October is here. And if you’re anything like me, there’s a moment in early October where you look at the calendar and think: How is it already this far into the year? The final quarter of 2026 has arrived. And with it comes an important question — one that’s easier to avoid than to answer honestly: Where are you right now compared to where you said you’d be?
I’m not asking this to make you feel bad. I’m asking it because I believe that honest awareness is the beginning of every meaningful change. And right now, at the start of October, you have a powerful opportunity: the chance to take a real look at your year, honor your progress, learn from your challenges, and set yourself up to finish 2026 the way you always meant to. This is your gentle invitation to do just that.
WHY MOST OF US AVOID THIS CHECK-IN. Here’s something I’ve noticed about myself and the people I talk to in this community: we tend to do one of two things when it comes to checking in on our goals. We avoid it completely, because looking at what we haven’t done yet feels uncomfortable. Or we look at it and immediately spiral into shame — telling ourselves we’re behind, we didn’t do enough, we’re failing. Neither of these serves us. So today, I want to offer you a different approach.
What if you looked at your year with curiosity instead of judgment? THE CURIOUS APPROACH TO SELF-REFLECTION. When you approach your goals with curiosity, you’re not looking for evidence that you failed. You’re looking for information about what worked, what didn’t, and what you actually want going forward. The gap between where you are and where you planned to be? That’s not a sign that you’re a failure. It’s information. It tells you where to focus your energy. It tells you what needs to change. It tells you what you genuinely care about versus what you thought you should care about. That kind of insight is worth more than any perfectly completed goal list.
THREE QUESTIONS FOR YOUR OCTOBER CHECK-IN.
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Here are three questions I want you to sit with this week. Get out a journal if you can — there’s something powerful about writing these down.
First: What am I proud of from this year so far? Before you look at what you didn’t finish, honor what you did. What did you try? What did you learn? What did you survive? What risk did you take? We have a tendency to discount our progress because it doesn’t look like what we planned. But progress is progress, and you deserve to acknowledge it.
Second: What didn’t go as planned, and what did that teach me? Now look at the gaps. But do it with curiosity. Maybe a goal got derailed — why did that happen? What does that tell you about your habits, your system, your true priorities? Every stumble contains a lesson if you’re willing to look for it.
Third: What do I still want before this year ends? This is the question that matters most right now. What’s one thing you want to be able to say you did before December 31st, 2026? Not a list of twenty things — one thing. Because focus is what makes the impossible feel possible. YOU STILL HAVE TIME.
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I want to say this clearly, because I think sometimes we need to hear it: You are not behind. You have not missed your chance. October is not too late. November is not too late. December is not too late. You still have time. And the best thing you can do with that time is stop waiting for the “right moment” and start using the moment you have. The rest of this year can still be powerful. It can still be transformative. It can still be the beginning of everything you’ve been working toward — if you choose to treat it that way.
This month in the Live Creatively community, we are finishing STRONG. Not just finishing — finishing with intention, with pride, with the knowledge that we showed up for ourselves when it counted. And it starts with this honest check-in. So before you close this blog, take five minutes. Write down your answers to those three questions. Look at where you are with kindness and clarity. And then decide: How do you want to finish this year? The rest of 2026 is yours. Go use it.
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