Podcast Summary: TheUPside Podcast
Episode: Your End-of-Year Reset: 10 Powerful Questions for Reflection
Host: Theresa Flood
Date: November 18, 2025
Episode Overview
In this reflective episode, host Theresa Flood guides listeners through a set of ten powerful questions designed to help them assess, celebrate, and reset as they approach the end of the year. With a focus on clarity, vision, and sustainable growth—both personally and professionally—Theresa shares insights and personal stories to encourage deep, meaningful introspection. The episode is a practical blueprint for ending the year with intention and launching into 2026 with renewed energy and vision.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Power of Reflection Questions
- Theresa emphasizes that the process of reflecting on good questions is more important than simply finding answers.
- Spending time with these questions over the holidays can prevent burnout and reignite vision for the future.
- Listeners are encouraged not to rush, but to ponder these questions deeply, returning to them over days and weeks ([01:55]).
The 10 Reflection Questions
1. Three Wins and What They Reveal About Your Strengths ([02:25])
- “If you can figure out how you won this year and then double down on that for next year, it is so incredibly powerful.”
- Celebrate wins rather than focus exclusively on losses; recognize the progress you've made over the year.
- Memorable moment: Theresa encourages listeners to honor personal growth—“Some of you are doing things you did not even dream would be possible a year ago, much less three years ago. You are not even the same human being that you were ten years ago.” ([03:10])
2. Biggest Challenge and Its Lessons ([05:12])
- Look at challenges not just as failures, but as growth opportunities.
- “What did it teach you about your character? What did it teach you about your biggest opportunities for growth?”
3. Something Started but Not Finished ([06:08])
- Rather than feel shame, ask: Is this truly something I need to finish, or should it be released?
- Reassess alignment with your current vision and priorities.
4. Designing Your Ideal Life and Business for Next Year ([07:36])
- Imagine your ideal life and business by December 2026, focusing on vision rather than specific goals.
- Include how you want to feel, what your daily experiences look like, and who surrounds you.
- Use feeling words and vivid imagery.
5. Choosing a Word, Theme, or Value for the Next Year ([09:23])
- Select a defining word for the year—something that captures the essence you want to embody.
- Theresa shares how “alignment” has been her word for two years, shifting her journey and choices:
- “Alignment to the purposes and the call of God in my life, alignment in relationships, alignment with my business and my goals. Everything for me has been about alignment and watching that come into place.” ([09:48])
6. Who Do I Need to Become? ([11:05])
- “Who you need to become is the number one thing in determining what you will achieve in the future.”
- Growth is an inside-out process—success starts with identity and beliefs.
- Reflect on which traits and disciplines you need to embody moving forward.
7. One Bold Move for Q1 ([12:20])
- Identify one bold action for Q1 that could set the tone for 2026.
- Theresa shares her own example: “My bold move last year was launching this podcast. And I will tell you, it absolutely changed the entire course of 2025 for me.” ([12:48])
- Emphasize courage and stepping out of your comfort zone early in the year.
8. Relationships to Invest In ([13:44])
- Evaluate which relationships (mentors, peers, community, family, clients) need investment or possible release.
- “Success is never a one man job. Never ever, ever. Success is always with multiple people. You cannot be successful in a vacuum all by yourself.” ([15:02])
- Ask: Who can help me with my goals? Who can I align with or learn from?
9. Habits That Compound Wins ([16:09])
- What daily or weekly habit can you start now that will pay dividends over the next year?
- Theresa shares her intention to develop a daily writing and journaling practice:
- “I must become a writer…That is going to compound into more podcast episodes, more value that I can bring online, more speaking engagements that I can bring value to people. But I must become a writer.” ([16:38])
10. What to Stop That’s Draining Your Energy ([17:36])
- Identify habits, commitments, or tasks that no longer serve you.
- Double down on what energizes you, and shed what drains you.
- “Double down on the things that you love, shed the things that drain your energy and watch 2026 transform.”
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Vision in Q4:
- “Q4 is about clarity. It’s about interrogating your wins, your losses, reigniting vision for next year and for the future.” ([00:36])
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On Celebrating Wins:
- “Many of you do not take near enough time to stop and celebrate. If you look back on how far you’ve come in one year, you need to take just a moment and celebrate.” ([03:40])
-
On Personal Growth:
- “Everything starts with the way we think, the way we feel, the thoughts that we believe, the stories that we tell.” ([11:12])
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On the Power of Community:
- “Ask the question who before you ask how or what.” ([15:35])
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On Deep Reflection:
- “This isn’t a 30-minute activity…There are going to be certain things that come immediately to your mind and then there are going to be other things that you need to stop, put it down and come back tomorrow and then come back the next day and write a little bit more about this.” ([18:30])
Final Thoughts & Encouragement
- Theresa encourages listeners to give themselves time and grace with these questions—deep reflection is a process, not a checkbox.
- She shares her own story of spending months with similar questions during major life transitions, demonstrating the long-term benefit of this work.
- Closing reminder: Taking time for introspection is the key to walking into the new year with purpose, clarity, and momentum.
Important Timestamps
- [00:36] — Purpose of Q4 and vision-setting
- [02:25] — Question #1: Celebrating wins
- [05:12] — Question #2: Biggest challenge
- [07:36] — Question #4: Ideal vision for next year
- [09:23] — Question #5: Word or theme for the year
- [11:05] — Question #6: Who to become
- [12:48] — Theresa’s bold move: Podcast launch
- [15:02] — Success is never a one-person job
- [16:38] — Journaling habit for 2026
- [17:36] — What drains your energy
“Q4 is about clarity so that you walk into 2026 with vision for the future, with momentum recharged and ready to rock.” – Theresa Flood ([19:42])
Summary Flow
- Introduction
- Importance of reflection questions over the holidays
- One-by-one, the ten powerful end-of-year questions, with explanation and anecdotes
- Concrete encouragement to linger with these questions, not rush the process
- Personal stories highlighting the transformative nature of self-inquiry
- Final call to action: slow down, ponder, and step into the new year renewed