Feeling ready to finish 2025 strong—or wondering how to get there? In this solo episode of The Art of Badassery podcast, Chief Badassery Officer Jenn Cassetta shares a roadmap for surviving the year and stepping into 2026 with confidence. Drawing from her martial arts experience, Jenn introduces “White Belt Month”—a reset to strip away titles, revisit the basics, and reconnect with your inner strength.
She guides listeners through creating a “Greatest Sh*ts List” to honor tough lessons, uncovering secret weapons built through adversity, and building a “Greatest Hits List” to celebrate wins and joyful moments.
This episode is your guide to ending the year grounded, empowered, and ready to tackle the next chapter with clarity and courage.
Listen to the episode here
Watch the episode here
Introduction
Welcome to a special edition of The Art of Badassery Podcast blog, where we dive deep into the art of surviving and thriving as we approach the upcoming year. This solo episode with Jenn Cassetta, your Chief Bad Assery Officer, is all about harnessing the power within you to finish 2025 strong and step into 2026 with renewed energy and confidence.
Back to Basics: The White Belt Month
In the world of martial arts, humility and foundation are keys to mastery. Jenn shares the concept of “white belt month,” where practitioners of all ranks embrace beginner’s lessons to reinforce their skills. This exercise isn’t just about martial arts; it’s about shedding accomplishments and societal labels, and focusing on foundational strengths to rebuild a stronger self.
Embrace the Suck
One of the key lessons Jenn shares is the idea of embracing the suck. Life is rife with unavoidable challenges. Fires in LA, overwhelming news cycles, and personal hardships have all tested us in 2025. Instead of resisting, embracing these hardships allows us to grow stronger, more resilient, and ultimately more prepared for whatever comes next.
Your Greatest Shits List
Jenn encourages us to identify the challenging, unavoidable situations (or “greatest shits”) of the year. Recognizing these allows us to then discover our secret weapons developed as a result. Just as martial artists hone their unique skills, we too have emotional and mental strengths that evolve through adversity—grit, empathy, and resilience are just a few examples.
Discover Secret Weapons
The power of our secret weapons comes from the adversities we’ve faced. Jenn emphasizes that perseverance, patience, and empathy are gifts, honed under life’s pressures. They serve us as we tackle future challenges. She urges us to identify these personal strengths and cherish them as essential tools for the future.
Celebrating Achievements with Your Greatest Hits List
Once we’ve embraced our challenges and discovered our secret weapons, it’s time to celebrate wins—both big and small. Jenn speaks about the importance of compiling a “greatest hits list” of our accomplishments and joyful moments from 2025. Reflecting on our successes boosts our confidence, reminding us that we’ve made significant strides this year.
Visualizing the Future
Jenn highlights the importance of visualization and mindful goal setting for overcoming chaos and creating a positive future. Through exercises like vision boarding, we can shape our subconscious to guide us toward our aspirations. As 2026 approaches, embodying calm, confidence, and clarity becomes crucial to navigating a world that may yet be turbulent.
Conclusion
To thrive in the coming year, Jenn leaves us with the reminder to focus on creating joy and raising our vibration. This mindset ripples through our interactions and community, creating a positive impact beyond what we see. Moving forward, let us embrace each day with the spirit of a renewed sensei, ready for transformation and growth.
3 Takeaways from This Episode:
Celebrate and Visualize: Compile a list of your achievements and thrilling moments. Visualize an empowered future to keep you grounded and focused on the positive amid uncertainty.
Embrace the Basics: By stepping back to the basics, we strip away ego and rebuild our core strengths. Remember, foundational skills are often the most powerful.
Find Your Secret Weapons: Reflect on the past year’s challenges and recognize the hidden strengths you’ve developed. These secret weapons will serve you as you face future trials.
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