Hey, it’s Rafic.
Welcome back to Peak Performance Insider.
As we get closer to the holidays, everything around us speeds up — finishing projects, planning for 2026, trying to “wrap up” the year neatly.
But I’ve been thinking about something different lately:
Maybe the most important thing you can do right now
is pause.
Not quit, not disappear — just pause long enough to actually see your life with clear eyes before the new year begins.
And strangely, what sparked that thought came from a book I just started reading for the first time only yesterday.
🔍 A Line From Sherlock Holmes That Hit Me
I picked up The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes out of curiosity — I’ve always enjoyed the deduction aspect of the character.
Early on, there’s a small moment between Holmes and Watson that stayed with me.
Holmes turns to Watson and says:
“You see, but you do not observe. The distinction is clear.”
Watson asks what he means.
Holmes replies:
“You have frequently seen the steps which lead up from the hall to this room.”
Watson: “Frequently.”
Holmes: “How many steps are there?”
Watson: “How many? I don’t know.”
Holmes: “Quite so! You have not observed. And yet you have seen.”
It’s such a simple exchange — but the truth behind it is massive.
Most of us spend the whole year seeing our lives:
the work
the responsibilities
the stress
the progress
the routines
the changes
But we rarely pause long enough to observe any of it.
Observation needs space.
Space requires a pause.
And that’s what this week is about.
Not goals.
Not planning.
Not performance.
Just the pause before the next chapter.
📌 Today’s Agenda
✅ Why a pause is more useful than a plan right now
✅ The difference between seeing your life and observing it
✅ What slowing down reveals that speed hides
✅ 3 questions to sit with before the year ends
First time reading?
🔗 Best Links - My Favorite Finds
🧠 Personal Growth & Mindset 🔹 Where Did Kiwi Come From? | A short, simple reminder that we often accept stories as “normal” without ever questioning them — a great metaphor for reflecting on your own patterns.
👥 Leadership & Influence 🔹 Three Hacks to Improve Your Odds of Success | Practical, grounded strategies for navigating uncertainty and increasing your chances of follow-through.
📈 Productivity & Habits 🔹 Understanding Time Blindness | A clear look at why some days disappear and others drag — and what actually helps you regain a sense of control over your time.
💪 Health & Wellness 🔹 How Much Protein Do You Really Need Daily? | A balanced breakdown of protein intake and how to support long-term health without obsessing or overcomplicating things.
✍️ Deep Dive: The Power of Pausing Before the New Year
Most people enter December with a mindset of:
finish everything
plan everything
fix everything
prepare everything for next year
But planning without perspective is just noise.
You can’t make aligned decisions
if you don’t first understand what this year has actually been for you.
And you can’t understand that
if you never slow down long enough to observe it.
A pause isn’t laziness.
It’s clarity.
When you slow down, you start to notice:
• where the year stretched you
• where you grew
• what you tolerated that you don’t want to carry into next year
• what energized you
• where you drifted off-course
• where you actually surprised yourself
Slowing down gives meaning to the year
so the next one doesn’t become a repeat of the same patterns.
This isn’t about journaling for hours.
It’s about awareness.
As Holmes said:
“You see, but you do not observe.”
The pause helps you observe.
🧭 Try This Week: A Gentle December Check-In
Instead of a ritual, routine, or worksheet…
just three questions to sit with at your own pace:
1️⃣ What did this year show me about myself?
Not what you achieved — but what you learned about how you move through life.
2️⃣ Where did I feel most like myself?
That feeling is a compass. It’s pointing somewhere.
3️⃣ What feels heavy — and what does that tell me?
Heaviness is information. It’s rarely random.
You don’t need to solve anything right now.
Just observe.
🎁 Gift of Coaching: 60% Off for Subscribers
If this season of pausing is bringing things up — patterns you’re ready to shift, goals that still matter, or the feeling that next year needs to feel different — you don’t have to sort through it alone.
As a thank-you for being here:
👉 Subscribers get 60% off coaching until EOD today, December 15, and then I’m officially winding down until 2026.
It’s simply an invitation to have a space where you can:
• slow down and think clearly
• explore what you want next
• build structure that supports your real life
If support feels right — just reply to this email or message [email protected] with “Gift of Coaching” and I’ll share the details.
🎯 That's a Wrap
I’ll be pausing too.
This is the last edition of the year — I’ll be back on February 2.
Not because I’m disappearing…
but because I’m honoring the same thing I’m writing about:
A moment to breathe.
A moment to observe.
A moment to come back with clarity.
I hope you give yourself the same permission.
See you in January,
— Rafic Osseiran
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