Why Storytelling Should Be Part of Your Annual Reflection
Beyond the goal posts and timelines lies a narrative about how things went.
Back in 2011, I co-organized the first FastForward Health film festival at the West End Cinema in Washington, DC. My fellow collaborators David Haddad and Aman Bhandari called it an “un-conference” (shouts to Mark Scrimshire for being an integral part of that movement!) - a more relaxed, entertaining counterpoint to the larger conferences that were happening across town that same week. While thousands of public health professionals were sitting in conference halls looking at data and presentations, we gathered physicians, entrepreneurs, students, activists, and community members in a movie theater to watch stories.
We screened films about school children trying to cook nutritious meals for under a dollar a day. Doctors finding new ways to treat rare health problems in rural areas. The protagonist of 73 Cents, Regina Holliday, a patient advocate who painted her story on the walls. Kaiser Permanente’s Everybody Walks mini documentary, which reimagined how communities could be designed for daily movement. Each film used humor, animation, music, bright visuals - and most importantly, they featured strong characters navigating real challenges in healthcare and wellness.
Amidst the nerves of starting something new involving people we deeply admired, what struck me that night was the quality of the conversations throughout the event (and even afterwards!). Ted Eytan, a family physician and leading voice around innovation at Kaiser Permanente at the time, reminded us that only about 10 percent of a person’s health needs are met through medical care. Then he said something that has stayed with me for over a decade: having an impact on public health issues is “not just about statistics and data. It’s about bringing whatever talent you have to the conversation.”
Over the next few years, our storytelling project showed up inside of companies, bigger events and more theaters. The films worked because they were compelling narratives. They weren’t just informing people - they were helping people see themselves differently. The audience began to connect their own stories to what they were seeing on the screen. They were asking: What role am I playing in this larger story? What could I bring?
I’ve carried this reflective insight through every partnership I’ve built, every coaching conversation I’ve had and how I built the Onboard Health ecosystem: the stories we tell ourselves and others, shape everything.
As we close out 2025, most reflection exercises will ask you to list accomplishments, measure against goals, identify gaps. Those have their place, of course. But what if instead, you approached this moment with a lens of storytelling? What if you looked back at 2025 and asked: What kind of story arc did I live? Who were the key characters? What were the plot points that changed everything? And what story do I want to be living - and telling - in 2026?
Main character energy, as the kids say, is the name of the game here. The way you narrate your year reveals who you’ve become and where you’re headed. More importantly, it helps you move from passive participant to intentional protagonist - from someone things happened to, to someone who made things happen, often with the help of others who also believed in your story.
Finding Your Plot Points
Start with the story you told yourself in January.
What narrative were you carrying into 2025? Maybe you told yourself this would be the year you finally launched that new concept that would accelerate your company’s impact. Or do a better job of sharing your ideas and perspectives as part of your own branding.
This opening narrative matters because it reveals your mindset, your expectations, your hopes and fears. Write it down. Not what you accomplished, but what you believed was possible at the start of the year.
Then identify the turning points.
What were the moments that shifted things?
A conversation that reframed how you saw your body of work?
An unexpected loss that forced you to rebuild differently?
A moment where you chose between safety and growth?
A powerful introduction that changed your career trajectory?
Also, sometimes the most significant turns are quiet - a gradual realization, a pattern you finally noticed, a question someone asked that you couldn’t stop thinking about.
Look for the character development.
What did this year require you to become that you weren’t at the start of the year? Did you have to learn to set boundaries, ask for help, let go of an identity that no longer fit (this is a tough one), or speak up where you used to stay quiet?
Find the through-line.
When you step back and look at your plot points together, you often see a pattern you couldn’t see while living it. Maybe it’s about learning to trust timing. Or the power of saying no. Or discovering that your impact comes through connection and showing up, not simply perfection.
The through-line isn’t something you force. It emerges when you’re honest about what actually happened.
Who Showed Up in Your Story?
No protagonist acts alone. Every compelling narrative includes supporting characters, mentors, allies (or a Fellowship - we all know Frodo Baggins couldn’t have accomplished what he did without his crew) - people who shape the story by being part of it.
I’ve written before about the power of a trusted circle - that small group of people who know your work, believe in your potential and invest in your growth without needing anything in return. End-of-year reflection is the perfect time to assess who that circle actually is, not who you wish it were.
Ask yourself the deeper questions:
Who challenged you to think bigger? Not the people who simply cheered you on, but who pushed back on your self-imposed limits?
Who didn’t let you settle for less? Who held you accountable in a way that reminded you of your own standards?
Who shared your name in rooms when you didn’t ask? Who advocated for you when you weren’t there? Who made introductions or opened doors because they genuinely believed you belonged?
Who brought opportunities because they understood your strengths? Not generic “I thought of you” moments, but specific opportunities that revealed someone had been paying attention to your skills, values, and trajectory.
Who did you show up for in ways that mattered? Where did you invest your time, energy, credibility, or advocacy this year? Whose name did you share? Whose work did you amplify?
Who fell away - and was that intentional or accidental? Some relationships naturally run their course. Others drift. Were there people you meant to stay connected to but didn’t? People who used to be central who are no longer present - and how do you feel about that?
Who is missing from your circle that you need in 2026? Based on what 2025 revealed - who do you need to meet? What perspectives, expertise, or networks would expand your impact?
Weaving It All Together
Here’s what happens when you reflect on both your plot points and the people who showed up: you start to see that your story was never just about you. And since you’re reading this, I know that you are one of the leaders, changemakers, founders and instigators who actually cares about how you build the future — I know this is an important concept to grab onto. The reflections that we do for ourselves directly creates impact beyond ourselves.
The milestones you reached, the pivots you made, the resilience you found - almost all of them involved other people. Someone believed in you and submitted your name for an event. Someone challenged you. Someone made space for you and allowed your idea to flourish.
And the same is true in reverse: your presence, your advocacy, your willingness to show up - those shaped other people’s stories too.
This is the tapestry. It’s the interweaving of your growth, their investment, and the insights and opportunities that emerged because of that combination. This is the power of ecosystem building that I have seen first hand over the last several years!
From reflection to intention:
What story do you want to be telling yourself in 2026? Not a goal or metric. A narrative. What’s the character arc? What are you becoming? What kind of protagonist do you want to be - reactive or intentional, isolated or connected?
What story do you want others to be telling about you? When people think of you, what do you want them to be clear about? If you can’t answer that, it’s hard for your trusted circle to advocate for you effectively.
Who deserves more intentional investment? Based on who showed up in 2025 - who do you need to prioritize? Who’s in your trusted circle that you’ve been taking for granted?
What principles or patterns do you want to carry forward? Your plot points revealed something. Maybe you do your best work when collaborating. Maybe the opportunities that energized you most came from unexpected places. These aren’t resolutions - they’re principles that emerge from lived experience.
Your Narrative is the Sum of Your Choices
At that first FastForward Health film festival in 2011, the audience didn’t just learn concepts about the impact of food/water, technology and the built environment on our health. They saw themselves in the stories.
You weren’t a passive participant in 2025. You were the protagonist. And as you move into 2026, you get to be the scriptwriter for the story you’re stepping into. That is what being an Intentional Innovator is all about, right?
So take the time. Ask the questions. Write down the plot points. Name the people who showed up. And remember the times you showed up for yourself.
Because the story you tell yourself about 2025 will shape the story you live in 2026.
I’m proud of you.
#WeAllGoUp
Reframing annual reflection as a story helps surface meaning, growth, and relationships that goals alone often miss
love love love this !!!! Owe you (and me) a catch up ... talk soon!