CHAPTERS
- 0:03 – 3:04
Six questions that set your direction for the year (and the family ritual behind them)
Mel introduces a simple year-end ritual she’s used with her husband for 20 years (and now with their kids) to reflect on the past year and plan the next. She explains that six questions can quickly surface clarity, wisdom, and motivation for authentic goal-setting.
- •Six-question reflection as a yearly ritual (couple → whole family)
- •Why reflection creates “instant clarity” for the year ahead
- •Promise of empowerment: surfacing wisdom from the last 12 months
- •Framing the conversation as a guided, personal process
- 3:04 – 6:06
Downloadable companion journal + the “pull over” Google Maps metaphor
She shares a free companion journal to write answers and then sets up the core metaphor: when you’re lost, you pull over to locate where you are before choosing a direction. The point is to stop rushing into goals and instead identify your starting point first.
- •Free journal at melrobbins.com/bestyear
- •Retreat story: no signal, can’t get directions—so she pulls over
- •Most people skip locating their starting point before setting goals
- •Goals should reflect what you truly want (not what you “should” do)
- 6:06 – 10:40
The essential goal-setting step: know what you want—and why
Mel explains the research-backed requirements for goals you’ll actually stick to: clarity on what you want and the reason behind it. The six questions work like directions—starting point plus destination—so you stop spinning and start moving with intention.
- •Two requirements: know what you want + why you want it
- •Six questions illuminate both desire and motivation
- •“Starting point” is necessary for any meaningful plan
- •Invitation to revisit the episode and do the exercise with others
- 10:40 – 12:41
Question 1 — Identify your year’s highlights (use camera roll + calendar)
Mel begins the first question: list the highlights of the past year, but don’t rely on memory. She encourages using photos and your calendar to recover forgotten wins, moments, and experiences that reveal what mattered most.
- •Q1: “What are the highlights from the past year of your life?”
- •Don’t trust memory; use camera roll, social apps, and calendar
- •Review week-by-week to find overlooked moments
- •Highlights provide context beyond your current emotional state
- 12:41 – 17:12
What your photos reveal: overlooked wins, values, and “betting on yourself”
As she scrolls her own camera roll, Mel models how highlights can signal deeper themes—presence, friendships, milestones, and courageous decisions. She connects these moments to self-recognition and confidence in the work behind her success.
- •Examples: podcast anniversary, daughter’s graduation milestone, sunsets/presence
- •Meaning hidden in patterns (what you photograph reflects values)
- •Big highlight: opening a new studio + signing a five-year lease
- •Reframing success: not luck—hard work and self-belief
- 17:12 – 22:14
Question 2 — Name the hardest parts (the “sucky” stuff) across five life areas
Mel moves to the second question and insists on specificity: identify the hardest aspects of the year. She breaks reflection into five categories (health, career/money/school, relationships, fun/happiness, purpose/meaning) to uncover actionable detail.
- •Q2: “What were the hardest aspects of this past year?”
- •Use five categories to get specific, not vague
- •Photos/calendar help pinpoint difficult periods
- •Struggles often overlap with highlights (both need acknowledgment)
- 22:14 – 24:45
Why confronting struggles creates relevant goals and intrinsic motivation
Using examples like menopause, workload, and loneliness, Mel explains why naming challenges matters: it guides goals that are personally relevant. She ties this to intrinsic motivation—change sticks when it’s connected to what truly matters to you.
- •Examples of struggles: menopause/body changes, hypergrowth stress, loneliness
- •Past betrayals and system gaps shaped last year’s goals and improvements
- •Research: relevant goals → intrinsic motivation → follow-through
- •Challenges are “trying to teach you something” (use them as signals)
- 24:45 – 28:47
Question 3 — What did you learn about yourself (and why others help you see it)
Mel introduces the third question focused on lessons and self-knowledge gained over the year. She recommends doing the exercise with others because they’ll remind you of strengths and growth you might minimize or forget.
- •Q3: “What did you learn about yourself this year?”
- •Use the same five categories to deepen insights
- •Group reflection prevents you from shortchanging yourself
- •Examples: adapting health habits to new reality; not managing others’ emotions
- 28:47 – 31:18
Pivot to forward planning: using the Stop–Start–Continue framework
With the “starting point” established, Mel turns toward the future using a business strategy tool used by top organizations: Stop, Start, Continue. She argues that simplification and consistency matter as much as adding new goals.
- •Questions 4–6 are future-facing and action-oriented
- •Stop–Start–Continue as a proven transformation tool
- •Counterbalance the urge for “more, better, different”
- •Focus on simplicity: do more of what works, less of what doesn’t
- 31:18 – 34:50
Question 4 — What will you stop doing (and how stopping can transform everything)
Mel details the “stop” question and gives personal examples like reducing work travel and saying no to external content requests. She emphasizes stopping behaviors (including complaining) can unlock major change across the five life categories.
- •Q4: “What are you going to stop doing in the next year?”
- •Example: stop work travel/most speaking engagements; protect focus
- •Example: stop complaining about menopause; shift relationship with body
- •Apply “stop” across health, career, relationships, fun, and purpose
- •Stopping can be more powerful than adding new habits
- 34:50 – 36:21
Question 5 — What will you continue doing (protect what’s already working)
Mel highlights the often-missed importance of continuing the behaviors and practices that are already helping. She warns against the “whack-a-mole” effect—over-focusing on one goal while neglecting other vital areas.
- •Q5: “What do you want to continue doing this year?”
- •Continuing prevents abandoning what’s working
- •Avoid one-area obsession that causes imbalance
- •Example: continue “Let Them” approach—support without emotional responsibility
- 36:21 – 39:52
Question 6 — What will you start doing (including restarting old joys)
Mel closes the framework with “start,” encouraging concrete commitments in each life area. She shares her own starts—strength training, writing a book, new work rhythms, saving/investing—and reminds listeners that starting can also mean reviving past passions.
- •Q6: “What are you going to start doing?”
- •Examples: strength train 3x/week; begin writing The Let Them Theory book
- •Experiment: new team cadence (production week vs deep-work week)
- •Start can mean restart: music, instruments, day trips, language, social media cleanup
- 39:52 – 45:32
Wrap-up: recap the six questions, do it with others, and revisit often
Mel recaps all six questions and encourages listeners to print the journal, review photos and calendars, and do the ritual with family or friends. She recommends bookmarking the episode and returning whenever you need to reconnect with your true starting point and direction.
- •Full recap of all six questions
- •Invitation to post/tag her after downloading the journal
- •Bookmark and reuse: answers change as you change
- •Do it together for connection and accountability
