What would cause me to miss achieving my goals? (1-28-26)

This week will be the last in our series about questions we should ask ourselves at the beginning of the year. This week I want us to ask ourselves, “What would cause me to miss my goals?”

In January we spend time outlining goals and objectives. We focus our efforts on identifying what winning looks like. It’s easy to assume that things will go well, but the chances of everything going well is slim to none.

Recently, I asked myself, “What would cause me to miss my goals? What would cause me to lose?” I quickly identified a few things. I will miss my goals if I don’t invest my time in the right things. I’ll miss if I don’t carve out the time to do the right things. I’ll miss if I’m not being intentional about orchestrating change management efforts. I’ll miss if I don’t get certain projects moving in Q1.

After identifying the things that would make me lose, I took a second to look at my plan for the week. I quickly realized that I had been caught in the swirl. I was doing a lot of things, but they likely weren’t the right things. They were a distraction. As a result, I moved a few things around on the calendar, blocked time for key work, and I gave myself permission to be slow and non-responsive on a few other things. Ultimately, I was able to make good progress on things that mattered. Looking forward, I’m already blocking time and thinking about other things I can do to minimize my chance of missing and increase my chance of being successful.

How does this connect to work? The world moves fast. If we aren’t intentional about things we might end up participating in behaviors that will lead to us not reaching our goals. Spending time doing a pre-mortem and identifying the key things that go wrong brings awareness and gives us a chance to gameplan on how we will handle these things. Be honest. Take a look at this month. How much time did you spend on things that will lead to you being successful vs how much time did you spend on things that will result in you missing? What is getting in the way of you making progress?

The challenge: Will you identify what would cause you to miss your goals and then take action?

Bonus- You can apply this thinking to your personal life. Something that will make me miss my physical health goals is pushing myself too hard too fast. My shoulders aren’t what they used to be, and after pushing them too hard with weight that was heavier than I should have been doing I needed to take a few weeks off for them to heal. I’ll go a lot slower from here on out.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

How broken am I willing to be to achieve my goals? (1-14-26)

Last week we kicked off a series about questions to ask ourselves as we start the year. Our first question was “What one word/phrase will be our north star?” The question this week might be a bit intense and provocative. The intent is to help us think about protecting our mental health by asking this challenging question, “How broken am I willing to be to achieve my goals?”

Over the past few years, I have watched as more individuals have struggled with mental health challenges than ever before. I’ve seen more people go on leave from work because of stress and its negative impact. I’ve heard more people talk about how they were exhausted, beat down, limping, and feeling overall broken. I have also been that person. Last year was the first year in a long time that I didn’t feel I went past the breaking point. I think part of this is because I began the year by asking myself, “How broken am I willing to be to achieve my goals?” and forcing myself to contend with this answer.

How does this apply to work? While the question is admittedly intense, asking how broken I was willing to be was a wake-up call that forced me to contend with the impact of feeling broken and how that affects my role as a husband, dad, friend, and human. While I had allowed myself to go past the breaking point in the past, I realized it wasn’t worth it. If this meant not doing everything or missing out on something, so be it. I would rather be whole and be better for myself and family than be the super stressed hurting version of myself. As a result, I didn’t work myself into the ground. I was more intentional about where I put my energy. I made trade-offs and said no to things. This also led to conversations with my boss where I had to say, “I can’t do X, Y, and Z without sacrificing my heath and family, and I don’t want to do that. Can we align that X and Y are the most important and I can let Z go?” Here’s the other thing that happened, since I said no to other things, I was able to dedicate time and do X and Y extremely well, and in the grand scheme of things that’s what truly mattered. Overall, I managed to have a solid year, deliver a lot of value, and I did this while being whole. I wish this for all of us.

The challenge: We are still early in the year, before you get lost in the shuffle, I’d encourage you to ask yourself, “How broken am I willing to be to achieve my goals?”

Bonus thought/challenge for leaders- I firmly believe that leaders have a responsibility for protecting the health of their teams. The choices we make as leaders can enable people to be healthier versions of themselves OR bury them in impossible work and standards that have detrimental effects. With that in mind, here is the difficult question I’d pose to anyone leading people, “How far are you willing to break people to achieve your goals and/or the team’s goals?”

