✋ Before you start planning anything…
I started my annual planning back in October.
Because I love annual planning.
It’s the imagination and ideation phase of running a business.
Q1 has a LOT of energy because everyone is excited about what's ahead.
Gym memberships are at an all-time high. Planners are new and crisp. We're ready to tackle the goals we've made.
Every January, I believe it: I sprint. I build. I execute.
…then April hits.
I’m depleted. Habits have faltered...I wonder why my “12-week year” only lasted six weeks.
For 2026, I'm admitting something to myself: Seasonality is real.
Seasonality is a part of business the same way it’s part of our environment.
Sure, January may be the “start of a new year,” but it’s still the dead of winter. No bullet journal or habit tracker changes the fact I still feel like hibernating.
We’re Not Robots, Just Creatures Responding to Nature
Last December, I was in Barbados for my friend Joy’s 30th, surrounded by British snowbirds with sunburnt skin and tropical beach cocktails.
Since I was lying on a beach in winter, I became acutely aware how much the sun controls our energy: too much and you wanna melt; too little and you never want to leave the house.
It made me curious: Was I feeling "end-of-year burnout" before the trip or was I just low on sunlight?
My friend, E, learned this firsthand: She found out she was low in Vitamin D. After supplementing, her energy came back. She didn’t change her schedule, didn’t “try harder.” She just gave her body what it needed… no more afternoon slump.
Recently, my friend Vadoll said this that wrapped it up beautifully:
“We know that tides are controlled by the moon. And since I'm 75% water, why should I think the moon wouldn’t impact me?”
(What a bar, right?)
We forget we’re creatures. Not robots.
The more we lean into AI, automation, or overnight-anything, it’s easy to believe the lie that we, too, can operate at hyper speed year-round.
But our bodies say otherwise.
We are shaped by daylight, holidays, school calendars, travel, and the turning of the seasons...our businesses are no different.
So instead of fighting against these cycles, I’m building 2026 around them.
A 2026 Seasonal Business Framework
Winter: Hibernate — plan, rest, stay warm.
Spring: Get active — launch new offers, pitch new business, make new connections.
Summer: Sustain — rely on systems to keep pace (whether it’s a peak or lull).
Fall: Savor — work, share, and prepare for slower seasons ahead.
Holiday: Celebrate — reflect, show up, and enjoy what you built.
I’m no longer letting the calendar drive me.
No more wasted energy pushing the wrong priority in the wrong season.
Now, I'm aligning the tasks I do to the energy at hand.
Before you rush into your annual plans, ask yourself:
What is this season asking of me?
What do I have space and energy for?
How will that change?
Plan from there.
