Your 2026 Planning Window: Part Two

Turning Insight into Action

If you read my last email, you’ll know I am a big believer in the six-week window between mid-December and late January. It is the only time of year when the noise drops away and you actually get space to think.

But once you have had that first moment of reflection, the real work begins.

What do you do with the insight?

What do you actually decide?

A lot of operators I work with understand what happened this year, but they have not turned that understanding into direction. They are clear on the problems, but unclear on the plan. And honestly, it is not because they are unorganised or uninterested. It is because planning can feel heavy when you are already tired…

My goal is to make planning feel lighter, clearer and more doable for you.

Why this window matters

Every January I see the same pattern play out in wineries, restaurants and tourism businesses. The inbox quietens. The meetings stop. People take time off. The usual flurry of requests disappears. And in that space, even if it is only 90 minutes, you finally get to look at the business with some perspective. It is incredibly powerful!

There are usually two types of operators at this time of year:
The first group collapse over the finish line and mentally tap out until February.
The second group rest, but they also protect one or two pockets of deep work. Those pockets become the difference between another reactive year and a calm, steady start to 2026.

How to think about planning so it feels lighter

Here are the shifts I encourage all my clients to make.

Planning is not pressure. Planning is relief.

A couple of hours now prevents the Valentine’s scramble, the midweek slump and the late-season panic. It is not about being a model student. It is about protecting your future self!

Perfect data does not matter. Honesty does.

Do not wait to analyse until you have perfect spreadsheet. Pull what you can. Talk to your team. Look at your socials. Review your calendar. The value is in the reflection, not the formatting.

If you do not set your priorities, everything becomes urgent.

This is where I see most burnout. Teams drift into the new year with no clarity, then suddenly it is March and everyone is exhausted again. A few decisions now can prevent that completely.

Seven questions that will give you instant clarity

These are questions I use in strategy workshops, and they always shift the room:

1. What genuinely drove revenue this year?
Not what looked good or was a lot of effort. But what actually brought money in.

2. What drained us
Time? Energy? Budget? Morale? And did those things deliver enough return?

3. What opportunities did we miss because we were in delivery mode?
Every operator has a list of ideas they never have the bandwidth to explore. These can be a great basis for 2026.

4. What underused assets do we already have?
Stories, staff, seasons, spaces, your database, your content? Most businesses have more assets than they realise…

5. What would a real win by June look like?
Choose something tangible. This becomes your anchor.

6. Who is actually responsible for growth next year, and what support do they need?
This one unearths a lot. Many teams are unintentionally expecting coordinators to act like senior strategists, or expecting owners to carry everything. A realistc plan and expectations is so important.

7. What are our three to five priorities for quarter one?
Not twelve. Not eight. Three to five is enough to shift the year.

A simple structure to turn insight into action

You do not need a 40-page plan. You just need something you will actually use.

Step one: Write down your priorities in plain language
For example, grow the club, improve midweek, stop doing X because it drains us.

Step two: Ask what needs to happen to move each priority forward
This might be building an offer, cleaning the database, briefing a photographer, mapping key dates or locking in partners.

Step three: Assign ownership
Who is holding what, and what support do they need?

Step four: Sketch a simple three-month roadmap

For example:
January: reflect and design
February: build assets and prepare
March: activate and adjust

This alone will put you ahead of most operators by February!

A small exercise to anchor your planning

Imagine your business in early March…The bookings, the weather, the usual noise.

Then ask yourself how you normally feel at that time of year? Stretched? Behind? Already tired?

Now imagine the difference if you’d used this November-December window with intention.

Valentine’s planned. Key offers designed. Priorities set. Your team clear.

That version of the year is not an ambition. It is a choice you can make this month!

If you want support, I am here

If this has sparked something, or if you want help mapping out your priorities, you can book a free 30-minute call right here. We will explore where you are now, where you want to be in 2026 and what a realistic plan looks like.

This window is too valuable to waste. Let’s use it.

Book your free call: hollyformosa.com/contact