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

2026 One Word/Phrase (1-7-26)

Happy Wednesday and Happy New Year!

I hope you had a relaxing and recharging holiday. We are going to kick off a series about some questions you might consider asking yourself as we get this year rocking and rolling. Our first question is an annual tradition. What is one word/phrase that will serve as your north star for the year?

At the beginning of every year, I take time to reflect and choose a word or phrase that will be my north star for the year. I’ve found it helps ground me versus getting lost among setting too many goals. To identify my one word/phrase I ask myself things like: What went well last year that I want to continue? Where could things have been better? What do I want to achieve? What do I want to give more focus and energy toward this year?

In 2025 my word was REBUILD. I needed to rebuild after having a few years that absolutely kicked my butt. My focus on rebuilding and repairing had huge dividends and contributed to me having one of the best years I’ve had in a long time throughout many aspects of my life. This year, my phrase is Make a Choice. As I reflected on 2025, I realized that things were at their best when I was making intentional choices whether this meant being very deliberate about working out or making clear trade-offs at work. When I didn’t actively make a choice, I would default to getting lost in the grind, doomscrolling, and other activities that didn’t serve me or bring me joy. My phrase is a subtle reminder that I can either choose and have better outcomes or get swept in a current I don’t want to be in.

The challenge: What is your one word or short phrase for the year? What is your north star?

Bonus: The image is a vision board I create that incorporates my one word/phrase as well as other images that have meaning. Here is a breakdown of the vision board.

Phrase- “Make a Choice”
- 2025 was one of the better years I’ve had in a while. My focus for that year was rebuilding, and I had a lot of success building myself back up, rebuilding some better habits, etc.As I reflected on 2025, I realized that the best parts of the year stemmed from me making very intentional choices.
  - I chose not to run myself into the ground and was deliberate about ensuring that didn’t happen.I chose to make sure I took time to recharge on a frequent basis. I chose to make weightlifting more of a priority. I chose to focus my time and effort on key work projects.
  I also realized that when things weren’t as good, it’s because I did NOT intentionally make a choice. Essentially, when I wasn’t making intentional decisions, I was passively sliding into not so great habits like:
  - Doomscrolling for a long time before going to bed. Getting sucked up in the speed of life and getting lost in work while sacrificing family and health. Watching/consuming mindless stuff (food, entertainment, etc) that I didn’t enjoy vs choosing things that would bring me joy.
- Bottom line- if I can I can do a better job of ensuring I am always actively making a choice, my life will be even better.
Morpheus and the red vs blue pill
- This represents the idea of making a choice.
Spider-man swinging
- My superpower is connecting people, things, and ideas. Spider swings effortlessly between the connection points, and that’s what I strive to do.
Marvel superheroes
- I like having someone to remind me that I’m blessed to work with a lot of amazing superhumans, and part of my job is to figure out how to bring out the best in everyone.
4S
- I had copilot create a cool logo for this. It stands for strength, steps, sustenance, and sleep, the building blocks of good physical health. I want to make sure I’m nailing those fundamentals, and the logo makes it look cooler 😉
The battery
- Reminder to
  - 1. Not let my better every get too low
  - 2. Make sure I’m recharging whether that is rest, moving my body, spending time with family/friends/etc.
Momentum
- I feel I gained a lot of positive momentum last year, and I need to continue to think about how I can take advantage of that to continue to make the world a bit better.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

I hope we are all like the Grinch (12-10-25)

This will be the last blog of 2025. If you’ve been on this distribution list for a while, you might recognize that I usually end the year with this entry. I feel it is just as relevant now as it was in years past. Besides, we watch the same holiday specials every year, so we can revisit the same holiday themed blogs, right? 😉 For our final blog of the year we will look at How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

During this holiday season I hope we are all like the Grinch. Pretty strange thing to say, right? Let me explain why I feel this way. You may know the story of the Grinch. He is a grumpy creature who decides he will try to steal Christmas from the Whos. He concocts an elaborate scheme and then steals all of the presents, decorations, etc. in an effort to ruin their holiday. This negative attitude is what we often associate with the Grinch, but this isn’t the end of his story. The Grinch grows as a character, and life is all about growing, changing, and becoming better.

