What would happen if you wrote down the best moments of your career—the times when you felt most alive, proud, or truly like yourself?
In this solo episode, I share one of my favourite tools from my upcoming book and course Write Your Career: the Career Highlight Reel. It’s a simple but powerful journaling exercise that can boost your confidence, reveal your strengths, and help you make better career decisions.
Most of us are brilliant at remembering mistakes or what went wrong. That’s the brain’s negativity bias at work — always scanning for problems. But we’re much less skilled at holding onto the positives: the projects that went well, the compliments we received, the days when work flowed.
And yet, those highlights are full of insight. They show us what energises us, what strengths we naturally bring, and the kind of environment where we thrive.
I share personal examples too — like the time I walked away from a job interview unsure of myself, only to be told later that I’d come across as professional, knowledgeable, and enthusiastic. That feedback became a lasting “confidence anchor,” something I’ve leaned on in countless situations since.
Or the times I worried about whether my presentations were landing. A speaking coach’s positive feedback helped me reframe what I thought I saw in my audience — teaching me that “blank listening faces” aren’t disinterested at all, but simply how most people look when they’re focused. That reminder gave me confidence whenever I stepped up to present.
The Highlight Reel is simple: write down moments when you’ve felt proud, energised, or most like yourself at work. They don’t have to be dramatic — often the small, authentic wins are the most revealing.
It could be:
A piece of feedback that stayed with you.
An achievement that marked a turning point.
A moment of courage where you took a risk.
A contribution that made a real difference.
Then expand it with the phrase: “This shows me that I…” (twice if you can).
This turns a memory into an insight. For example:
“I helped a colleague stay calm under pressure. This shows me that I bring steadiness and empathy in stressful situations.”
“I came across well in an interview. This shows me that I can project confidence even when I don’t feel it.”
A single highlight becomes a clue to what matters most to you in your work. And as you collect more of them, patterns emerge: values, energisers, strengths. Over time, this becomes a practical career tool.
Your highlights aren’t just confidence boosts — they’re a filter for future decisions. When you’re wondering whether to take a role, stay, or move on, your Highlight Reel reminds you of the conditions where you’ve thrived before.
It’s also a gift in interviews. Instead of scrambling to talk about your strengths, you’ll have authentic, energising examples ready to share.
Grab a notebook or your phone and take five minutes:
Write down one recent moment when you felt proud or energised at work.
Capture it in a couple of sentences.
Add the phrase: “This shows me that I…” and finish the thought.
That’s it. You’ve just started your Highlight Reel.
The Highlight Reel is one of many writing tools I’ll be sharing in Write Your Career, my new book (publishing April 2026). Alongside the book, I’ve created a 30-day journaling course, also called Write Your Career. Each day gives you a simple prompt, a short explanation, and the space to write about your career for just 15 minutes.
It’s about clarity, confidence, and taking meaningful steps on your own terms.
👉 As a podcast listener, you can currently access the pilot version of the course for free with the coupon code PILOT25:
Write Your Career 30-Day Course
This is your chance to shape not only your own career, but also my upcoming book. Your feedback, insights, and stories could help bring Write Your Career to life.
So why not give the Highlight Reel a try today? Your best moments aren’t just memories — they’re showing you the way forward.