<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[WonderLead in Tech: 🗝️ Own Your Career]]></title><description><![CDATA[Framework and mechanism to own your career. 
Draft the initial roadmap for your leadership journey. I'll provide a structured framework to help you define your goals, outline actionable steps, and create a flexible plan that can adapt as you grow and evolve. This roadmap will serve as your guide, keeping you focused and intentional throughout your journey. In this section we will also review it and refine it periodically.]]></description><link>https://www.wonderlead.tech/s/crafting-your-career-plan</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZyHP!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a06914f-b622-40d8-89fa-e1c580d2e3f9_1007x1007.png</url><title>WonderLead in Tech: 🗝️ Own Your Career</title><link>https://www.wonderlead.tech/s/crafting-your-career-plan</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 07 Apr 2026 11:02:16 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[Patricia Juarez Muñoz]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[wonderlead@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[wonderlead@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Patricia Juarez @ AWS]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Patricia Juarez @ AWS]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[wonderlead@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[wonderlead@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Patricia Juarez @ AWS]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[From AI Burnout to Intentional Growth: Why We Need a Better System to Thrive]]></title><description><![CDATA[Layoffs and RTO are draining us. I&#8217;m sharing the framework I built to stay grounded.]]></description><link>https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/make-your-2026-goals-happen</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/make-your-2026-goals-happen</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Patricia Juarez @ AWS]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 24 Feb 2026 23:13:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oXuw!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4><strong>What You&#8217;ll Learn:</strong></h4><p>&#128161; How to identify if you are currently surviving and how to move back to thriving.<br>&#128161; How to create goals aligned with your vision.<br>&#128161; The power of accountability and community.</p><div><hr></div><h4><strong>I&#8217;m scared too. We need each other.</strong></h4><p>Layoffs every 3 months at Amazon are draining me. Return To Office killed my choices. AI is deprecating my beloved job as Frontend Engineer. What else is coming?</p><p>We&#8217;re bouncing between FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out, such as on the latest tools and opportunities) and the hustle of our day to day lives. Many times there is too much. Many of us are in survival mode. </p><p><strong>But now, more than ever, we need to thrive.</strong> <br>We need to be grounded and stop chasing shiny objects. <br>We need to just pause. </p><p><em><strong>Breathe</strong></em>.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/make-your-2026-goals-happen?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/make-your-2026-goals-happen?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><div><hr></div><h3>From AI Excitement to Surviving</h3><p>At the end of last quarter, I got very sick. And without realizing, I went into survival mode again. Even though over two years ago, I created a framework for staying in thriving at my team in AWS, I ended up surviving.</p><div class="digest-post-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;nodeId&quot;:&quot;b9df555b-87e1-4135-b68b-c2d177da34bb&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Hi! &#128587;&#127995;&#8205;&#9792;&#65039; How have you been? Did you start being more self-aware since last post?&quot;,&quot;cta&quot;:&quot;Read full story&quot;,&quot;showBylines&quot;:true,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;sm&quot;,&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;3. Self Management: Set Yourself for Success &amp; Own Your Career from Today&quot;,&quot;publishedBylines&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:41304534,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Patricia Juarez @ AWS&quot;,&quot;bio&quot;:&quot;Transform your Leadership, EQ, and AI skills with me. Staff AI &amp; Frontend Engineer at AWS Amazon. Top 10 AI Mentor in ADPList. Opinions are my own.&quot;,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c814ebe6-1c3e-4107-9ad6-ed691b4ea9d2_400x398.jpeg&quot;,&quot;is_guest&quot;:false,&quot;bestseller_tier&quot;:null}],&quot;post_date&quot;:&quot;2024-08-02T17:08:17.967Z&quot;,&quot;cover_image&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3ca4a30-979b-46f2-966d-12a184ba1399_2480x2743.png&quot;,&quot;cover_image_alt&quot;:null,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/3-self-management-start-owning-your&quot;,&quot;section_name&quot;:&quot;&#128477;&#65039; Own Your Career&quot;,&quot;video_upload_id&quot;:null,&quot;id&quot;:147000474,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;newsletter&quot;,&quot;reaction_count&quot;:7,&quot;comment_count&quot;:3,&quot;publication_id&quot;:2642556,&quot;publication_name&quot;:&quot;WonderLead in Tech&quot;,&quot;publication_logo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZyHP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a06914f-b622-40d8-89fa-e1c580d2e3f9_1007x1007.png&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;youtube_url&quot;:null,&quot;show_links&quot;:null,&quot;feed_url&quot;:null}"></div><p>I was too excited about my new AWS AI goal and role. I needed to meet the deadline. I needed to deliver asap so that hundreds of internal non-tech users would become more productive. Then, I didn&#8217;t care about my body signals, my health. I was sick and had stress at home and at work, but I needed to execute. So I stopped pausing.</p><p>When the only thing I needed was: <br><strong>Stop overthinking and keep following the framework.</strong></p><p>In survival mode, <strong>you don&#8217;t see when you&#8217;re in it</strong>. Tunnel vision takes over. You skip the reviews and don&#8217;t self-correct.</p><p>After self-reflecting, I believe I didn&#8217;t have the right tools to help me stay on track:</p><ol><li><p><strong><a href="https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/automated-planner">WonderLead Obsidian Vault</a>?</strong> The UX was too complex. Too many plugins, too much friction to reflect when I was sick.</p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/planner-daily-1?_gl=1*b8wzac*_ga*MTM2NjEyMjgwMi4xNzYwODE3MTU4*_ga_6LJN6D94N6*czE3NzE1MTcwOTQkbzEyOCRnMSR0MTc3MTUxNzEwMSRqNTMkbDAkaDA.">WonderLead Digital/Printable Planner</a>?</strong> Got lost. No tracking. No accountability.</p></li><li><p><strong>AI Assistants?</strong> Hard to see patterns or prioritize by myself and at a glance. Not designed for deep, emotional reflection.</p></li></ol><p><strong>I needed something that would force me to pause, reflect, prioritize, and stay aligned with what matters.</strong></p><p>So I started building it with AI. Not as any other product. As the WonderLead Thriving tool.</p><p>But this post isn&#8217;t about what I&#8217;m building. It&#8217;s about the year reflection and plan I executed that drove me into this decision and that through the years helped me thrive. </p><p>You can use it right now, with whatever tools you have following the guidance in this post. Or <strong>you can reply this post with the word THRIVE and I will give you access to the beta version</strong>. Feel free to ask me also any questions about it. </p><h3>&#127775; The WonderLead Thriving Framework</h3><p>Before setting any goal, we need to understand what happened with <strong>reviews </strong>and where we are through <strong>self</strong> <strong>assesssments</strong>. Then, we are able to realistically <strong>plan</strong> our top priority goals (Big Rocks) aligned with our values and current situation. Finally, we need to execute within an <strong>accountability</strong> <strong>system </strong>that helps us stay thriving.</p><h4>Review &#8594; Assess &#8594; Plan &#8594; Thrive</h4><p>Here it is in summary:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Step 1: Review to Discover:</strong> Look back to understand what happened.</p></li><li><p><strong>Step 2: Assess:</strong> Understand where you are right now</p></li><li><p><strong>Step 3: Plan: </strong>Set goals aligned with your values and current reality and self-manage yourself to achieve them.</p></li><li><p><strong>Step 4: Execute:</strong> Take action with curiosity, emotional intelligence, and agency using productivity and AI tools that allow you to thrive.