The 3R Year-End Method: Reflect, Reassess, Recalibrate
The last two weeks of the year can either be a time to coast on autopilot or a chance to get brutally honest with yourself. Most people wait until January 1st to start “new year, new me” nonsense, but if you’re serious about growth — business, fitness, or life — you know the real work starts before the ball drops.
If you are serious about change, try my 3R Method: Reflect, Reassess, Recalibrate.
No, it's not another cute checklist for the end of the year — it’s a system for making sure you don’t repeat the same mistakes next year.
How many people do you know who set “big goals” in January, and by February, they’re back to doing the same stuff that got them stuck in the first place?
The difference between progress & being in the exact same place you are right now, 12 months later is in your ability to recognize patterns & have awareness around your actions.
If you’re tired of being that guy or girl (or if you just want a system to stay ahead of your competition), this is how you end 2024 with clarity and power.
Step 1: Reflect
“Look back before you move forward.”
Reflection isn’t just replaying highlight reels of your best moments. True reflection is about being brutally honest about where you fumbled, where you won, and what it all means.
Ask yourself:
• What did I do this year that I’m proud of? (Write down 3 wins)
• What examples are there where I could have done better this year? (Write down 2)
• What’s one lesson I had to learn the hard way?
And in 3…2…1… you have 3 moments you can be proud of, 2 circumstances where you can improve, and one lesson you can carry with you not to repeat moving forward.
The point here isn’t to beat yourself up.
It’s to identify patterns & build awareness.
There's a saying that "success leaves clues" but, so does finding the edges of your abilities.
Maybe you learned that winging your workouts leads to winging your results. Or maybe you realized that hitting 80% consistently beats chasing perfection and burning out.
Here’s the truth no one talks about: If you don’t review the past, you’ll repeat it. Reflection gives you the chance to see where you’ve been wasting your time, effort, or energy, and it also shows you where you’re actually winning.
Pro Tip: Take 20 minutes to write this down — not in your head, but on paper. If it stays in your head, it’s a dream. If it’s on paper, it’s a plan that can actually come to fruition, because you're making it a physical thing that exists in the world.
Step 2: Reassess
“Are you climbing the wrong ladder?”
This is the part no one wants to do because it means asking tough questions like:
• Are my goals still aligned with what I actually want?
• Are my actions aligned with the goals above?
• What habits, routines, or relationships do I need to let go of?
It’s easy to get caught up in “I just need to do more” but more isn’t better. Better is more. A lot of people are chasing the same goals they set 5 years ago — even if they’ve outgrown them.
For example:
• Maybe you’ve been forcing yourself to do HIIT classes, but you’ve realized you want to be stronger, not just sweatier.
• Maybe you’re chasing a certain “number on the scale” when you really want to feel confident in your body.
• Maybe you’ve been chasing revenue in your business, but you now realize that profit and freedom matter more.
This is why reassessment is so critical. Growth requires shedding old skin. Some goals served you before, but they may not serve you now. This step is all about aligning effort with outcome.
Pro Tip: For each goal, ask yourself, “If I hit this goal, will I actually feel fulfilled, or am I chasing it for the wrong reasons?”
If the answer is “No,” cross it off. If the answer is “Yes,” double down on it.
Here’s the part no one likes to hear:
If you want to be a different person next year, you need to stop doing the things that are keeping you the same person today.
Step 3: Recalibrate
“Clarity creates courage.”
Once you know what’s working (from Reflection) and you’ve dropped what’s not working (from Reassessing), it’s time to recalibrate your direction.
Most people think “goal setting” is writing down big, lofty dreams for 2025.
Nope.
Recalibration is about closing the gap between where you are and where you want to be. And to close that gap, you need to focus on small, deliberate changes — not giant, life-altering, New Year’s Resolutions.
But here’s the twist: Clarity creates courage.
When you know exactly what needs to be done and why it matters, fear shrinks. Doubt dies in the face of certainty. When you know what needs to be done, you don’t wait — you act.
Here’s how to Recalibrate in 3 simple steps:
1. Identify Your Big 3 Goals — The 3 most important things you want to achieve next year (Fitness, Business, and Personal Life).
2. Set Daily & Weekly Habits — What small daily actions will move you toward these goals? (Example: If your goal is to add 50 pounds to your deadlift, your habit might be “lift 3x per week and track my progress weekly.”)
3. Create a 90-Day Sprint — Don’t plan for the whole year. Focus on the next 90 days. What can you achieve in the next 3 months to build momentum?
Pro Tip: Clarity without action is just a mental exercise.
Action kills doubt.
Focus on taking small, actionable steps every single day. If it’s not something you can do TODAY, it’s not actionable enough.
Here’s an example:
• Reflect: I didn’t stick to a consistent training schedule, and my progress suffered.
• Reassess: I realized I was trying to work out 6x per week, which isn’t realistic.
• Recalibrate: My new habit is 4 training sessions per week, with 1 day for “flexible training” that could be stretching, a light workout, or a day off.
When you calibrate the process instead of just the goal, you give yourself permission to pivot without quitting. People think “pivoting” is quitting, but it’s not.
Pivoting is adjusting your approach so you can keep moving forward.
Common Mistakes People Make When Using the 3R Method
1. Doing it in their head, not on paper — Writing makes it real.
2. Focusing on big, bold goals without habits — Goals are for direction; habits are for execution.
3. Trying to do too much, too fast — Take it one R at a time. If you get stuck, start with Reflection.
What the 3R Method Looks Like in Action
Here’s a quick example of how one of my clients (we’ll call him Mike) used the 3R Method:
• Reflect: Mike realized his mornings were reactive (checking email first thing), which led to scattered, stressful days.
• Reassess: He realized he was chasing “be more productive” but didn’t have a system to support it.
• Recalibrate: We created a 30-minute morning to give him a physiological fighting chance, a non-negotiable morning routine that addresses your physiology to help set you up internally for the rest of your day.
It Includes:
16-20 oz of water with electrolytes before coffee
Breakfast within 30 minutes of rising with 30 grams of protein
First 30 minutes of the day tech free
Picked one of the following: Breathing, stretching, walking, writing or meditation before getting down to business.
Result: By the second month, his mornings went from chaotic to calm, and his business revenue hit a new high because he was working smarter, not just longer.
How to Start the 3R Method Today
1. Set aside 30 minutes this week to do the full 3R Review.
2. Write down your 3 wins, 2 areas of opportunity for improvement, and 1 key lesson.
3. Identify 1 goal you want to Reassess — is it still relevant?
4. Recalibrate your process by setting 1 small daily action.
Don’t wait until January 1st to “get motivated.” That’s what everyone else is doing — and most of them will be in the same spot next December.
Start now, while everyone else is still on cruise control.
Here’s your chance to get ahead
Take control of your 2025 before it even starts. The 3R Method is your unfair advantage, giving you momentum while everyone else is still “waiting for Monday.”
You don’t need a new goal. You need a better process.
Reflect.
Reassess.
Recalibrate.
Then watch how much smoother 2025 feels compared to this year.
– Santo
"The Disciplined don't need deadlines"
P.S. If you want to talk through your 3R strategy, click the button below to go to my apply page & we can coordinate how to set you up for a successful 2025!
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