We’re getting close to that time of year when everyone starts thinking about next year.
There’s something about a fresh calendar that makes you want to clean things up, make a plan, and decide that next year is going to be different.
I get it. I love that feeling too.
But before you start deciding what you want to add in 2027, I think it’s worth asking: What are you ready to stop bringing with you?
Because what can make next year feel heavy isn’t always what you add. Sometimes it’s all the unnecessary weight you bring with you because no one ever stopped to ask if it still belongs.
Some things made sense for an earlier version of the business
Businesses change. Teams change. You change.
And sometimes something that worked well for a season keeps hanging around after that season is over.
Maybe you have a service you’ve offered for years that no longer fits where the business is headed. Or maybe there’s something you’re still personally involved in because you’ve always been the one to do it.
And because none of it feels like a crisis, it’s easy to keep working around it.
You know how to make it work, so you adjust. You keep it moving. You tell yourself you’ll revisit it when things settle down.
Then another year comes around and it’s still there.
I think it’s important to remember that something that was right for your business at one point may not belong in the next season. One of my favorite words is iterate. You don’t have to change your entire business. You can build on what you’ve got.
You’re allowed to change your mind because the business has changed.
Familiar can start to feel necessary
The longer something has been part of your business, the easier it is to stop questioning it.
At some point, you don’t even remember making the decision anymore. It’s simply what you do.
And sometimes that’s because it still works and still matters. Great. Keep it.
But every once in a while, I think it’s healthy to ask whether something is still worth the time, money, or attention you’re giving it.
I’ve had plenty of conversations with leaders where we start pulling on one little thread and eventually someone says, “You know, I don’t even know why we still do that.”
When you’re close to the business, you get good at making things work. Sometimes so good that you don’t notice how much energy you’re spending to keep something alive that you may not even choose today.
Planning for next year may mean making room
Most planning conversations naturally move toward what you want to do next.
You start thinking about growth, goals, new opportunities, and what you want the business to look like by this time next year.
I want you to think about those things.
I also want you to leave some room.
Because sometimes the thing that helps you move forward isn’t another goal. It’s deciding you’re finished with something that has been taking up space for a long time.
Maybe you finally let go of an offer that doesn’t fit anymore. Maybe your own role needs to change because the business needs something different from you now.
And there can be a surprising amount of relief in finally saying, “I don’t think we need to keep doing this.”
You don’t have to keep making an old decision work simply because you were the one who made it.
Start with the last 90 days
If you want somewhere practical to start, pull up your calendar and look back over the last three months.
Give yourself 30 minutes. That’s it.
Don’t turn this into a giant strategic planning retreat at your kitchen table. Look at where your time has actually gone and notice what keeps showing up.
Maybe there’s one meeting you’re still sitting in that doesn’t really need you anymore. Maybe there’s work you keep picking up because it’s easier to do it yourself than decide who should own it next.
Pick one thing you don’t want to automatically bring into 2027.
Then make a decision about it before the end of the year.
You may decide to stop doing it. You may decide it needs a new owner. Or you may realize it still matters, but the way you’re doing it needs to change.
You don’t have to clean up the whole business in 30 minutes.
But one clear decision can create a lot more room than another page of goals.
Give 2027 some room
You don’t need to walk into January with a perfectly cleaned-up business and a beautiful plan for every possible thing that could happen.
That sounds exhausting. Let’s enter 2027 slowing down so we can speed up.
I’d rather see you walk into the year knowing a little more clearly what deserves to come with you.
There are parts of your business that have earned their place. Keep them. Strengthen them. Invest in them.
And there may be something that has done its job.
That’s the kind of thing I love working through with leaders in coaching, because it can be really hard to see what you’ve gotten used to when you’re living in the middle of it every day. Sometimes you need someone outside the business to ask the question you haven’t thought to ask in a while.
So before you fill up 2027, give yourself a little room.
Look back at the last 90 days. Find one thing you wouldn’t choose to keep doing the same way if you were starting fresh today. Then decide what you want to do about it.
You may be surprised how much lighter next year feels when you stop assuming everything from this year has to come with you.
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