</p></li></ul><p>This framework helped me to go out of survival mode. But even if your team, health, and family are in amazing shape, stI recommend you to still follow this framework. Because <strong>when we identify that we&#8217;re surviving, it&#8217;s usually too late</strong>. And right now, it is not the time to survive.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>In the last month and a half, I run 3 workshops testing this framework. <br>Everyone liked the framework! <strong>We are meeting every last Saturday of the month.</strong></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p></div><p><strong>Last month, I published the Step 1 which includes how I reviewed last year:</strong></p><div class="digest-post-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;nodeId&quot;:&quot;ea9787c8-ad14-41aa-a11f-551177bb222f&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;1. Highlights and Wins<br />2. Goals Review<br />3. Challenges and Lessons Learned<br />4. Values Alignment Check<br />5. Strengths and Growth Reflection&quot;,&quot;cta&quot;:&quot;Read full story&quot;,&quot;showBylines&quot;:true,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;md&quot;,&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;It&#8217;s not too late. Self-Reflect and Thrive on 2026&quot;,&quot;publishedBylines&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:41304534,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Patricia Juarez @ AWS&quot;,&quot;bio&quot;:&quot;Sharing about leadership, EQ, and AI. I love learning, sharing and getting informed. Staff AI &amp; Frontend Engineer at AWS Amazon. Opinions are my own.&quot;,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c814ebe6-1c3e-4107-9ad6-ed691b4ea9d2_400x398.jpeg&quot;,&quot;is_guest&quot;:false,&quot;bestseller_tier&quot;:null}],&quot;post_date&quot;:&quot;2025-12-31T21:57:00.000Z&quot;,&quot;cover_image&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg&quot;,&quot;cover_image_alt&quot;:null,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/part-1-how-to-review-your-year-and&quot;,&quot;section_name&quot;:&quot;&#128477;&#65039; Own Your Career&quot;,&quot;video_upload_id&quot;:null,&quot;id&quot;:182620826,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;newsletter&quot;,&quot;reaction_count&quot;:16,&quot;comment_count&quot;:2,&quot;publication_id&quot;:2642556,&quot;publication_name&quot;:&quot;WonderLead in Tech&quot;,&quot;publication_logo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZyHP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a06914f-b622-40d8-89fa-e1c580d2e3f9_1007x1007.png&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;youtube_url&quot;:null,&quot;show_links&quot;:null,&quot;feed_url&quot;:null}"></div><p>The next step is to assess and plan. But it&#8217;s not enough with just setting goals. Instead, I am improving my system for succeeding during the execution. <strong>The system and an accountability community that will enable your goals success!</strong></p><div class="pullquote"><p>I stopped creating templates.<br><strong>I&#8217;m creating the system for us</strong>. A tool which will allow us to thrive and grow.<br><strong>You will get all the tips in this newsletter from a single app.</strong> <br>We sail our career journey together.<br><strong>Reply THRIVE for beta access.</strong></p></div><h2><strong>What to do After your Year Review</strong></h2><h3><strong>Step 2: Assess Your Current State to Adapt Your Plan</strong></h3><p>Your values and situation change over time. Your unmet goals from 2025 might no longer be aligned, nor might be achievable today. </p><p>Use your <a href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/part-1-how-to-review-your-year-and">year review</a> to identify patterns. Then dive deep to understand <strong>where you are right now</strong>, based on your circunstances, energy, alignment, and emotional state.</p><div class="digest-post-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;nodeId&quot;:&quot;253fb936-156b-47da-a3d9-a5cd12b229e9&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;Hi! &#128587;&#127995;&#8205;&#9792;&#65039; Long time no see! I returned to AWS after maternity leave a month and a half ago. It was challenging to find time for Substack while onboarding. But I&#8217;m back with a lot to share!&quot;,&quot;cta&quot;:&quot;Read full story&quot;,&quot;showBylines&quot;:true,&quot;size&quot;:&quot;sm&quot;,&quot;isEditorNode&quot;:true,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;4. Self-Assessment: Knowing Your Why Leads to Your Dream Job&quot;,&quot;publishedBylines&quot;:[{&quot;id&quot;:41304534,&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Patricia Juarez @ AWS&quot;,&quot;bio&quot;:&quot;Transform your Leadership, EQ, and AI skills with me. Staff AI &amp; Frontend Engineer at AWS Amazon. Top 10 AI Mentor in ADPList. Opinions are my own.&quot;,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c814ebe6-1c3e-4107-9ad6-ed691b4ea9d2_400x398.jpeg&quot;,&quot;is_guest&quot;:false,&quot;bestseller_tier&quot;:null}],&quot;post_date&quot;:&quot;2024-09-29T14:33:01.027Z&quot;,&quot;cover_image&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!MMur!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F511d195f-9adb-489e-aa8c-b0feda6eee1a_1872x1248.jpeg&quot;,&quot;cover_image_alt&quot;:null,&quot;canonical_url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/4-self-assessment-knowing-your-why&quot;,&quot;section_name&quot;:&quot;&#128269; Discovery&quot;,&quot;video_upload_id&quot;:null,&quot;id&quot;:147776781,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;newsletter&quot;,&quot;reaction_count&quot;:9,&quot;comment_count&quot;:0,&quot;publication_id&quot;:2642556,&quot;publication_name&quot;:&quot;WonderLead in Tech&quot;,&quot;publication_logo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ZyHP!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5a06914f-b622-40d8-89fa-e1c580d2e3f9_1007x1007.png&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;youtube_url&quot;:null,&quot;show_links&quot;:null,&quot;feed_url&quot;:null}"></div><blockquote><p><strong>Ask yourself:</strong></p></blockquote><ol><li><p><strong>Your Energy</strong>: What energizes you? What drains you? When are you at your peak? <a href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/4-tools-to-become-a-more-productive">Identify your Chronotype (Lark, Owl, or Third Bird) </a>to answer better.</p></li><li><p><strong>Your Values</strong>: What matters most to you? What must be present for you to thrive?</p></li><li><p><strong>Your Thriving Score (1-10)</strong>: You can rate it considering your 1) physical energy, 2) emotional energy, 3) mental clarity, and 4) alignment with your values. You can also consider the <a href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/5-thrive-as-a-leader-with-consistent">Maslow&#8217;s Hierarchy of Needs</a>. If basic and psychological needs are unmet or you are misaligned with your values, you likely are surviving. </p></li></ol><p>Remember to dive deep or use the <a href="https://wa.aws.amazon.com/wellarchitected/2020-07-02T19-33-23/wat.concept.fivewhys.en.html">5 Whys</a> to identify the root causes and understand yourself better. At this point, you will identify which areas of emotional intelligence you should prioritize developing in order to thrive.</p><blockquote><p><strong>My Assessment:</strong></p></blockquote><p><em>I&#8217;m energized and at my pick when helping others and get drained when I identify lack of inclussion. My values are kindness, family, achievement, and integrity. My thriving score now is sometimes 5 because of low physical energy and values alignment. But I&#8217;m working on it. <strong>The most important is to be resilient.</strong></em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oXuw!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oXuw!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oXuw!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oXuw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oXuw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oXuw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png" width="518" height="527.6345733041576" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:931,&quot;width&quot;:914,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:518,&quot;bytes&quot;:1666621,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/i/183082208?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oXuw!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oXuw!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oXuw!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!oXuw!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1fda5cb7-dda1-4e14-a1f4-bf760ff1dfa8_914x931.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="pullquote"><p>I was not impacted by Amazon layoffs yet. However, I was impacted by RTO two years ago and I have been re-assessing my situation since then. My deadline to go back to Spain is this Summer. I wanted to work remotely at Amazon, but now, due to the layoffs, it is impossible<em>. <br>This framework has helped me through my journey.