If you’re thinking ahead to the new year and want to start strong without slipping into the usual overwhelm, this episode will help you do exactly that.

This is Michael’s Version of one of the most downloaded episodes I’ve ever released — a refreshed, clearer, more aligned re-recording of “How to Plan Your Best Year.”

Much like Taylor Swift re-recording her albums, this is the episode I always wanted to release: still built on the same evidence-based principles as the original, but now sharper, more grounded, and easier to apply.

In this episode, I walk you through a science-backed approach to planning your year that avoids the biggest traps most people fall into.

We explore why long-term motivation often collapses after the initial excitement, and how to design your goals in a way that your brain can sustain over time.

You’ll learn:

• Why only about 10% of New Year’s goals make it past February
• The six evidence-based principles that create a meaningful, achievable year
• How to define what “your best year” actually means (without unrealistic pressure)
• A simple, powerful 4-step protocol for planning your year
• The most common planning mistakes — and how to avoid them
• Four success strategies to keep your goals achievable, energizing, and realistic

Whether you’re looking to make progress on a few important goals or you simply want a more sustainable approach to planning the year ahead, this episode will help you clarify what matters, set achievable targets, and create momentum that lasts.

Resources Mentioned:

• Register for my December workshop: How to Plan Your 2026 Goals Without Burnout
• Join the Thrive Hive for monthly support, tools, and coaching

December 2025 Best Year Workshop

If you want to plan ahead and create your plan for next year, where you actually create the life you want and achieve your goals, check out my Best Year Year workshop at invictus.coach/yearend

Instantly Unlock Performance, Well-Being and Balance Now

The "Thrive Hive" is a monthly membership to help teach, coach and support individuals, organizational teams and their leaders in reaching their full potential, and living a flourishing life with balance and well-being.

You get access to group coaching, monthly education, webinars/livecasts and other events, topic-based support and tools, and access to a private community of other like-minded individuals.

You can find out more or sign up clicking here!

As the year comes to an end, many people jump straight into planning their goals for the next one. But the real power — the kind that fuels motivation, clarity, and fulfillment — comes from looking back first.

In this episode, High Performance Coach Michael Schiel breaks down the deeper science of reflection and introduces the R.E.S.E.T. Model, a structured, evidence-based framework designed to help you extract meaning from your year, realign with what matters most, and enter the next chapter with confidence and direction.

You’ll learn:

• Why reflection changes the brain and boosts long-term motivation
• The key neuroscience and psychology principles behind effective self-review
• How to use the R.E.S.E.T. Framework to review your year:
  • Reflect on what worked
  • Examine challenges with curiosity
  • Seek the lessons
  • Evaluate alignment with your values and identity
  • Transition forward with clarity

Michael also shares how to turn RESET into a powerful habit through weekly, monthly, and quarterly reflection cycles — helping you stay aligned, energized, and focused throughout the year.

Whether you’re closing out a successful year or navigating one that felt messy and overwhelming, this episode gives you the tools to finish strong and step into the new year with purpose and momentum.

Download the RESET Worksheet:
You can download the worksheet I talk about, and apply what you learn at invictus.coach/resources

Join the free livecast on Wednesday, November 19th:
On Wednesday, November 19th, I am hosting a free livecast on this topic. I will introduce the concept and walk through the framework. You will have a chance to learn firsthand about it, and ask questions. Click here to learn more and register for free

This is your roadmap to clarity, confidence, and thriving in the year ahead.

Instantly Unlock Performance, Well-Being and Balance Now

The "Thrive Hive" is a monthly membership to help teach, coach and support individuals, organizational teams and their leaders in reaching their full potential, and living a flourishing life with balance and well-being.

You get access to group coaching, monthly education, webinars/livecasts and other events, topic-based support and tools, and access to a private community of other like-minded individuals.

You can find out more or sign up clicking here!

Have you ever reached the end of the year and felt… underwhelmed? You worked hard, hit some goals, and overcame challenges—but still wonder, Did any of this really matter?

In this episode of The Art and Science of Thriving, I explore the neuroscience and psychology behind why achievement alone rarely feels fulfilling—and how meaningful reflection is the key to ending your year with clarity, confidence, and a genuine sense of progress.

You’ll learn:

• Why your brain’s dopamine system is wired for the chase, not the finish, and how that affects your sense of success.
• The neuroscience of reflection—how it consolidates learning, strengthens resilience, and turns experiences into wisdom.
• Five science-backed principles for reviewing your year so you feel proud, grounded, and ready for what’s next.
• The R.E.S.E.T. Reflection Framework — a simple, evidence-based process to reflect, realign, and refocus for the year ahead.

Plus, I share practical reflection tools you can use this week— like the “Year-in-Three” list and closure rituals—to help you end the year not just successful, but fulfilled.

Instantly Unlock Performance, Well-Being and Balance Now

The "Thrive Hive" is a monthly membership to help teach, coach and support individuals, organizational teams and their leaders in reaching their full potential, and living a flourishing life with balance and well-being.

You get access to group coaching, monthly education, webinars/livecasts and other events, topic-based support and tools, and access to a private community of other like-minded individuals.

You can find out more or sign up clicking here!