I complete some version of an annual review every year. In 2018, I stole my good friend Scott Kedersha’s template and asked myself three questions as a guide to reviewing the year:

1. What went well?

2. What didn’t?

3. What did I learn?

I found this a helpful exercise. It helped me gain clarity on the year’s events and think more deeply about the road ahead. I can think of few ways to close out this year, then by sharing this year’s review.

There is a small area of this world around which you can draw a circle and declare, “Mine.” It is comprised of your thoughts and reactions. That’s it. You control you, and little else. That’s why life is 10 percent what happens to you, and 90 percent how you respond to it.

Taking ownership of this simple truth changes everything. One way to start taking responsibility for everything within your circle is reading. Fill your mind with the fuel it will need to face down life and overcome the poor state of circumstance you will most often encounter. I know of no other activity that will transform the way you think and respond to life’s troubles like reading. That’s why reading is an indispensable part of my daily life.

The past week we paused to celebrate Thanksgiving. As with most important dates on the calendar, it provides a great occasion to not only pause but to reflect.

Reflection is perhaps one of the most important functions of the human mind. It allows us to step back and see beneath the surface of the waters. Too often we get caught up in the circumstances of life. Reflection gives us the opportunity to see beyond those circumstances to the heart of the matter. In short, reflection leads us to perspective.

Life is a constant race without a finish line. You never truly arrive. You must always remain hungry. You must strive and work to improve because the moment you cease moving forward, you start sliding backward.

I consistently work in the pursuit of becoming the best version of myself. Which is why I read all the books I can get my hands on. If it has a nugget of truth within, something that will propel me forward on my journey, I devour it like the leftover turkey the Friday after Thanksgiving.

At the end of each month, I share a few of those reads with you. I hope that you will find something to encourage and motivate you on your journey towards becoming your personal best.