</em></p><p><em><strong>If you have a friend who was layed off recently,</strong> <strong>click Share button</strong></em>.</p></div><h3><strong>Step 3. Plan Your Path - From Vision to Intentional Goals</strong></h3><p>Vision changes overtime too. Unfortunately, today it might be influenced by fear (FOMO) more than our values. So we might end up doing projects not aligned with ourselves if we let FOMO take control. When these fears appear, we must name and carry them forward with curiosity and courage. Accepting them. Then you will be able to identify your real purpose.</p><blockquote><p><strong>Ask yourself:</strong> </p></blockquote><ol><li><p><strong>Who do you want to BE by December 2026?</strong> What will you accomplish? What is different?</p></li><li><p><strong>What are your 3-5 Big Rocks goals </strong><em><strong>aligned with your core values</strong></em><strong>? </strong>Pick 3-5 that matter most. Make them (1) <strong>specific</strong> but independent of <em>how</em> you will achieve them, (2) <strong>measurable</strong> considering what you can control, (3) <strong>achievable</strong> but ambitious so that if you achieve 80% it will be a success, (4) <strong>relevant</strong> for your purpose, and (5) <strong>time bounded</strong> to make progress with balance. </p></li><li><p><strong>What milestones, tasks, and habits do you need to achieve your Big Rocks? <br>Use AI to scale but make sure to use critical thinking. </strong>Prioritize based on the impact, cost, and how aligned each task is with your values and your energy level.</p></li></ol><blockquote><p><strong>My Vision</strong></p></blockquote><p><em>I want to inspire and develop others, create large products, and foster emotional intelligence through my own products.</em></p><blockquote><p><strong>My Goals for WonderLead.tech</strong></p></blockquote><ol><li><p><em>Grow WonderLead in Tech newsletter to 10,000 Subscribers with Balance.</em></p></li><li><p><em>Launch WonderLead Thrive tool and community to support others careers.</em></p></li><li><p><em>Strengthen Executive Presence Skills While Supporting Others.</em></p></li></ol><h3><strong>Step 4: Thrive with an Accountability System</strong></h3><p><em><strong>In WonderLead, we don&#8217;t sail our careers alone. We achieve our goals together.</strong></em></p><blockquote><p><strong>Create a Personalized System</strong></p></blockquote><ol><li><p><strong>Build Your Habits</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>Schedule Reviews</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>Use Tools that Fit Your Needs</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>Make it Enjoyable</strong></p></li></ol><p>When I check in weekly, I stay on track. When I celebrate wins with others, it&#8217;s more fun and easier to keep progressing. And I want to do it with wonderleaders in tech. <br><strong>That&#8217;s why I launched <a href="https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/mentorship-plan">mentorship</a>, <a href="https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/coaching-sessions-and-career-templates">coaching</a>, and monthly <a href="https://replan.wonderlead.tech/#add-to-calendar">free workshops</a>. </strong></p><h4><strong>Connect It to Community</strong></h4><p>When we connect with others who share similar goals, we build trust, exchange insights, and hold each other accountable. Seeing others&#8217; progress inspires our own journey. </p><blockquote><p><strong>Community amplifies individual practice and turns isolated efforts into collective momentum.</strong></p></blockquote><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://replan.wonderlead.tech/#add-to-calendar" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zuAK!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fca0ee207-4157-4c70-a6ba-b84fed2e5914_1223x700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zuAK!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fca0ee207-4157-4c70-a6ba-b84fed2e5914_1223x700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zuAK!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fca0ee207-4157-4c70-a6ba-b84fed2e5914_1223x700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zuAK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fca0ee207-4157-4c70-a6ba-b84fed2e5914_1223x700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zuAK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fca0ee207-4157-4c70-a6ba-b84fed2e5914_1223x700.png" width="1223" height="700" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ca0ee207-4157-4c70-a6ba-b84fed2e5914_1223x700.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:700,&quot;width&quot;:1223,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:708045,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://replan.wonderlead.tech/#add-to-calendar&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/i/183082208?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fca0ee207-4157-4c70-a6ba-b84fed2e5914_1223x700.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zuAK!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fca0ee207-4157-4c70-a6ba-b84fed2e5914_1223x700.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zuAK!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fca0ee207-4157-4c70-a6ba-b84fed2e5914_1223x700.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zuAK!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fca0ee207-4157-4c70-a6ba-b84fed2e5914_1223x700.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!zuAK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fca0ee207-4157-4c70-a6ba-b84fed2e5914_1223x700.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Every last Saturday of the month we <strong><a href="https://replan.wonderlead.tech/#add-to-calendar">meet in a workshop</a></strong><a href="https://replan.wonderlead.tech/#add-to-calendar"> </a>and continue supporting each other in a private community.</figcaption></figure></div><h2><strong>&#127775;Own Your Growth</strong></h2><p>This post is about taking ownership of your growth and be ing intentional with your goals. It&#8217;s about moving from <strong>reacting to life</strong> to <strong>proactively shaping your future</strong>.</p><p>When we:</p><ol><li><p>Set goals aligned with our values.</p></li><li><p>Break them into actionable steps.</p></li><li><p>Build systems that support us.</p></li><li><p>Share them with our community.</p></li></ol><blockquote><p><strong>We move from surviving to thriving.</strong></p></blockquote><p>How am I going to achieve my Big Rocks? The same way you&#8217;ll achieve yours if you subscribe and join: One intentional step at a time, with community support, and with a system that makes it visible and sustainable. </p><h3>If You are Not Ready to Review and Start Planning</h3><p>A year ago, we did the Thriving Challenge with 5-20 minutes activities for 7 days. If you follow it, it will help you to get started. You can sign up <a href="https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/kgkpjc">here</a>. </p><p><strong>Remember, you don&#8217;t need to be ready or ask for permission to start.</strong> </p><p>You don&#8217;t need to wait for the perfect moment. </p><p><strong>Start today. With a small step. Be intentional. Own your growth.</strong></p><div><hr></div><h3><strong>Tasks for the Week:</strong></h3><p>&#9745;&#65039; <strong>Review and Plan 2026:</strong> Wins, challenges, lessons learned.<br>&#9745;&#65039; <strong>Do the first task of one Big Rock:</strong> Ask yourself how you feel afterwards.<br>&#9745;&#65039; <strong>Schedule your first monthly check-in:</strong> Mark it recurrently in your calendar.</p><div><hr></div><h2><strong>Share in the comments: &#128172;</strong></h2><ul><li><p><strong>Who do you want to BE by December 2026?</strong> </p></li><li><p><strong>What is your #1 Big Rock?</strong></p></li><li><p><strong>What change are you going to make this week?</strong></p></li></ul><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/make-your-2026-goals-happen/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/make-your-2026-goals-happen/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p><blockquote><p>Let&#8217;s move in this AI era from surviving to thriving. <strong>Together</strong>. &#128155;</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><h2>&#127873;Bonus: Free Monthly Workshop and Beta App</h2><p>I created a solution to the friction that caused my own survival. A <strong>Monthly Review &amp; Plan with Accountability Workshop</strong> and a tool designed to make this &#8220;Thriving Framework&#8221; automatic. I&#8217;ll be sharing a full walkthrough of the <strong>WonderLead Thriving Tool</strong> once I validate it with users. <span class="mention-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Build to Launch&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:3266189,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;pub&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://open.substack.com/pub/buildtolaunch&quot;,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0ecdf3ee-e4f1-47eb-b3f3-bbd31a0a7b4e_1024x1024.png&quot;,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;14f5326e-4320-44e4-8f05-5904a9a9db21&quot;}" data-component-name="MentionToDOM"></span> supported the first testing round. Now, I&#8217;m looking for volunteers to test it live with an interview!