The Grinch has stolen the gifts, and then he hears the Whos singing. Suddenly, it hits him right as his sleigh full of gifts starts to go over the cliff. “And what happened, then? Well, in Whoville they say – that the Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day. And then – the true meaning of Christmas came through, and the Grinch found the strength of *ten* Grinches, plus two!” He saves the gifts from falling over the cliff, rides into Whoville, and serves the roast beast at the feast.

The reason I hope we are all like the Grinch this year is because he grows and becomes a better person. He begins filled with apathy, malice, and grumpiness, and then he allows love in and it fundamentally changes him. How have you changed and grown this year? Wherever you are right now, we have the chance to be better. Imagine how different the world be if all of our hearts grew like the Grinch’s. Here is to all of us knowing what it feels like when our hearts grow three sizes in a day.

As always, thanks so much for reading. Your reading and encouragement throughout the year is the best gift I could ever ask for. Merry Christmas, happy Hanukkah, and happy holidays for anything you might be celebrating! I hope you disconnect and recharge. I hope you find peace, love, and fulfillment.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

An Open Letter to 2025 (12-3-25)

The year is coming to an end, and I’ve been spending a bit of time by my Christmas tree reflecting. Here is my open letter to 2025.

Dear 2025,

Your friend 2024 was rough, and if I’m being honest, kind of beat the crap out of me. You on the other hand, were a bit of a rainbow unicorn dancing in the midst of a thunderstorm. Yes, things were sometimes as chaotic as heck, but you were beautiful with a touch of magic and everything I needed.

My theme for the year was “Rebuild”. As I shared in my first blog of the year, after getting beat down, I needed to make extensive repairs AND changes. I did just that. I had better work/life integration than I’ve had in years. I’m ending the year with a solid foundation that should serve me well in 2026.
I continue to be thankful for my health. While I have room to grow, I rebuilt some of my health habits, and I’m at least exercising more regularly than I have for the past few years. I’m looking forward to accelerating this next year.
It’s easy to forget that love is a verb. Words are nice, but without actions, they aren’t love. Words without actions are just empty gestures. Love is active. Love is listening, helping, taking accountability, being vulnerable, growing to be a better partner/person, and more.
Speaking of love, my wife is incredible. Every year I spend with her I am in deeper awe of her strength and how much she cares about me and our kids. I wish everyone had a partner in their life like her that made them better and made them want to be better.
My kids are 11 and 13 and continue to come into their own. I’m proud of them for their accomplishments, but I’m most proud of them for how they are growing into good people. People who care. People who are brave enough to own their mistakes and repair situations. If they grow up and all they are is good people that will be the best outcome that could ever occur.
I’ve spent the last year of work as a Mad Scientist/Willy Wonka hybrid character, and that’s been so enjoyable to see dreams come to fruition.
The chance to deliver magic at work increases when you have the right people in the right roles with the right leadership surrounded by the right team. It’s hard for those things to line up, and I’m thankful to have lived that this year.
Are the people at work just people you work with or are they teammates and partners? There’s a difference. Something incredible happens when you can get talented people to see a common vision and build toward that together.
Is it real pressure or is it self-pressure? Often, we do more damage to ourselves with our own made-up expectations than we do based on the real expectations.
Hard times suck AND they are often great teachers. They teach you who cares. They teach you what matters.
Plant things now. Maybe you’ve missed your moment like I have in the past. That’s okay. That moment is gone, so plant now for a better future.
2025, you’ve been good to me. Thank you!

The challenge: If you haven’t taken the time, take a few moments to reflect on 2025 and the lessons and emotions it gave you this year. How will these shape you moving forward?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Rabbit Holes and Perspective (8-7-25)

This is a bonus blog, because the universe said someone needs this today. If you’re the one, just know the universe heard you. This blog is about falling down rabbit holes, taking a step back, gaining perspective, and realizing you’re doing pretty well.

