It’s January 2. Now the Real Year Starts.
January 1 is usually accompanied by big goals, bigger dreams and plenty of theatre.
January 2 brings reality and puts those dreams to the test.
Your inbox wakes up.
The team returns.
The to-do list strolls back in like it owns the place.
And if you’re a business owner, this is the moment where you either:
default back to the same patterns,
OR
design a better year on purpose.
Most of us fail because we start the year with lots of ambition and very little structure.
Most year's this is what I aim to do
Do a review of the previous year by asking three questions:
What created genuine momentum last year?
Think profitable revenue drivers. Strong lead sources. Partnerships that sparked joy. Systems and habits that enriched your life.
What looked productive but didn’t pay off (the busy work)?
Pointless meetings, low-margin offers. Clients that drained you and “Nice-to-have” projects that didn't move your business forward.
What did I learn about myself as a business owner?
What brought joy to my life overall while still being profitable. More importantly, what should I avoid in 2026?
If you skip this step, you’ll repeat the same patterns from 2025 with a new calendar.
Goals can be unfulfilling if you're just focused on the goal because goals are fleeting (by definition)
Your theme (read: journey) is directional and tells you what to say “yes” to, and what to ignore on a day to day basis.
When the year gets noisy (and it will), your theme becomes a compass.
Most businesses need one growth engine.
The key is to commit to it for long enough to see it through to fruition.
Choose one primary engine for the first 90 days:
content that compounds (SEO / newsletter / YouTube)
outreach + partnerships
conversion improvements
a refined offer + better positioning
retention / referrals / client experience upgrades
That’s how traction shows up.
A new year doesn’t magically change your business.
But it does offer an opportunity for a new beginning which allows you to choose differently before the old patterns grab the steering wheel.
January 2 is that window.
Make it count.
Ciao for now,
Ash