</p><ol><li><p><strong>Want to be at the front of the line for the beta?</strong> Just reply <strong>THRIVE</strong> to this email.</p></li><li><p><strong>Want to join the monthly workshop?</strong> <a href="https://replan.wonderlead.tech/#add-to-calendar">Register here</a>.</p></li><li><p><strong>Want to start thriving right now?</strong> Sign up for the <a href="https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/kgkpjc">7 days Thriving Challenge</a> email course and start meeting your goals! </p></li></ol><div class="poll-embed" data-attrs="{&quot;id&quot;:454590}" data-component-name="PollToDOM"></div><h2><strong>Recommended Resources:</strong></h2><ol><li><p><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/3OFymu8">The Power of Moments</a></strong> &#8212; Chip Heath &amp; Dan Heath<br>(For understanding what makes experiences meaningful)</p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4rRBWQR">Think Again</a></strong> &#8212; Adam Grant<br>(To question your own beliefs, embrace being wrong, and become a "scientist")</p></li><li><p><strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4s6gtD8">Atomic Habits</a></strong><a href="https://amzn.to/4s6gtD8"> </a>&#8212; James Clear<br>(For building sustainable practices)</p></li></ol><p>(*) By purchasing affiliated books, you will be contributing to WonderLead in Tech.</p><div class="pullquote"><p><em><strong>Remember</strong>: This isn&#8217;t about perfection. <br>It&#8217;s about progress, being intentional, and owning our carrer/life journey.<br>Together. &#128155;</em></p><p><em><strong>P.S.</strong> If you&#8217;re feeling overwhelmed by the AI era chaos, that&#8217;s normal. Start small: just answer one question from this post today. Tomorrow, answer another. <strong>Progress over perfection, always!</strong></em></p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>If you enjoyed this post, please tap the Like button below</strong> &#9829;&#65039; Thank you!</p><p><em>This post opinions are my own, and may not reflect the opinions of the company I work for.</em></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[It’s not too late. Self-Reflect and Thrive on 2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[&#127873; Your 2025 Christmas presents: Career Plan Template, AI Prompts, and Workshop!]]></description><link>https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/part-1-how-to-review-your-year-and</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/part-1-how-to-review-your-year-and</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Patricia Juarez @ AWS]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 31 Dec 2025 21:57:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pullquote"><p>Hi! &#128587;&#127995;&#8205;&#9792;&#65039; Can you believe we&#8217;ve already ended 2025?<br>I prepared for you three things: 1) Career Plan template, 2) AI Prompts, and 3) Workshop with me to fill it. I wish you had a Merry Christmas and Happy new Year! &#127876;</p></div><p><strong>What You&#8217;ll Learn:</strong> </p><p>&#128161; Why year review and planning matter for your career <br>&#128161; What to include in your professional review (with templates!) <br>&#128161; How to acknowledge mistakes and set improvement actions </p><h2><strong>From Reactive to Intentional Career</strong></h2><p>For years, I dedicated a few minutes each December to review my personal goals and set new ones for the coming year. But I never did this professionally. I treated my career like something that just happened to me. Rather than something I could intentionally shape.</p><p>Everything changed when I started managing my career the same way I manage AWS projects. I began by setting clear professional goals, success metrics, I tracked progress, and reviewed frequently. That&#8217;s when I added intentionality to my career. Suddenly, I wasn&#8217;t just reacting or just going towards a single end goal, I was leading all my own journey.</p><p>Last year at this time, I set two clear goals: (1) <strong>improve my networking</strong> and (2) <strong>strengthen my communication skills. </strong>To achieve my big rock of moving to Spain and likely leaving Amazon, I defined milestones for each. But they were not just vague wishes. I actually drafted measurable goals with planned milestones to achieve them.</p><p>Life happened, and I had to reprioritize things, but I made progress on both goals! &#127881; I haven&#8217;t moved to Spain yet, but I feel more prepared! </p><p>I didn&#8217;t do it alone, and I didn&#8217;t just &#8220;try harder.&#8221; I used a structured system that I developed. I tracked my progress in <a href="https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/automated-planner">Obsidian</a>, reviewed the progress, and adjusted monthly. I improved my communication skills with the help of a mentor, and I held myself accountable by sharing my goals with people who cared about my growth.</p><p>This year, I want to share that system with you. Because we shouldn&#8217;t drive the journey of our careers alone.</p><h2><strong>Why Year Review and Planning Matter</strong></h2><p>We plan product launches, sprints, and project milestones with incredible detail. We track metrics, analyze data, and adjust our approach based on results.</p><p><strong>Why don&#8217;t we do the same for our careers?</strong></p><p>A proper year review helps us:</p><p>&#10024; <strong>Celebrate real wins</strong>, not just the big ones; the small victories matter too!<br>&#10024; <strong>Identify patterns</strong> in what worked and what didn&#8217;t.<br>&#10024; <strong>Learn from setbacks</strong> without shame or judgment.<br>&#10024; <strong>Align our actions</strong> with our values and long-term vision.<br>&#10024; <strong>Set intentional goals</strong> based on data, not just wishes.<br>&#10024; <strong>Build momentum</strong> by seeing how far we&#8217;ve actually come.</p><p>Without this reflection, we risk repeating the same mistakes and missing opportunities for growth. Additionally, doing it at the beginning of the year allows you to restart with more positivity. Everyone is planning their resolutions, and starting a new year feels like a fresh start.</p><div class="subscription-widget-wrap-editor" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe&quot;,&quot;language&quot;:&quot;en&quot;}" data-component-name="SubscribeWidgetToDOM"><div class="subscription-widget show-subscribe"><div class="preamble"><p class="cta-caption">Thanks for reading WonderLead in Tech! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support for your career with emotional intelligence that will enable you thrive.</p></div><form class="subscription-widget-subscribe"><input type="email" class="email-input" name="email" placeholder="Type your email&#8230;" tabindex="-1"><input type="submit" class="button primary" value="Subscribe"><div class="fake-input-wrapper"><div class="fake-input"></div><div class="fake-button"></div></div></form></div></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg" width="1024" height="1024" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1024,&quot;width&quot;:1024,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:719736,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/i/182620826?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!6ay6!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9c1bf86e-6972-4f74-95ca-2c3aeb67ea55_1024x1024.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><blockquote><p>With the WonderLead Framework, we&#8217;ll continuously refine our approach with accountability to ensure we keep working on our goals through the year.</p></blockquote><h2><strong>What to Include in Your Year Review</strong></h2><p>Based on the WonderLead framework and my experience at AWS, here&#8217;s how I do it:</p><h3><strong>1. Highlights and Wins</strong></h3><p>List your top 5-10 achievements:</p><ul><li><p>Projects delivered successfully</p></li><li><p>Promotions or role changes</p></li><li><p>Positive feedback received</p></li><li><p>Problems solved</p></li><li><p>Team impact created</p></li><li><p>Communities built or joined</p></li></ul><blockquote><p><strong>Tip</strong>: Include both work achievements and personal development wins. Your personal development wins outside your job may impact your professional identity.</p><p><strong>Action item: </strong>Share them with your manager.</p></blockquote><h3><strong>2. Goals Review</strong></h3><p>Look back at the goals you set (or meant to set) for 2025:</p><ul><li><p><strong>Which goals did you achieve?</strong> Celebrate them! &#127881;</p></li><li><p><strong>Which goals are still in progress?</strong> That&#8217;s okay too.</p></li><li><p><strong>Which goals did you miss?</strong> Let&#8217;s learn from them.