Let me start this by saying I’m not trying to fish for compliments or anything. I just want to be real about the head space I was in. I started my week with these thoughts going through my head, “I have a lot of stuff I need to get done. I’m feeling behind. Here is a whole list of things that aren’t quite going right that need to be fixed. This is not good.” I was in a bit of a rabbit hole. Have any of you been in that headspace? Not a fun place to be.

Then, something interesting happened. I was in a situation where someone was showering me with praise and recognition. They were publicly telling this story like, “Andrew is so awesome. He’s doing great work and it’s providing a lot of value.” All of that punched the negative mindset I had right in the face and shifted my perspective. I went from, “This is not good” to “In the grand scheme of things, stuff is going pretty well. I should feel really great about where I am and what I’m doing.” I also challenged myself to realize that in the grand scheme of things, all of those little things I was worried about don’t matter or detract from what I’m doing.

How does this connect to our day to day? It’s easy for one slip up, one imperfect thing to lead us down a rabbit hole to wallowing in a bad mindset. Once we are sliding down this rabbit hole, it’s easy to lose perspective on how things are truly going. Sometimes, we need to take a step back to look at the situation. Sometimes, we need an external force to help us see the truth of things too.

The challenge: Will you challenge a bad mindset when it starts to set in? Will you help others challenge their bad mindsets when they are stuck in a rabbit hole?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

My Mid-Year Reflection (6-25-25)

This entry is focused on a few key lessons I’ve learned from reflecting at the mid-year point. As I reflect, I truly believe this is one of the best quarters I’ve had in life in a hot minute. If you want you can read the attachments, where I noodle on the different aspects of my life. Between the attachment and the lessons below, I hope something inspires you.

Give yourself permission to focus on 1 or 2 key things– This can be really scary, because if you truly focus on 1 or 2 key things, then this ultimately means there are dozens of things you won’t pay as much attention to. Inevitably, those dozens of things will not be done perfectly. This is the scary part. The realistic part is that those dozens of things likely don’t need to be perfect anyway. At work, my main focus was the rollout and adoption of our synthetic respondent tool. I truly believe that giving it the attention it deserved has already led to a lot of great things. Outside of work, my main focus was on my physical health and more specifically lifting/working out on a more regular basis. I was willing to forgo everything else, and my focus on that one area helped me physically get stronger and mentally feel better.
Stop tinkering and just be consistent– This connects to number 1. Even when you’re focused on something, it’s so easy to feel you have to constantly optimize. The issue is that all the effort spent constantly trying to optimize is effort you don’t spend executing. I had to learn to stop tinkering, so I could go execute.
People and vibes matter, so surround yourself with good ones– It’s amazing what the right people and energy can do. I’m so blessed to be surrounded by some incredible leaders and colleagues right now There is no fear here, just excitement to explore and shape a new future. This is my fuel. I’m soaking it in and using it to propel myself forward.

The challenge: Will you set aside the time to reflect? What lessons will ring true for you?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

My Q2 Quarterly Review

Rebuild (Q1B+, Q2A)- This is my word/theme for the year. I wanted to make repairs AND extensive changes. I’m giving myself an A for Q2. I built up some positive momentum in Q1 and have continued to capitalize on that. Hopefully, a lot of these things will become engrained as habits.
Mental Health (Q1A, Q2A)- The goal is to feel like I’m in a good, strong, solid mental state. I’m feeling great. I’ve focused in on a few key things that are helping me improve all aspects of my life. There’s a lot to love and celebrate in life right now, and I’m making sure I take the time to celebrate.
Physical Health (Q1B-, Q2B+)- The goal is to build strength, aiming for increasing strength by around 15%. I might have to adjust my strength goals, because I had a bit of a leg injury that will sideline me from heavy lifts for awhile. However, I’ve been more consistent than I have been in YEARS and I’m feeling the positive results. I’ve completed 2 obstacles course races and have a strong lineup of future races!
Family (Q1B+, Q2A-)– My son is 11 and my daughter is now 13. There are A LOT of big emotions every day. I’m proud of how well my wife and I are handling those things. It’s hard to give space to a dragon as it breathes fire, but there is strength in knowing you can stand in the fire and not get burned. The real strength is in walking through the fire to give the dragon a hug. I’m getting better at that each day.
Career (Q1B+, Q2 A+)- The goal is to feel like I’m delivering magic. If this isn’t the best quarter I’ve had at work in a while, it’s definitely been one of the most enjoyable. I told my boss the other day that I’m actively trying to dial my energy down a few notches because I got so much swagger right now it could hurt someone. Lol. In this quarter I watched things that had been over a year in the making come to life and become successful in such a short time frame. That was awesome to experience. The crucial thing is that it’s not just that I’m delivering magic as an individual. It’s that I’m so blessed to be working with different crews who believe in and are all delivering the impossible right now. That kind of stuff fills my bucket. I need to keep surrounding myself with these people and prioritizing what matters most.
Financial (Q1B, Q2B)- The goal is to ensure we are saving/investing money in the right way. I think I’m doing a bit better than Q1, but not better enough to warrant a higher grade. I think that’s okay. We are enjoying life right now.

