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The 2025 Networking Audit
How to Take Inventory of Your Relationships, Favor, and Focus Before 2026
As we close the chapter on 2025, most people are already thinking ahead:
- New goals
- New events
- New opportunities
But very few stop to do the most important work first: an honest audit.
Because clarity doesn’t come from doing more, it comes from understanding what actually worked, and what did not work.
There’s a form of currency in the marketplace that rarely gets discussed, yet quietly determines access, opportunity, and growth:
Favor.
Not favoritism. Favor.
Favor is the byproduct of trust, consistency, contribution, and character. It’s built over time with people who know you, respect you, and are willing to put their name next to yours.
Before you sprint into 2026, it’s time to honestly examine where your favor actually lives.
Step 1: Audit The Rooms From 2025
Start here, and start with the truth.
Ask yourself:
- Which rooms did I consistently show up in this year?
- Which environments energized me vs. depleted me?
- Where did real conversations and connections happen, not just superficiality?
Then go one layer deeper:
- Which rooms led to a lasting relationship, not just another contact?
- Which rooms created opportunity, growth, or visibility over time?
- Which rooms did I attend out of habit, obligation, or fear of missing out?
Listen to me. Not every room deserves a repeat appearance.
Step 2: Identify Where You Actually Have Favor
This is the most overlooked part of networking. Take inventory of the people in your world and ask:
- Who answers my calls or texts consistently?
- Who refers me without being asked?
- Who advocates for me when I’m not in the room?
- Who trusts my judgment and seeks my perspective?
These are signals of favor. Now ask the harder question:
- Where have I been visible, but not valuable?
- Where do I want favor, but haven’t earned it yet?
Favor is built, not requested. It’s the result of who you’ve been, not who you say you are.
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Step 3: Evaluate Your Relational ROI (Without Being Transactional)
This isn’t about “using” people. It’s about wise stewardship of your social circles.
Every relationship doesn’t need to produce revenue.
But every recurring room and relationship should produce growth, alignment, learning, trust, or contribution of some kind.
Ask yourself:
- Which relationships sharpen me?
- Which ones stretch my thinking or standards?
- Which ones allow me to contribute meaningfully?
- Which ones feel one-sided or stagnant?
If a relationship has no depth, no growth, no mutual investment, it may be time to re-evaluate how much energy it receives in 2026.
Step 4: Audit Your Follow-Through
Most people overestimate how well they actually follow up and follow through.
Ask honestly:
- Did I follow up when and how I said I would?
- Did I make the introductions I promised?
- Did I check back in, or just “check the box”?
- Did I nurture relationships after the event ended?
Favor compounds in the follow-through. Anyone can make a strong first impression. Very few make a strong second, third, or fourth.
Consistency and time is what turns familiarity into long-lasting trust.
Step 5: Decide Where You Will Intentionally Build Favor in 2026
Ask yourself:
- Which 3-5 rooms truly deserve my full attention and energy next year?
- Which mentors, peers, or partners do I want to go deeper with?
- Where can I serve, contribute, and show up consistently, instead of sporadically?
Then define your intention:
- How will I add value before asking for anything?
- How will I honor people publicly and privately?
- How will I become reliable, not just likable?
Favor grows where excellence, integrity, and consistency intersect.
A Final Thought as You Step Into 2026
Networking isn’t about chasing opportunity. It’s about becoming the kind of person that opportunity looks for.
The marketplace rewards:
- People who show up intentionally, and often
- People who follow through
- People who honor others
- People who play the long game
- People who don’t confuse visibility with value
As you close out 2025, don’t just ask:
“Who do I want to meet next year?”
Ask:
“Where have I earned trust?”
“Where does my favor live?”
“Where will I intentionally plant it moving forward?”
Because when you steward relationships well, favor follows. And so do the opportunities.