</p></li><li><p><strong>Which goals changed?</strong> That&#8217;s good; adaptation is growth.</p></li></ul><p>For each goal, ask yourself:</p><ul><li><p>What specific actions led to success or challenges? </p></li><li><p>How did you feel about them? What causes those feelings?</p></li><li><p>What people or resources made a difference?</p></li><li><p>What would you do differently next year?</p></li></ul><blockquote><p><strong>Tip</strong>: If you didn&#8217;t have goals, think about 2025 and assess themes through the year.</p></blockquote><h3><strong>3. Challenges and Lessons Learned</strong></h3><p>This is the most valuable part. What didn&#8217;t go as planned? Think in technical, interpersonal, personal, and organizational challenges and ask for each challenge:</p><ul><li><p>What was within your control?</p></li><li><p>What was outside your control?</p></li><li><p>What did you learn?</p></li><li><p>What will you do differently in 2026?</p></li></ul><blockquote><p><strong>Tip</strong>: Careful with the white bears! </p><p>Cognitive distortions (White Bears) are negative or irrational patterns of thinking. There are 10 types: 1) All or Nothing Thinking, 2) Overgeneralization, 3) Mental Filter, 4) Discounting the Positive, 5) Jumping to conclusions, 6) Magnification, 7) Emotional Reasoning, 8) &#8220;Should&#8221; Statements, 9) Labeling, and 10) Personalization and Blame. Per white bear, create blue dolphins which are &#8220;Go-to&#8221; positive thoughts that you personally find inspiring, engaging, interesting, and fascinating. </p></blockquote><h3><strong>4. Values Alignment Check</strong></h3><p>This is critical. Look at your <a href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/4-self-assessment-knowing-your-why">core values</a>.</p><ul><li><p>Which values did you honor consistently?</p></li><li><p>Which values did you compromise?</p></li><li><p>Where did you feel most aligned?</p></li><li><p>Where did you feel misaligned?</p></li></ul><p>When our actions don&#8217;t align with our values, we feel it. Burnout, resentment, and frustration are often symptoms of misalignment.</p><blockquote><p><strong>Reflection question:</strong> If you could change one thing about how you worked this year to better honor your values, what would it be? Make it a goal!</p></blockquote><h3><strong>5. Strengths and Growth Reflection</strong></h3><p>What are your strengths? Have you leveraged them through the year? What new skills did you develop this year? Which growth areas became apparent?</p><ul><li><p>Technical skills (e.g. new languages, tools, frameworks)</p></li><li><p>Leadership skills (e.g. communication, delegation, mentorship)</p></li><li><p>Your Company Cultural Principals (e.g. Amazon Leadership Principles)</p></li><li><p>Emotional intelligence competencies (e.g. self-awareness, empathy, compassion)</p></li><li><p>Domain expertise (e.g. industry or business knowledge)</p></li></ul><blockquote><p><strong>My example:</strong> In my annual review at Amazon I will use Amazon Leadership Principles to described how I delivered to customers this year. I will write that I demonstrated Customer Obsession and Ownership by interviewing internal customers of the MCPs I delivered internally. However, delivering the MCP was a challenge because stakeholders didn&#8217;t understand the technology and I could have demonstrated more Earn Trust by making it easier to understand. Double communicate always! </p></blockquote><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p><h3><strong>Remember: Acknowledge Your Mistakes, Learn, and Plan </strong></h3><p>While reviewing, practice self-awareness and self-compassion.</p><p><strong>Mistakes aren&#8217;t failures. They&#8217;re data and help us to grow.</strong></p><p>In my career, I&#8217;ve made plenty of mistakes:</p><ul><li><p>Said &#8220;yes&#8221; to too many commitments and burned out</p></li><li><p>Avoided difficult conversations, and problems grew</p></li><li><p>Focused on perfectionism instead of progress</p></li><li><p>Worked in isolation instead of asking for help</p></li></ul><p>Each mistake taught me something. Each one shaped how I lead today.</p><h3><strong>A Framework for Processing Mistakes:</strong></h3><ol><li><p><strong>Name it and Own it:</strong> What actually happened? What was your part in it?</p></li><li><p><strong>Learn from it:</strong> What does this teach you?</p></li><li><p><strong>Plan for it:</strong> What will you do differently? How will you trigger the change?</p></li><li><p><strong>Release it:</strong> Rephrase. You&#8217;re not your mistakes.</p></li></ol><p><strong>Example from my year:</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Mistake:</strong> I took on too many high-level leadership responsibilities right after joining a new team, before learning the mechanics from the team and consistently building their trust.</p><p><strong>Learning:</strong> Trust is earned through consistent delivery and understanding team dynamics first. Taking on leadership responsibilities too early can undermine credibility and team cohesion. I should have focused on earning trust from the team as early as possible before taking on multiple leadership responsibilities.</p><p><strong>Action for 2026:</strong> Focus on one major commitment at a time and prioritize earning trust from my new team. Before taking on additional leadership responsibilities, ask: &#8220;Have I earned the team&#8217;s trust through consistent delivery?&#8221; and &#8220;Does this help or distract from building strong team relationships?&#8221;</p></blockquote><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>Want feedback or have thoughts on this?</strong> <br>Share your similar experiences or advice in the comments. I would love to learn from you! &#128172;</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/part-1-how-to-review-your-year-and/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/part-1-how-to-review-your-year-and/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p></div><h2><strong>My Recommendations</strong></h2><h3><strong>Books</strong></h3><ol><li><p><strong>The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</strong> &#8212; Stephen R. Covey <br>(Especially Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind)</p></li><li><p> <strong>Dare to Lead</strong> &#8212; Bren&#233; Brown<br>(On values and vulnerability)</p></li></ol><h3><strong>AI Prompts</strong></h3><p>AI Chat (ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini) as Reflection Partner:</p><ol><li><p>Paste your calendar/projects and ask: &#8220;What patterns do you see in how I spent my time?&#8221;</p></li><li><p>Upload performance reviews and ask: &#8220;What are my recurring strengths and growth areas?&#8221;</p></li><li><p>Share your goals and ask: &#8220;What potential obstacles should I prepare for?&#8221;</p></li></ol><p>I will share more AI prompts in the chat, stay tuned!</p><h3><strong>Your Action Plan for This Week</strong></h3><p>Don&#8217;t wait to review your year and define action items from your learnings. This week, I will share how I am planning 2026 and how to define your new goals. <br>Start reviewing now while you have the momentum!</p><h2><strong>Let&#8217;s Do This Together</strong></h2><p>I did a year review and plan of 2026 in a working group of 9 people last Friday. <span class="mention-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Gabriele Cimato&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:36151083,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;user&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:null,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/779bff11-2e9b-4404-8683-3dd83b4f7769_1080x1080.jpeg&quot;,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;ca5974d5-128a-4e73-81ed-32763c848f11&quot;}" data-component-name="MentionToDOM"></span> and <span class="mention-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Jymit Khondhu&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:100486961,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;user&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:null,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5c6947cf-43de-49a2-be18-425ef448a64d_378x378.png&quot;,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;9e308458-403b-4380-b500-0ee0c275d6b4&quot;}" data-component-name="MentionToDOM"></span> joined. This Saturday, I will do it again (this time Japan friendly <span class="mention-wrap" data-attrs="{&quot;name&quot;:&quot;Adler Hsieh&quot;,&quot;id&quot;:61521266,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;user&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:null,&quot;photo_url&quot;:&quot;https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c9494bd-49c1-451f-8032-359af40fad8c_512x512.jpeg&quot;,&quot;uuid&quot;:&quot;f0379b90-cc68-4140-8bf2-713a163bf461&quot;}" data-component-name="MentionToDOM"></span>). The audience will get the career plan I use with my mentors for free. If you can&#8217;t join, you can get it from <a href="https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/gimcwu?layout=profile">here</a>. </p><p>I&#8217;m inviting YOU to reflect and plan 2026 with me. Join now, it is limited to 12 slots.