A Favorite Professor and Leaving a Legacy (5-14-25)

This week is a one-off entry about one of my favorite college professors and leaving a legacy.

You never know when inspiration will hit. I had to get my wallet to buy something online and when I opened it, I saw the small card that I have kept with me since I was a senior in college almost 20 years ago. When I saw it, I smiled, and thought of Professor Skinner, one of my all-time-favorites professors who also happens to be retiring. This card is from a personal mission statement she had us write in her class, and I’ve had it ever since.

When I think about my time in her class, there are so many things that come to mind. She cares. She cares deeply about her students and her goal has always been to help them become better humans. She was always willing to push and challenge to help you realize your potential. There is so much I learned from her about being curious, being strong enough to ask for help, and how to think about and develop my personal brand. Whether it was during college or afterward, she always showed love, support, and challenged to me keep growing. I am so lucky to have had her as a professor and mentor.

Now let’s make some connections to our topic this week. Professor Skinner will go down as one of my favorite and most impactful professors I ever had. I know many of her students that feel the same way. What an incredible legacy to leave. It has me thinking about the legacy that I’m building. How will others feel when they look back at memories of us working together? What will people say when I retire? What lasting impact will I have on them? If I could be a Professor Skinner for other people that would be a tremendous accomplishment in life.

The challenge: What will your legacy be?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Self-Doubt and Being an Unreliable Narrator (4-16-25)

This week I’m going to kick off a series inspired by different storytelling mechanics. This entry is about self-doubt and being an unreliable narrator.

An unreliable narrator is a storyteller whose account of events can’t be fully trusted. They might be lying on purpose or they might unintentionally have things wrong. The Sixth Sense is a great example of having an unreliable narrator. The story is told from the perspective of Malcom, a child psychologist, played by Bruce Willis. Throughout the movie we see the world unfold through his eyes, and assume the events are true. Then the twist is revealed. Malcom had been dead the entire time and had not known it. As all the pieces start connecting you begin to realize that the events we saw from Malcom’s eyes weren’t the real ones.

You’re probably wondering how this connects to anything. What if we can be an unreliable narrator sometimes like Malcom? What if we allow our self-doubt, skepticism, or other things to infiltrate our minds and distort our perception of the reality around us? Has this ever happened to you? Sometimes, we need some perspective from the outside or another person to nudge us to ensure we have an accurate view on reality.

Let me share a recent personal story with you. My new boss started a couple of months ago. We were having a pretty good heart to heart during a 1 on 1. At the time, self-doubt was shaping my narrative, and I shared something along the lines of, “I feel like I’m just moving soooo slow right now. It’s like I’m not being effective.” My boss looks at me and says something like, “I don’t feel that way or see that being true.” This jolt was similar to the twist in the Sixth Sense, where all of the pieces started to fit together in a different and more true way. This comment made me realize that I might have been an unreliable narrator. Maybe, my perception of what was going on was not actually reality. Maybe, my perception had been distorted by self-doubt. Fast forward from two months ago to yesterday when I had my first performance check-in for the year. Now, I had a better grasp on reality due to a more balanced self-reflection and by listening to the feedback and encouragement from others. Instead of being burdened by self-doubt, I went into that conversation confident. I was able to sit down and tell a story like, “I’m so proud and so excited about everything I’ve delivered so far, AND I also know I’d like to grow in A, B, C areas.” It was a total shift from just a couple of months prior.

