6:31 – How vision boards are often misunderstood

8:54 – What happens when rest is treated as a requirement, not a reward

10:06 – Why doing everything alone isn’t a strength

10:57 – The freedom of letting go of tolerations that no longer fit

11:57 – How reflection dismantles comparison without diminishing ambition

12:48 – Reflective questions asked in these yearly sessions

14:31 – What results can look like after going through this reflection

16:01 – Why naming what matters to you protects your brand from autopilot

Mentioned In What Ten Years of Guiding Reflection and Goal-Setting With Others Has Taught Me

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Sponsor for this episode

PGE Consulting Group LLC empowers individuals and organizations to lead with purpose, presence, and impact. Specializing in leadership development and personal branding, we offer keynotes, custom programming, consulting, and strategic advising—all designed to elevate influence and performance at every level.

Founded and led by Paula Edgar, our work centers on practical strategies that enhance professional development, strengthen workplace culture, and drive meaningful, measurable change.

To learn more about Paula and her services, go to www.paulaedgar.com or contact her at info@paulaedgar.com, and follow Paula Edgar and the PGE Consulting Group LLC on LinkedIn.

We're starting off 2026 with a bang with my New Year's Intention and Goal Setting session on January 3rd, and then my new three-part series, LinkedIn Strategy for Lawyers: Build a Brand that Works for You, running January through March. 

Reserve your seat at paulaedgar.com/events.