Jim's Take

Jim’s Take – Episode 161Setting Up 2026 for Success: Five Categories That Actually MatterAs the year winds down, everyone becomes reflective. Journals come out. Goals get rewritten. Plans feel serious ... until February.In this final episode of the year, Jim cuts through the seasonal noise and lays out a practical framework for entering 2026 with intention instead of hope. Rather than resolutions or vague goals, this episode introduces a five-category executive checklist designed to surface blind spots, force trade-offs, and create clarity in an increasingly chaotic world..In This EpisodeJim walks through five areas that determine whether 2026 becomes a year you control — or one that simply happens to you:1. Accomplishment - Why pride is the only KPI that actually matters, how avoidance disguises itself as busyness, and why asking “What would my replacement do?” exposes what you’ve been dodging.2. Fears & Motivations - Why fear is data, how logistics often mask deeper resistance, and how naming the fear you won’t say out loud gives you leverage over it.3. Priorities - Why you don’t have priorities — you have one priority — and how trade-offs, not ambition, determine execution.4. Social - Why social capital isn’t optional anymore, how relationships act as relevance insurance, and why opportunities live inside other people’s calendars.5. Wellness - Why energy is operational readiness, not self-care fluff — and how non-negotiables, recovery plans, and boundaries make execution sustainable.Throughout the episode, Jim emphasizes intentionality as the filter that cuts through distraction, noise, and overwhelm — especially in a world designed to constantly steal your attention.Resources• Download the 2026 Executive Checklist (free): jimfrawley.com • Learn more about The Bellwether Method • Subscribe for weekly conversations on leadership, clarity, and adaptationKey Takeaway: You don’t need a new year. You need better questions.

Episode Summary:In episode 160 of Jim’s Take, Jim dismantles the idea of gratitude as a seasonal, soft, feel-good emotion and rebuilds it as a year-round cognitive discipline. Instead of treating gratitude like a holiday prop, he explores how to turn it into a sustainable, repeatable practice that still works in February when it’s cold, gray, and noisy.Drawing from research (including the work of Richard Boyatzis on the parasympathetic nervous system) and his own cranky mood while recording, Jim reframes gratitude as an interpretation: your brain notices, assigns value, and then you feel it. That insight opens the door to training gratitude instead of waiting for it.In this episode, we cover:Why “gratitude season” feels fake and performativeThe problem with gratitude posts that evaporate on January 2ndThe surprising truth that gratitude is not an emotion, but an interpretationHow the emotion of gratitude follows cognition, not the other way aroundThe rain-and-flowers example (and the urge to smack people who love the rain)Understanding the parasympathetic nervous system as the “anti-stress” responseHow reflection on someone who helped you creates that gratitude feelingWhy our negativity bias makes gratitude intrinsically effortfulGratitude as the elimination of judgment and filling in gaps with worst-case assumptionsPerspective: what you’re taking for granted because you’re used to itPresence: putting the book or phone down and actually being with your lifeWhy he might lock his phone away for DecemberProof: why real gratitude doesn’t need to be broadcast on social mediaBuilding a “pause doc” / proof folder of compliments, progress, and winsImposter syndrome, senior roles, and revisiting evidence that you’re capableSimple daily questions to build a habit of gratitudeWhy gratitude is a power move: clarity, focus, less reactivity, and more strengthKey Takeaways:Gratitude is not effortless; it’s a recognition skill that interrupts your default wiring.You can train gratitude by changing perspective, practicing presence, and capturing proof.Real gratitude doesn’t need a post – it needs your attention.Gratitude is not about settling. You can want more and respect the work that got you here.When you deliberately practice gratitude, you become harder to knock off your game.

Title: Never Enough: The Pressures of Our Environment and the Path Back to Self-Worth | Jim FrawleyDescription:In Jim’s Take Episode 159, executive coach Jim Frawley examines why “enough” never seems to be enough anymore. Today’s social, digital, and economic environments constantly shift expectations—pushing achievement over meaning and visibility over value. Jim offers a direct, practical reframe: trade projection for contribution, performance anxiety for self-assurance, and empathy overload for actionable compassion.Listeners will learn:Why external scorekeeping (titles, metrics, followers) breeds conditional worthHow to disentangle identity from other people’s moving goalpostsThe difference between confidence and self-assurance, self-importance and self-worthWhy empathy is often misapplied at work - and how compassion prevents burnoutA better target than “purpose”: usefulness you can feel and measureTwo exercises:Identity Columns: What defines you? In the next column, write who told you that.Participation is greater than Performance: Replace projection with tangible contribution each week.How to reduce duplicity, align inner values with outer behavior, and build calmWhy listen: If you’re a leader or operator in New York / NYC or any fast-moving market, this episode gives you a repeatable approach to rebuild worth from the inside out—without abandoning ambition.Subscribe, rate, and review on Apple/Spotify. Watch on YouTube. More resources at jimfrawley.com.

Nothing Is Real Anymore: Trust, Suspicion, and Thinking for Yourself | Jim FrawleyDescription:Trust is the glue that holds society together - yet it’s eroding fast. In this episode of Jim’s Take, executive coach Jim Frawley tackles why “nothing feels real” anymore and how to respond with clarity instead of cynicism. From AI deepfakes and manipulated narratives to algorithm-driven outrage, Jim maps the landscape and offers a practical way forward: rebuild trust locally, reduce isolation, and reclaim your ability to think.You’ll learn:What’s changed: Why truth feels slippery in the age of AI voices, viral clips, and performative expertiseTrust vs. suspicion: Suspicion is a stress response; it can keep you safe, but it won’t make you calm or effectiveBeliefs vs. truth: The illusion of knowing, awareness vs. understanding, and how to audit your assumptionsMental laziness: Stop delegating truth to algorithms and influencers - take responsibility for your interpretationsTwo quick audits:Trust Audit: People, sources, and institutions you rely on - do they actually help you make good decisions?Suspicion Audit: Where you’re filling gaps with fear or imagination - and how to replace that with inquiryIn-person > isolation: Why real conversations, body language, and micro-interactions build trust faster than feedsHumility, curiosity, intentionality: The skill set that turns skepticism into insight (without lapsing into cynicism)Why listen: If you’re a leader, operator, or creative in New York / NYC or any fast-moving market, you’re making high-stakes decisions in an environment wired for distraction. This episode gives you a repeatable mindset to separate signal from noise, reduce stress, and act with integrity.Subscribe, rate, and review Jim’s Take on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.Watch and share the episode on YouTube.More insights and coaching at jimfrawley.com

Title: Sober October and Sobriety RevisitedDescription:In this episode of Jim’s Take, executive coach and Bellwether founder Jim Frawley shares the story of why he quit drinking - and what happened next. It wasn’t about hitting rock bottom or joining a 12-step program. It was about accountability, honesty, and realizing he no longer liked what drinking brought to his life. From those first awkward days of saying “no thanks” to a beer, to rediscovering presence and clarity, Jim’s reflections offer both humor and hard truth about what it means to grow up and take control of your choices.Listeners will learn:How accountability with someone you trust keeps you honest.Why giving up drinking leads to less stress and greater self-respect.How to handle social situations when you no longer drink - and why most people don’t care.The connection between self-care, maturity, and authenticity.Why quitting alcohol ranks among Jim’s top three life decisions.Whether you’re trying Sober October, considering Dry January, or just questioning your habits, Jim’s insights will help you approach change without shame or pretense.Subscribe, rate, and review Jim’s Take on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen.Watch the full episode on YouTube.Learn more at jimfrawley.com.