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As 2025 winds down, I want to offer something a bit quieter than the typical year-end recap.
This isn't about tallying wins or racing into January with a fresh to-do list. It's about how we actually think when things feel uncertain and the data is incomplete—those moments when our decisions ripple into our work, our money, and our families in ways we can't quite see yet.
When I talk about strategic thinking, I'm not looking at the next quarter. I'm talking about zooming out far enough to see where you've been, where you are now, and where you're intentionally heading over the next few years. If you start there and work your way back, you find the "next right decision." That's how a strategy holds together when things start to wobble.
The L.A.T.T.E. Framework
Grounded in how our brains actually function
L
Look
Under pressure, the brain naturally narrows its focus. The stress response prioritizes speed and threat detection—which is great for emergencies, but terrible for long-range planning. "Looking well" means deliberately widening your field of view. When you slow down enough to take in more context, your prefrontal cortex comes back online and your pattern recognition improves. History becomes useful data instead of a distraction. You stop reacting and start noticing.
A
Anticipate
Anticipation isn't about being a psychic; it's about preparation rooted in self-awareness. Our brains are constantly scanning for risk, but strategic thinkers decide in advance how they'll respond when things get volatile. They know where they're steady and where they're stretched. By managing resources well when times are good, you ensure your nervous system isn't the one making panic-based decisions later.
T
Think
Most meaningful decisions are made without perfect info. Waiting for "certainty" usually just keeps the brain stuck in a loop of false safety. When the pressure rises, slowing down your thinking is what matters most. Asking disciplined questions shifts you out of a "threat response" and back into logic. Hope feels comforting, but real clarity comes from testing your assumptions—not from wishing things were easier.
T
Talk
Language regulates people—including you. When you talk through your reasoning out loud, you reduce ambiguity, which lowers stress and builds trust. This isn't about "selling" or soothing others; it's about making your thinking visible. It allows the people around you to plan and stay grounded, even when the outcome isn't guaranteed.
E
Evaluate
With a little distance, you can finally evaluate. The question isn't just "Did it work?" but "Was the thinking sound?" We have to separate bad outcomes (caused by a messy world) from weak decisions (made under pressure). Reviewing your financial resilience, skill growth, and energy is how the brain actually learns. Without that reflection, we just repeat the same patterns.
Moving Into 2026
As I move into 2026, I'm making choices that might look pretty ordinary on the surface. I'm reading in areas where I know my thinking needs a stretch. I'm setting long-range goals to expand my frame of reference. And I'm being intentional about how I earn, save, and build skills so that future stability isn't just an accident.
The decisions that matter most rarely get a round of applause. They compound quietly. Over time, they're what create margin and choice for the people we care about.
As the year closes, give yourself some space to think beyond the next twelve months. Look back honestly. Look ahead with intention. Decide in a way that your future self will recognize as steady.
If you're looking for a book to read as we wind down the year and start off 2026
Dear Resilient Leader
Get the bookWe'll keep building from here.
🫶🏽 JVT
P.S. Through the New Year, I'll be sending 1-2 emails per week instead of the usual 3. Taking some time to recharge and refocus for 2026. I'll be back to regular schedule in January.
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