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NGVm!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NGVm!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NGVm!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NGVm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NGVm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NGVm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png" width="1120" height="758" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:758,&quot;width&quot;:1120,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1114889,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/i/182620826?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NGVm!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NGVm!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NGVm!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NGVm!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F58482a04-d246-45e4-8029-adb01970ed35_1120x758.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/review-year-and-plan&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Get Worksheet and Workshop!&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/review-year-and-plan"><span>Get Worksheet and Workshop!</span></a></p><p>Because we shouldn&#8217;t drive the journey of our careers alone.</p><p><strong>Share in the comments:</strong> &#128172;</p><ul><li><p>What&#8217;s one big win from your 2025?</p></li><li><p>What&#8217;s one lesson you learned from a challenge?</p></li><li><p>What&#8217;s one Big Rock you&#8217;re considering for 2026?</p></li></ul><p>Let&#8217;s learn together and support each other. Let&#8217;s make 2026 the year we all thrive, not just survive. The next post will guide you to create a plan and system that will enable your success.</p><div><hr></div><h2><strong>Join the Conversation</strong></h2><p>&#128172; <strong>Comment below</strong> with your reflections<br>&#128279; <strong>Join our Chat</strong> for ongoing discussion<br>&#127775; <strong>Subscribe to WonderLead Working Groups</strong> (coming in 2026)</p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>Remember</strong>: This isn&#8217;t about perfection. It&#8217;s about progress. <br>It&#8217;s about being intentional. It&#8217;s about owning your journey.<br>Together. &#128155;</p><p>P.S. If you&#8217;re feeling overwhelmed by the year-end chaos, that&#8217;s normal. Start small: just answer one question from this post today. Tomorrow, answer another. Progress over perfection, always!</p></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/part-1-how-to-review-your-year-and?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Share&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/part-1-how-to-review-your-year-and?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email&utm_content=share&action=share"><span>Share</span></a></p><div><hr></div><p>&#8212;If you enjoyed this post, please tap the Like button below &#9829;&#65039; Thank you!</p><p></p><p><em>This post opinions are my own, and may not reflect the opinions of the company I work for.</em></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[3. Self Management: Set Yourself for Success & Own Your Career from Today]]></title><description><![CDATA[Define your Framework, Setup yourself, and Start Executing Today. Try the WonderLead toolkit, free for subscribers!]]></description><link>https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/3-self-management-start-owning-your</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/3-self-management-start-owning-your</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Patricia Juarez @ AWS]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 02 Aug 2024 17:08:17 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3ca4a30-979b-46f2-966d-12a184ba1399_2480x2743.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="pullquote"><p>Hi! &#128587;&#127995;&#8205;&#9792;&#65039; How have you been? Did you start being more self-aware since<a href="https://wonderlead.substack.com/p/2-self-awareness-first-step-to-your"> last post</a>? <br>It would be great to hear your self-awareness <a href="https://wonderlead.substack.com/p/wonderleads-breakthrough-stories">Leadership Breakthroughs Stories</a>!<br>This post I have &#127873;s for you. Don&#8217;t miss to take a look to the end of the post and get your gifts.<br>I also created a <a href="https://wonderlead.substack.com/leaderboard">Leaderboard</a>! The more people who join, the more we will enjoy this <a href="https://wonderlead.substack.com/p/your-journey-to-become-a-wonderlead">journey</a> and community. So don&#8217;t forget to click &#128150; or <a href="https://wonderlead.substack.com/?utm_source=substack&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_content=share&amp;action=share">share</a> this newsletter with your friends! </p></div><h4>What You'll Learn:</h4><p>&#128161; The importance of self-management in owning your career and life.<br>&#128161; A practical framework for self-management. <br>&#128161; How to start practicing self-management today.<br>&#128161; Free productivity tools for Wonder Leaders, direct download for all subscribers. </p><h4>Tasks for the Week:</h4><p>&#9745;&#65039; Keep practicing self-awareness.<br>&#9745;&#65039; Incorporate a self-management framework for owning your career and life.<br>&#9745;&#65039; Plan and review daily your activities and habits. <br>&#9745;&#65039; Try the WonderLead Toolkit with your self-management framework.</p><h2>Start Self Managing your Career and Life</h2><p><em>(7 minutes read)</em></p><p>In my career, I struggled immensely with work-life balance due to my tendency towards ownership, perfectionism, and saying &#8220;yes&#8221;. Although I constantly worked on improving my effectiveness at work, I found myself in a constant state of rushing and hustle, with decreased quality. It wasn't until I introduced emotional intelligence (EI) into my productivity framework that I gained the self-control I needed to say "no" - for myself and my team. Now, I'd rather face the discomfort of setting boundaries than the resentment of not working on the highest priorities.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Akyg!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5610efd-f19d-490a-b650-dfc6b2049805_1684x1124.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Akyg!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5610efd-f19d-490a-b650-dfc6b2049805_1684x1124.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Akyg!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5610efd-f19d-490a-b650-dfc6b2049805_1684x1124.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Akyg!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5610efd-f19d-490a-b650-dfc6b2049805_1684x1124.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Akyg!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5610efd-f19d-490a-b650-dfc6b2049805_1684x1124.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Akyg!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5610efd-f19d-490a-b650-dfc6b2049805_1684x1124.jpeg" width="430" height="287.06043956043953" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b5610efd-f19d-490a-b650-dfc6b2049805_1684x1124.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:972,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:430,&quot;bytes&quot;:563418,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Akyg!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5610efd-f19d-490a-b650-dfc6b2049805_1684x1124.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Akyg!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5610efd-f19d-490a-b650-dfc6b2049805_1684x1124.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Akyg!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5610efd-f19d-490a-b650-dfc6b2049805_1684x1124.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Akyg!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb5610efd-f19d-490a-b650-dfc6b2049805_1684x1124.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><blockquote><p><em><strong>"Choose discomfort over resentment."</strong> My mantra reminds me that I'm making a choice that's critical for my well-being&#8212;even if it's not easy. </em>&#8212; Bren&#233; Brown</p></blockquote><p>This year, during my maternity leave, I spent the first month watching Netflix while my baby was sleeping over me. Then I realized I could use those moments to continue growing in my career. So I decided to manage my life like I do when launching a new product! First, I set up Obsidian, a note-taking app, to track my habits, feelings, and career goals, all in one app &#8212; and with a single hand! Then, I assessed my strengths and values, and defined SMART goals with the milestones and user stories to achieve them. Suddenly, everything I did had a clear purpose, and I <a href="https://x.com/ccsakuweb/status/1786025348427022397">found myself</a> saying "no" more often to stay focused on my priorities. However, I realized that I didn&#8217;t want to do the journey alone, so I created this free Substack, WonderLead in Tech.