6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before 2026

It feels like we are firmly in the Buddy the Elf Season of it all.

Holiday cookies, lights, and lots going on. For some, it may be a time to quiet down, but for others, ideas and businesses pop up at this time of year. 

Before we get into planning for 2026 and checking out to watch the Polar Express, I recommend taking a few minutes this week to look back to go forward.

In this week’s newsletter, I wanted to give you a few questions as food for thought.

We only have 2 weeks left in 2025. (Time has floooown by!)

Before you jump into your 2026 goals and take some time to enjoy gingerbread and mince pies:

Use this time to take a moment and reflect. 

Before the manic period of the holidays and then the surge of new years resolutions, now is the time to look at what 2025 had in store for you. Here are a few questions I recommended to a founder I was mentoring this week for homework, but I think everyone reading could benefit (and I am going to do the same thing!).

What were your wins?

We get so sucked up in the to do lists, that we do not look at the to-done list. Even if you are a solo founder or a founder in the making, take a moment and have a coffee date with yourself. 

Take 10-20 minutes over a cup of coffee alone, and make a list–preferably hand written–of what you have accomplished this year.

What were some of your wins? Did you participate in an entrepreneurship hackathon or course? Did you register a domain name? These can be intangible wins, like doing something scared or imperfect! Where and how did you show up this year, and celebrate this!

What worked in your venture?

Look back at each quarter–because January feels so far away from now!-and think about what worked in your venture.

Did you try something new? Was there a post or a campaign that just went viral? Look at the data of your business and get tangible about what worked in your business. 

Is it repeatable?

Think about your wins a bit deeper… are these wins something that can be repeated? For example, if you ran an amazing pop up for your venture, can you repeat this every quarter next year? Or was your win something that was a bit more ephemeral like a viral post, which may be harder to recreate on the regular. Get honest about if these successes could be repeated in the new year.

What didn’t work?

There is no shame in things not working. Everything is a lesson, but we need to take a moment and learn from them!

And, be honest. Was this something a diversion of your focus? Were you not able to dedicate the time to make it a success? Or was this a misfit for your venture?

Similar to the point above, pull out the data, from your bank account to your social media. Break it down each month or quarter; see if there was something that did not work, and peel back, ask yourself the questions, or probe why.

What had the biggest impact or ROI? (And what didn’t?)

If you don’t look at your budget or numbers, maybe now is the time to. At the end of the year, I often do my taxes. And in this time, I can see subscriptions on things that did not have the ROI as expected, or a course that totally paid returns.

Look at what you did spend time or money on, and map out what had the biggest ROI or impact in your business, and what to skip in the new year. 

Who do you have to thank?

Take a minute and drop an email to a friend, colleague, mentor, or professor who has helped you or your venture this year. It does not need to be complex or fussy, and should not be made from Gemini or AI.

Not only does just letting someone know they helped you on your journey not only shows your attitude of gratitude, but this simple act of kindness can also keep the connection and conversation going in the new year. 

(I still send virtual Christmas card emails to mentors who helped me when I was starting out!)

Set yourself up for 2026 success by appreciating 2025. 

Lastly, do not be hard on yourself if this year did not go to plan. So many things have happened outside of your control, and once again, life happens.  Even if you took one tiny step in your business, you are already ahead of where you were in January! 

Appreciate where you have been, where you are, and where you are going.

Before we jump into the new year, take some time this week to think about the past.

This was a startup lesson, but I love answering your questions. What’s on your mind at this end-of-year time? Don’t hesitate to submit your own Question of the Day (QoD)!

I know you are! And I’d love to share your business story in 2026

In the new year, I will be launching a series that peel back the curtain of current founders innovating and building amazing things. If you are a student or recent alumni founder, I would love to interview you to get your story (and give you some more PR!)

Take a look and fill out the form below.

If this has been useful to you or if you have feedback to improve, please drop me a quick line. Or share with a friend!