The end of the year is always a great time to look back on the previous year and reflect on what is working, what is not, and what needs to change for next year. It is easy to get caught in the day-to-day where days are long but the years are short.

Spend time to think

Make sure you find time to recharge and really do the deep thinking necessary to evaluate how things are going. Vacations, holidays, exercising are all great opportunities. Find what works for you, but make sure you have the time, location, and right mental space to truly reflect and think about it.

Work backwards

I like to start by seeing what was accomplished the past month, quarter, or year. Determine what you should start doing, stop doing, and continue doing. Understand not just the outcome, but why it happened. Then look back over longer time horizons (3/5/10 years). Some things may have quick results, but others take years to see how well it worked out.

Celebrate successes while make adjustments

Don’t forget to celebrate employees, teams, and people who have been helpful along the way. But then time to get back to it! Use whatever planning tools you prefer to set the direction for the year ahead (i.e. Simple Strategic Plan) and get your team aligned. Also know that whatever plan you start with, there will likely be adjustments throughout the year so be ready.

Hopefully you have reflected on 2025, and are ready to push forward for a great 2026!