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p3bK!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b669dd3-b014-40aa-ab07-d939515f2701_1872x1248.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p3bK!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b669dd3-b014-40aa-ab07-d939515f2701_1872x1248.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p3bK!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b669dd3-b014-40aa-ab07-d939515f2701_1872x1248.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p3bK!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b669dd3-b014-40aa-ab07-d939515f2701_1872x1248.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p3bK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b669dd3-b014-40aa-ab07-d939515f2701_1872x1248.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p3bK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b669dd3-b014-40aa-ab07-d939515f2701_1872x1248.jpeg" width="424" height="282.7637362637363" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0b669dd3-b014-40aa-ab07-d939515f2701_1872x1248.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:971,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:424,&quot;bytes&quot;:592848,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p3bK!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b669dd3-b014-40aa-ab07-d939515f2701_1872x1248.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p3bK!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b669dd3-b014-40aa-ab07-d939515f2701_1872x1248.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p3bK!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b669dd3-b014-40aa-ab07-d939515f2701_1872x1248.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!p3bK!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b669dd3-b014-40aa-ab07-d939515f2701_1872x1248.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="pullquote"><p><em>Do you want to join and do this journey with us? Help to build our community, &#128150; and <strong>Share</strong>.<br>Discover, own and thrive as a leader in your career with WonderLead insights and community!</em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/subscribe?&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Subscribe now&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/subscribe?"><span>Subscribe now</span></a></p></div><h3>What is Self-Management?</h3><p>Self-management is a core component of emotional intelligence, according to <a href="https://danielgolemanemotionalintelligence.com/ei-overview-the-four-domains-and-twelve-competencies/">Daniel Goleman's model of EI</a>. It has six key competencies: self-control, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability, achievement orientation, and initiative. The competencies involve managing disruptive emotions, upholding integrity, taking responsibility, adapting to change, striving for excellence, and seizing opportunities. Lacking strong self-management skills puts us at risk of burnout, getting stuck, and lack of fulfillment in our careers, constantly firefighting rather than focusing on priorities.</p><h3>The WonderLead Framework</h3><p>To help you start owning your career and life, here you have an overview of the framework I came up with based on my learning and 17+ years of experience working in consulting, startups and Big Tech. If you are missing something important, please comment. I will test it and keep this post updated so that the framework will be better and owned by all of us.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cuo_!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6ef4647f-20bf-4273-afd4-fcb027973b72_1570x1199.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cuo_!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6ef4647f-20bf-4273-afd4-fcb027973b72_1570x1199.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cuo_!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6ef4647f-20bf-4273-afd4-fcb027973b72_1570x1199.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cuo_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6ef4647f-20bf-4273-afd4-fcb027973b72_1570x1199.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cuo_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6ef4647f-20bf-4273-afd4-fcb027973b72_1570x1199.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cuo_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6ef4647f-20bf-4273-afd4-fcb027973b72_1570x1199.png" width="436" height="332.989010989011" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/6ef4647f-20bf-4273-afd4-fcb027973b72_1570x1199.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1112,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:436,&quot;bytes&quot;:1422863,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cuo_!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6ef4647f-20bf-4273-afd4-fcb027973b72_1570x1199.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cuo_!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6ef4647f-20bf-4273-afd4-fcb027973b72_1570x1199.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cuo_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6ef4647f-20bf-4273-afd4-fcb027973b72_1570x1199.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cuo_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6ef4647f-20bf-4273-afd4-fcb027973b72_1570x1199.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><ol><li><p><em><strong>Manage your Career and Life:</strong></em> To <strong>be</strong> <strong>strategic</strong>, evaluate each activity you engage in as you do in a project. If it&#8217;s not a top priority and aligns with your goals, add it as a task or story. If not, remove it from your "inbox" to reduce noise and increase focus time. If you identify a new goal you want to focus on, consider reevaluating your goals, values, and priorities.</p></li><li><p><em><strong>Daily Check-ins:</strong></em> To <strong>stay</strong> <strong>focused</strong>, each day realistically choose your top 1-3 priority tasks to complete. Depending on how you feel, start with small tasks to gain momentum or take the most challenging ones first.</p></li><li><p><em><strong>Regular Reviews and Plannings:</strong></em> To <strong>keep your</strong> <strong>why</strong>, do weekly and monthly reviews to assess your progress in your career and life. Based on these reviews, make adjustments as needed, and plan what comes next. Take note of your emotions.</p></li><li><p><em><strong>Calendarize:</strong></em> To <strong>meet your promises</strong>, add your milestones/epics, stories, and habits to your calendar. Ensure realistic deadlines and consider risks and other priorities. </p></li><li><p><em><strong>Journaling:</strong></em> To <strong>be</strong> <strong>self-aware</strong>, think about the day, write what happened, and what you felt. Record emotional triggers, identify assumptions, and reframe negative thoughts. Track the habits done to use them as KPI metrics in your reviews.</p></li><li><p><em><strong>Practice Gratitude:</strong></em> To <strong>stay positive</strong>, express gratitude by saying thanks to someone at least once a day. List up to 10 things you are grateful for at the end of the day. You can enumerate them in your journal or out loud any time.</p></li><li><p><em><strong>Take Care of Yourself:</strong></em> To <strong>be healthy</strong>, be empathetic and do well-being activities consistently. Every day, do exercise, walk, meditate, and connect with the people you value. Keep life-work balance, for yourself and the people who follows you. </p></li><li><p><em><strong>Discover:</strong></em> To <strong>keep your strengths</strong>, stay curious and learn from your discoveries. Document what you learnt at the moment if it takes less than 2 minutes. Write them as tips or templates. Review and practice them regularly. Learn as well from feedback asked early on.</p></li><li><p><em><strong>Celebrate Successes:</strong></em> To <strong>keep</strong> <strong>you</strong> <strong>motivated</strong>, be part of a community. Share your insights, motivations, and achievements with others. Celebrate your own and others&#8217; wins, no matter how small. You can use our <strong><a href="https://substack.com/chat/2642556">Chat</a> </strong>to celebrate or ask for the help that will make you succeed!</p></li><li><p><em><strong>Build Habits:</strong></em> To <strong>make this happen</strong>, write your habits as small and specific as possible with the formula &#8220;Instead of &#8230; I will do &#8230;&#8221; or &#8220;After &#8230; I will do &#8230;&#8221;. Schedule them for each type of day and, keep your schedule updated. Start with the habits that will support this framework. For instance, schedule at least i) 5 mins every morning to choose your priority tasks of the day, ii) 15 mins every night for journaling and being grateful, iii) 15 mins at the end of the week to review your career and life goals, iv) block at least 2h everyday of focus time and 30mins for unknowns, and iv) 20 mins of exercise and 2 blocks of 15 mins of meditation everyday.