Today is the last day of Q1, and for me, as a small business owner, it’s an important moment to pause and reflect on how the first quarter of the year went.

At the end of December, like many of us, I sat down and set some ambitious goals for myself. But goal setting can’t be a once-a-year activity. I use a variety of tools to help bring those goals to life: tracking progress toward key milestones and setting aside time each quarter to reflect and refocus. That quarterly reset is how I navigate the obstacles that inevitably show up along the way.

As with everything, I don’t believe this reflection needs to be complicated. At the end of each quarter, I ask myself three simple questions:

1. What went well?

Where am I proud of my work and my choices? What would I like to see continue?

This question helps me surface gratitude - for the people, circumstances, and micro-patterns that have contributed to my success. It keeps me grounded in what’s working and makes the invisible, visible.

2. What didn’t go so well?

Where did I miss the mark? Where did I stumble? What regrets am I carrying from the last three months? What do I wish I had done, but failed to execute (or failed to execute well)?

These are hard but essential questions. They help me identify not only the surface-level challenges, but also start pointing to the root causes. Because applying strategy means being willing to name the things that are driving the behaviours I don’t want…and then shifting them.

3. What needs to change?

This isn’t a new list of goals or a hopeful wishlist. It’s about identifying the concrete shifts I need to make - especially in behaviour and systems - to create a better quarter ahead. This is where strategy meets action.

If you are a free subscriber and want to keep reading to see my actual reflections on Q1 of 2025 - including details on what I’m proud of, what I regret, and what I plan to shift in Q2 - upgrade to the paid version of the newsletter. If you’re already a paid subscriber, keep reading.