The Reflection Show

Episode Summary: A year-end look back at 2016 — how it measured up against the priorities set at the start of the year, and how it sets the stage for the 2017 Roadmap.

What You’ll Learn

• A look back at 2015’s big wins and how they shaped the 2016 Roadmap
• A full grade-by-grade review against every 2016 Roadmap priority
• Whether the 2016 content goals actually got hit
• Why 2016 gets called the year of Fearless Creativity and Drive

Flashback to 2015

Big wins: discovering that teaching was a genuine motivator, finding a real voice while understanding strengths and weaknesses clearly for the first time, and the tangible headline win — launching the podcast. 2015 was the year of self-awareness, and that self-awareness directly shaped the priorities set for 2016.

2016 Roadmap Priorities: Review

• Get better at podcasting & audio production. Check — scripting still isn’t fun, but everything else runs smoothly now.
• Become a better teacher. Genuine confidence here, largely because consistent content production means constant practice of what’s being taught — the more skilled the practice, the better the teaching.
• Networking. Room for improvement. Some solid, long-term connections were made, but there’s a tendency to put your head down in work mode rather than reciprocating and acknowledging others’ efforts — something to spread into in 2017.
• Establish authority. Creating consistently, livestreaming, and podcasting all compound into real authority over time — genuine belief in the expertise being shared, with no intention of resting on it.
• Grow the email list, build community, drive website traffic. A weak spot, partly by design — there wasn’t yet a compelling reason to sign up beyond new-episode notifications.
• Repurpose content. Better than before, but still a lot of untapped evergreen material sitting in old episodes that deserves a second life.

Performance Review: 2016 Content Goals

• One podcast per week — yes, no missed episodes since September 25, 2015.
• One newsletter per week — check, no problem.
• One blog post per week — sort of. Between weekly episode posts and 80+ Medium articles, writing got a real workout regardless.
• One tutorial per week — yes, over 100 videos made, not all traditional tutorials but all built to teach.
• Three classes on Skillshare — yes, though the original goal was 12, so a real shortfall there.
• Bonus: publish every day — yes, 450 straight days on Instagram and counting.

Conclusion

2016 was tough in a good way — real creative pressure applied, with an overall strong outcome. Determination and drive kept things moving forward, and the tagline “Learn. Create. Move Forward.” captures exactly what kept the motivation going. 2016 earns the title: the year of Fearless Creativity, Drive, and Exposure.

Next episode: the 2017 Roadmap.

Happy New Year.

Show Notes & Links

No external resources referenced in this episode.

Related Episodes

• Episode 70: The 2017 Roadmap Show