2025 has been quite a year. I chased a dream and took off across the east coast in an RV with my daughter. We lived in a thirty nine foot home on wheels with two dogs. We worked, traveled, and learned how to move through small spaces with big emotions. There were days when I felt alive in a way I had not felt in years. There were also days when the weight of carrying my family and my business sat heavy on my shoulders.
I loved this year. I am also tired.
Travel added new tasks to every part of my life. Finding reliable internet. Managing repairs on the road. Planning routes. Balancing client calls with campground check in times. Taking care of my daughter while running a business that depends on presence, focus, and consistency.
At one point in October, I noticed the exhaustion building. Not the kind that disappears after a weekend of rest. The kind that comes from long term carrying. The kind leaders feel when they have held everything together for too long.
That moment pushed me to rethink how I wanted to enter 2026. I knew I needed clarity. I knew I needed structure. I knew I needed a plan that would support the life I want to live. So I made a decision that changed my entire outlook on the new year. I spent the month of November developing a strategy for 2026.
I questioned everything.
What was working.
What was draining me.
What needed to end.
What needed more attention.
What needed clear boundaries.
I mapped out my work. I looked at my numbers. I reviewed client outcomes. I checked in with my own leadership. I wrote drafts. Deleted them. Rebuilt them. And then I created all the documents I needed to put the plan into action.
By the time December arrived, I felt lighter. I knew where I was going. I knew what mattered. I knew how I wanted to show up for my business, my daughter, and myself.
Now I am using December to create the routines that will carry me into January with calm energy. This simple shift has reduced my stress. It has also confirmed something I teach leaders every day. You do not need a perfect plan. You need a clear one.
Building your 2026 vision starts with clarity, not complexity.
Here is a way to build yours.
Name your three priorities for 2026.
Most leaders try to carry too much. The key to a strong year is choosing what actually matters. Research on organizational performance shows that teams with clear priorities are far more productive. When everything is important, nothing is.
Look across your year. Choose the three areas that will drive your impact. Keep the language simple.
Grow revenue.
Strengthen team culture.
Build sustainable systems.
Do not add more. Three is enough to guide your decisions. Three prevents overwhelm. Three keeps your focus steady.
Use your 2025 data to understand what needs attention.
Look at your numbers. Look at patterns in client work. Look at what took more energy than expected. Look at what went well without strain. Data tells a story. It shows where you lost momentum. It shows what supported growth. It gives you facts instead of feelings.
Leaders often rely on instinct alone. Instinct is helpful. Data keeps you grounded.
Choose one metric for each priority.
Clear metrics help you avoid confusion. They give you a way to measure progress. They give you a way to lead with confidence. They help your team understand what success looks like.
If your priority is revenue, choose a metric that reflects growth.
If your priority is culture, choose a metric that reflects retention or communication.
If your priority is systems, choose a metric that reflects efficiency.
Do not try to measure everything. Metrics work best when they are simple.
Build a ninety day roadmap.
Planning for a full year often creates pressure. Things change. Markets shift. People transition. Projects move faster or slower than expected. A ninety day roadmap keeps you flexible. It also aligns with research showing that people stay more engaged with shorter timelines and clear outcomes.
Choose actions you can complete within three months. Break them into weekly steps. Make it easy to follow. Make it easy to adjust.
A strong year is built in quarters, not in one long stretch.
Create one weekly habit that supports your plan.
Your habits determine your results. Leaders often set goals without setting the routines that help them stay consistent. A weekly review is one of the most effective tools you can use. It gives you space to check progress. It helps you adjust quickly. It stops small issues from turning into large problems.
During your weekly review ask three questions.
What moved forward.
What created friction.
What needs my attention next week.
This rhythm builds stability. It also reduces stress because nothing lingers in the background.
Set boundaries that protect your energy.
A strong year depends on your capacity. When your energy is low, your leadership is strained. When your energy is steady, your team feels supported. Boundaries create space for you to lead well.
Choose one boundary for January.
Limit your hours on certain days.
Set client communication windows.
Protect one morning for deep work each week.
Reduce the meetings that drain your time.
Boundaries are not restrictions. They are tools for sustainable leadership.
Create routines that match the year you want.
Your routines shape your focus. December is the best time to reset them because the pressure of the year is behind you. You have space to slow down. You have space to look inward. You have space to decide how you want your days to feel.
I used December to rebuild habits that support calm energy. I set clear work blocks. I created a simple evening routine. I reduced distractions. I gave myself permission to rest without guilt. I started preparing meals ahead of time. I cut back on decisions that drain mental space.
Small routines make a large difference. They help you start January grounded instead of rushed.
Start with one routine that supports your goals.
A twenty minute morning check.
A calendar review every Friday.
A daily moment of quiet before work.
Routines work when they are simple.
Give yourself permission to adjust as you grow.
Leadership is not rigid. It is responsive. Your plan should support you, not control you. You will learn new things as the year unfolds. You will gain clarity. You will face surprises. You will change. Your plan should change with you.
Review your priorities every quarter. Keep the ones that serve your vision. Release the ones that do not. This is not failure. This is leadership.
Your 2026 vision starts with naming what matters, grounding your plan in data, and building routines that support the leader you want to become. You deserve a year that feels steady. You deserve a year that gives you space to breathe. You deserve a plan that carries you forward without burning you out.
Start with one small step. Your future will meet you there.