The challenge- How will you ensure that self-doubt doesn’t turn you into an unreliable narrator?

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry

Q1 2025 Self-Reflection (3-26-25)

It’s a bonus blog! I hope you’re excited 😉 For the past few years I’ve used the last Wednesday of the first quarter to share a blog on doing quarterly check-ins for work and yourself. This will be a long email, because I’m sharing my own self-assessment.

We have our first performance management coming up in the next month. During this check-in we will talk through some of these questions. What are 2-3 highlights? What are 2-3 opportunities to do better? What are some learnings from Q1 I can apply moving forward?

What does this have to do anything? While this is great for work, we could apply this same thinking to our personal lives as well. What are some of your goals for 2025? How did you do with them in Q1? Have you stopped to CELEBRATE your progress? Stop RIGHT NOW and celebrate something you’ve achieved. After you celebrate, then you can reflect and see if there are any gaps. If you have gaps, why do you have gaps? What happened? What got in the way? How can you adjust to reach your goals for this quarter?

The challenge: Will you take the time to do a quarterly check-in? What changes will you make to set yourself up for the rest of the year?

Bonus: Here is my review based on the dimensions in my life I set goals for. Hopefully, it sparks a thought or two for you. In case no one has told you lately, “YOU GOT THIS!”

Rebuild (B+)- This is my word/theme for the year. I wanted to make repairs AND extensive changes. I’m giving myself an B+, because all of the momentum I’ve built back and am taking advantage of. I’d say the trend for all categories is that the first 6 weeks of the quarter were bumpy, and from there I’ve been on a great upward trajectory.
Mental Health (A)- The goal is to feel like I’m in a good, strong, solid mental state. I feel I’m in the best headspace that I’ve been in a hot minute. I have a lot to love and celebrate in life right now. I think I’m also doing a better job of practicing radical acceptance and recognizing “it is what it is.”
Physical Health (B-)- The goal is to build strength, aiming for increasing strength by around 15%. I couldn’t find an exercise routine or rhythm in January or February. I’ve been crushing it in March and making sure I’m prioritizing my time to hit the gym. I’m reestablishing my strength baselines, so I can track that more throughout the year. I would like to walk/run more, mainly so I can make sure I’m prepared for my obstacle course races. First one is in May!
Family (B+)-The goal is to feel like I’m being an amazing husband and dad. I’m feeling pretty good about things right now. I can feel my family start to evolve into the next phase with my son turning 11 and my daughter almost 13. It’s cool watching them grow and leading beside my wife. I will honestly say I’ve been working more hours than I’d like, but I think that will balance out in the future.
Career (B+)- The goal is to feel like I’m delivering magic. From the end of the year through Q1, I feel like I’ve been delivering some Hufflepuff magic, and that folks are valuing it. The whole feeling valued piece is huge. I’m also on the verge of rolling out a few things I’ve been working on for the better part of a year, and that’s adding even more positivity. With that said, the past few months have also been a humbling experience and a reminder that it’s impossible to juggle everything all of the time. I’ve definitely had a few balls drop in Q1. Some of them have been rubber. A couple of them have been glass. As part of the radical acceptance piece, I’m doing better at embracing it for what it is and I’m proud that despite all of the crazy I was still able to do some pretty darn amazing things. Luckily, the crazy is starting to become more manageable. In the midst of all the change and organizational evolution, I feel like I’m getting some stability, which might be a weird thing to say 😉. As we continue to fill open roles, we can better distribute the workload. Additionally, as we take confident steps toward embracing a new future, this stability will become stronger and enable the team and I to reach our potential.
Financial (B)- The goal is to ensure we are saving/investing money in the right way. I’ve already shifted money for investments. I am wasting a bit too much money on eating out right now. I want to tighten that up in Q2.

Have a jolly good day,

Andrew Embry