Reader,

2 days ago, our bathroom door lock stopped working. You know that moment when you turn the thumbturn and... nothing? It just spins uselessly. The door won't lock.

My first instinct was to call the locksmith. But something I read recently stopped me.

If you're on Justin Welsh's Saturday Solopreneur newsletter, you might have seen his recent story about replacing a special lightbulb in his water filtration system. At first glance, it's just a home maintenance story. But the real lesson is that nobody is coming to save you.

Justin wrote about how, when he was younger, he'd wait for someone to tell him what to do. He needed guidance, approval and direction. It wasn't until he realized he could teach himself what he needed to learn that everything changed for him. He no longer needed someone else's permission or validation.

That story was fresh in my mind when our lock broke.

So instead of immediately calling the locksmith, I decided to figure it out. I took photos of the lock from different angles. Then I opened Gemini AI asked - 'How to fix this lock that won't lock.' The answer came back: it was likely a loose screw at the thumbturn. I just needed to tighten it with an allen key.

I rummaged through our old toolbox and found an allen key. Wrong size. But I remembered my son had a set of allen keys. So I asked if he could help me when he got home that evening. Five minutes later? Lock fixed.

It seems like such a small thing, right? But it reinforced my identity as someone who figures things out. And that's the identity I need to carry into 2026.

The brutal truth about my 2025

I've been reflecting on my year. I didn't achieve most of my goals. I set big, ambitious targets. Most of them didn't happen.

Towards the end of the year, I finally signed a client at the rate I wanted - my full rate, not discounted, not free. For months, I'd been offering heavily discounted sessions. Sometimes free. Because I didn't believe anyone would pay my full rate.

But I kept trying, adjusting and showing up. And eventually, I got the result I wanted. Because I'm the sort of person who sticks with something until I figure it out. That's the identity that matters.

I went from thinking like a 'good' employee: 'I'm the sort of person who achieves every goal.'

To someone who's a successful business owner: 'I'm the sort of person who figures it out.'

Why your big goals are SUPPOSED to be hard

When you're pursuing a goal that matters to you, it's meant to be difficult. Not because the universe is against you. But because you need to become a different person to achieve it.

You need to develop:

• The skill of problem-solving
• The mental resolve to keep going when it's hard
• The emotional capacity to handle setbacks
• The identity of someone who figures things out

That bathroom lock wasn't just about home maintenance. It was practice for everything else. Practice for:

• The client objection you don't know how to handle
• The tech problem that's blocking your launch
• The visibility fear that's keeping you stuck
• The pricing conversation that makes you want to hide

Nobody is coming to save you. Not your mentor. Not your coach. Not some future version of yourself who's magically more confident. You have to become the person who figures it out. And the only way to do that? Start figuring things out. Small things. Big things. Bathroom locks. Business problems. All of it counts.

What I'm taking into 2026

I have big, ambitious goals for 2026. I may or may not achieve all of them. Probably won't, if I'm honest.

But I know this: I'm the sort of person who will figure it out.

And that's enough. That identity, more than any strategy, more than any tactic, is what will carry me through the new year.

Your turn

If you've been grappling with a problem you haven't solved yet, I want to invite you to something. Tomorrow (29 December 2025) at 9:30AM SGT, I'm hosting a free workshop called Create 2026.

I'll be sharing:

• My process for problem-solving when you're stuck
• How to set goals that actually matter (not just what you think you 'should' do)
• The identity shifts that make achievement possible
• How to build the resolve to figure it out, even when it's hard

This isn't a rah-rah goal-setting session. It's practical. It's honest. And it's for women who are ready to become the sort of person who figures it out.

If that's you, then CLICK HERE to register.

See you then,

Sharon

P.S. That bathroom lock is still working perfectly. Sometimes the smallest wins remind us of who we're becoming!