On Saturday, I did a 3 hour strategy exercise to map out what I want from 2026.
I do this exercise every year because:
I want to lead my life with intention
I need to remind myself how much I used to dream about the life I currently live (living abroad, running my own business, spending my days doing something that I love, having loving people in my life who fully accept me, etc)
I know many of you come to this newsletter for practical coaching tools but also for honest stories about building a career (and a life) you actually want. This will be one of these stories.
I thought I’d share with you what the past 3 years have really looked like for me - and how I got to where I am today.
Let’s dive in:
In 2023, my goal was “to have more meaningful conversations”.
This realisation came to me during a 10 day silent meditation course in December 2022.
At that time, I really enjoyed my career in the startup ecosystem but I could tell that something’s been missing. The tech world is a fast-paced one - new targets, new deadlines, new partnerships. What I seemed to crave is more depth and connection, and I thought “having more meaningful conversations” will give me that.
Initially, I had no idea how to do this in practice though. I remember asking myself: should I become a therapist? But since I’m a very action-focused and forward-looking person, therapy didn’t feel dynamic enough for me.
Then I started working with an amazing career coach who got me thinking - what if I became a coach? After a few months of hesitation, I signed up to a 6-month intensive coaching training and… never looked back.
In 2024, my goal was “to be scared and do it anyway”.
In January 2024, I quit my exciting job at a tech startup and decided to build my own coaching practice. Full-time.
It was VERY scary, way out of my comfort zone. But it felt right so I persisted.
I invested in working with two business coaches and in even more leadership training.
I met so many wonderful people through my coaching practice - I was finally having lots of meaningful conversations on a regular basis!!
But I also worked hard and put a lot of pressure on myself to figure things out, like, yesterday. If you’re a fellow high-achiever, you know the feeling.
As a perfectionist, I also wanted to show excellence in my coaching. I studied hard and got my ICF and EMCC coaching credentials. Apart from that, I spent most of the year building my business processes, refining my niche and delivering coaching sessions to more and more people.
To make all of this happen, I made a conscious decision to deprioritise some parts of my personal life. That was a huge trade-off but I felt like it was necessary.
In 2025, my goal was “to work smarter, not harder”.
The previous year was emotionally and mentally draining so first thing in January, I started working with a wellbeing and performance coach. Across 11 months of working together, she helped me build more sustainable systems and change my mindset around what’s important vs urgent, and what can be delegated.
Having learnt that, I invested in working with an agency to outsource some of my marketing and sales activity.
I also hired an assistant to manage my inbox, my calendar, and all of the system updates that I don’t have to do myself. She’s probably better equipped to do that anyway.
I’m also happy to report that I coach and stay in touch with some of my best clients yet and get to regularly re-enroll many of them!
For 2026, my goal is “to be more me” and there are two reasons for it:
Recently my therapist pointed out that I STILL have the tendency to power through difficulties and tend to do it with a smile. Externally it makes me easy to work with but internally it’s… exhausting?? With this in mind, I want to learn even more about the CBT model of perfectionism and let myself be “work in progress”. Honestly, even after years of self-work and receiving professional coaching training myself, it’s still a daily practice!!
Secondly, on a more relatable note, I’m sooo fed up with all of the AI generated content online. It’s so booooring. I personally really value authenticity, so in that vein, I want to stand out by showing up in a less polished way - and I plan to do it by embracing my personality and all of my quirks. Even if it’s not perfect 💛
If this resonated with you, I’d love to know: What is it that YOU want from 2026?
Reply and tell me - I read every email.
If you know someone who needs to read this, feel free to share away.
And if not, I’ll see you next month.
Speak soon,
Karolina
P.S. When you’re ready, here are two ways I can help:
Book a free 1:1 Clarity Session — we’ll explore what it’s like to work together and how you can start showing up with more confidence at work.
If your company has a Learning & Development budget, you might be able to use it for coaching. Many of my clients do - just ask me for my “Letter to Manager” template, and I’ll send it your way.
For new readers:
Welcome to Quietly Confident! Once a month, I share coaching tools, frameworks, and real stories to help you:
Speak up with confidence, even when your heart’s racing
Set boundaries that protect your energy (without guilt)
Build credibility and respect that makes people listen
All grounded in psychology, neuroscience, and insights from 150+ introverted leaders I’ve coached.
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