</p></li></ol><p>Remember, this is a journey of continuous improvement. Embrace the process and <strong>adapt it to your needs,</strong> celebrate your wins with us, and don't be discouraged by setbacks. Together, we'll navigate this journey, empowering you to own your career and thrive as exceptional leaders.</p><div class="pullquote"><p>Share your productivity tricks with us. What big impact did they have in your life? <br>Or are you missing anything in this framework? We want to learn from you.</p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/3-self-management-start-owning-your/comments&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Leave a comment&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/p/3-self-management-start-owning-your/comments"><span>Leave a comment</span></a></p></div><h3>How do I practice self-management?</h3><p>I know, at a glance the framework seems unachievable for busy leaders. However, the discipline of building your career will give you the freedom to become the leader you want to be. Your commitment will release you from the distractions that are taking away your goals.</p><ol><li><p><strong>Setup yourself to</strong> <strong>execute the framework</strong> <strong>effectively</strong>. You can download the framework toolkit below and use it. </p></li><li><p><strong>Be</strong> <strong>mindful</strong>. Focus on the things that actually matter for you. Enjoy the path without getting obsessed about its end. Remember to not try too hard and get more by doing less to keep the experience positive, because when trying too hard, the benefits get diminished or even inverted. </p></li><li><p><strong>Start executing and owning your career</strong> <strong>NOW</strong>. You don&#8217;t need perfect goals defined from the first day. We will create them in the next post. Instead, start with tasks of 1-15 mins every day to gain momentum and confidence with the framework. Preparation tasks are already part of your path, include them in your plan.</p></li><li><p><strong>Experiment with the WonderLead framework or a variant of it.</strong><br>You can adapt it to incorporate your practices or well-known techniques that already work for you, such as Pomodoro or Getting Things Done (GTD). Embrace failures, review them, and adapt the framework to your needs. Make it yours.</p></li></ol><h3>Setup the WonderLead Framework Toolkit &#8212; Free for Subscribers</h3><p><a href="http://Develagora.gumroad.com">develAGORA</a> offers a set of tools based on the WonderLead framework to support this newsletter and community. Their tools will be updated with the new content and available at the same time new posts get published in the <a href="https://wonderlead.substack.com/s/crafting-your-career-plan">Own Your Career </a>section. And they will be free for us! More tools will be free through the <a href="https://wonderlead.substack.com/leaderboard">referral system</a>. Having shared tools allows our community to be truly effective and scale! </p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://www.wonderlead.tech/leaderboard?&amp;utm_source=post&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Refer a friend&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://www.wonderlead.tech/leaderboard?&amp;utm_source=post"><span>Refer a friend</span></a></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UWW0!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3ca4a30-979b-46f2-966d-12a184ba1399_2480x2743.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UWW0!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3ca4a30-979b-46f2-966d-12a184ba1399_2480x2743.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UWW0!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3ca4a30-979b-46f2-966d-12a184ba1399_2480x2743.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UWW0!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3ca4a30-979b-46f2-966d-12a184ba1399_2480x2743.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UWW0!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc3ca4a30-979b-46f2-966d-12a184ba1399_2480x2743.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img 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class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Get your Free tools now:</p><ol><li><p><a href="https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/automated-planner/2ZVV6EA">Automated WonderLead Framework </a>in an <a href="https://obsidian.md/">Obsidian</a> preconfigured Vault. Apply the framework at any place, even offline, within any of your devices, and with less effort than in a physical planner thanks to the automation of your plan and relationships between your notes.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/planner-daily-1/https://develagora.gumroad.com/l/automated-planner/jp8h0vg/2ZVV6EA">Digital WonderLead Planner</a> for those who prefer a more analog approach. You can print all the sheets you need and create your personalized planner. Putting it in a place that will remind you to use it will help you with your new framework habits. Alternatively, you can use apps that allow writing in PDF such as Goodnotes. </p></li></ol><h3>My Recommendations</h3><h4>Books</h4><ol><li><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299/">Atomic Habits</a> &#8212; James Clear</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Things-Done-David-Allen-audiobook/dp/B01B6WSK5C">Getting Things Done</a> &#8212; David Allen</p></li><li><p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Habits-Highly-Effective-People-Powerful-ebook/dp/B01069X4H0/">The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</a> &#8212; Stephen R Covey<br>Discovered while writing this post, I added it to my TO READ list.</p></li></ol><h4> Other Substacks about Self-Management</h4><ol><li><p><a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/poczwardowski/p/winning-the-week?r=olas6&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=email">On Planning and Winning the Week</a> &#8212; By <a href="https://substack.com/@poczwardowski">Micha&#322; Poczwardowski&nbsp;</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://newsletter.eng-leadership.com/p/perfectionism-one-of-the-biggest?r=olas6&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web">Perfectionism - one of the biggest productivity killers in the engineering industry </a>&#8212; By <a href="https://substack.com/profile/106098672-gregor-ojstersek">Gregor Ojstersek</a> and <a href="https://substack.com/profile/58854493-jordan-cutler">Jordan Cutler</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/levelupwithethanevans/p/eliminate-distractions?r=olas6&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web">Eliminate Distractions </a>&#8212; By <a href="https://substack.com/@levelupwithethanevans">Ethan Evans</a></p></li><li><p><a href="https://open.substack.com/pub/debliu/p/unlearning-the-lessons-that-no-longer?r=olas6&amp;utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web">Unlearning the Lessons That No Longer Serve Us</a> &#8212; By <a href="https://substack.com/@debliu">Deb Liu</a></p></li></ol><div class="pullquote"><p><em>Do you have any thought that you would like to share? Send them to me and I will add your blurb into </em><a href="https://wonderlead.substack.com/p/wonderleads-breakthrough-stories">Leadership Breakthroughs Stories</a>. Additionally,<em> <strong>I am looking for guest posts</strong> from different <a href="https://wonderlead.substack.com/survey/755942">tech role</a> writers to help more people discover their path. <a href="https://open.substack.com/chat/posts/a654c461-472d-4731-9206-4d4976f3fb0c">Join here</a>!</em></p><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://wonderlead.substack.com/survey/755852?token=&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Answer the Poll: What do you want to Discover?&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:&quot;button-wrapper&quot;}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary button-wrapper" href="https://wonderlead.substack.com/survey/755852?token="><span>Answer the Poll: What do you want to Discover?</span></a></p><p>Thank you &#129498;&#127995;&#8205;&#9792;&#65039; for your commitment to personal and professional growth. <br>I'm excited to start this journey with you! <em>Click &#128150;<strong>,</strong> <strong><a href="https://substack.com/chat/2642556">Chat</a></strong> or <strong>Share</strong> so more people join.</em></p></div><p>&#127803;This post is dedicated to <a href="https://x.com/ibesora">@ibesora</a> and my colleague Oleg. Both showed interest in my productivity framework, and their curiosity gave me courage to write this post.</p><p>This post opinions are my own, and may not reflect the opinions of the company I work for.</p>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>