What You’re Leaving Behind in 2025 (And What You’re Making Space For in 2026)

Here's something most business advice won't tell you: growth isn't just about adding more. More strategies. More platforms. More offers. More hours.

Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do for your business is subtract.

Let go of what's not working. Release what's draining you. Walk away from the version of yourself that kept saying yes when you meant no.

Because here's the truth... you can't create a new year with last year's limitations still taking up space in your calendar, your head, and your strategy.

So before you dive into goal setting, vision boarding, or planning your Q1 launch, let's do something different. Let's clear the decks. Let's create space for what actually matters.

What You're Leaving Behind in 2025

This isn't about beating yourself up for what didn't work. It's about honest recognition. Some things served you once. They don't anymore. And that's okay.

Here's what we're leaving in 2025, and what many of our clients are releasing too:

Overcomplication. The 47 step funnel. The overly complex client journey. The offer suite that requires a flowchart to explain. If it takes more than three sentences to describe what you do, it's too complicated. Simplicity converts. Complexity confuses.

Inconsistent visibility. Posting when you feel inspired (which is never). Showing up only when you need clients (which everyone can smell a mile away). Disappearing for weeks then wondering why no one's engaging. Visibility isn't a sometimes thing. It's a strategy.

Saying yes too often. Yes to clients who aren't the right fit. Yes to partnerships that don't align. Yes to opportunities that sound good but drain your energy. Every yes to the wrong thing is a no to the right thing. We're done with that.

Trying to be everywhere online. You don't need to be on TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, a podcast, and a blog. You need to be excellent on one or two platforms where your ideal clients actually are. Everywhere is nowhere.

Outdated strategies that don't convert. The webinar you've been running since 2019 that gets 3 people to show up. The lead magnet no one downloads. The email sequence that gets 2% open rates. If it's not working, stop doing it. Data doesn't lie, and neither should your strategy.

Working reactively instead of proactively. Scrambling to create content the morning it's supposed to post. Responding to every fire instead of preventing them. Operating in chaos mode because planning feels like it takes too long. Spoiler: chaos takes longer.

We're leaving behind the version of ourselves that thought busy meant productive. That thought hustle meant success. That thought if we just worked harder, everything would click.

That's not how sustainable businesses are built.

What You're Carrying Forward

Not everything from 2025 needs to be released. Some things deserve to come with you.

The wins. Every client breakthrough. Every successful launch. Every moment you showed up even when it was hard. Those aren't flukes. They're proof of what's possible when you do the work.

The clarity you gained. You know more now than you did 12 months ago. About your niche. Your messaging. Your ideal clients. What lights you up and what drains you. That clarity is currency.

The habits that supported your growth. Maybe it was your morning routine. Your weekly content planning session. The way you started saying no to things that didn't align. The boundaries you set that actually stuck. Keep those.

The lessons that shaped your leadership. The tough client situation that taught you to trust your intuition. The launch that flopped but showed you what your audience really wants. The partnership that didn't work out but clarified your values. Lessons aren't failures. They're intel.

You're not the same business owner you were a year ago. You're sharper. Clearer. More strategic. Don't leave that version of yourself behind.

What You're Making Space For in 2026

Now for the good part. When you release what's not working, you create room for what will.

Here's what we're making space for in 2026, and what we invite you to consider too:

Stronger authority. Not just being good at what you do, but being known for it. Positioning yourself as the go to expert in your niche. Building trust before the sale ever happens. Authority isn't about ego. It's about clarity and consistency.

Clearer messaging. No more "I help people live their best lives" or "I'm a business coach for entrepreneurs." Specificity sells. Vague repels. If your ideal client can't immediately see themselves in your messaging, it's not clear enough.

Better systems. The kind that run in the background so you're not manually doing everything. Client onboarding that feels seamless. Content workflows that don't require reinventing the wheel every week. Operations that scale without adding hours to your day.

Higher standards. For the clients you take on. The partnerships you pursue. The quality of your work. The way you communicate. Higher standards aren't about being difficult. They're about protecting your energy and your business.

More aligned clients. The ones who value your expertise, respect your boundaries, and actually do the work. The ones who see your pricing and say "when do we start?" instead of "can you discount that?" The ones who get results because they're as invested as you are.

Sustainable consistency. Not the burnout kind where you post every day until you crash and disappear for a month. The strategic kind where you show up regularly, provide value, and build trust over time without sacrificing your sanity.

Predictable revenue. No more feast or famine. No more wondering if you'll hit your goals this month. Systems that generate leads consistently. Offers that convert reliably. A business model that doesn't keep you up at night.

This is what optimization looks like. It's not about doing more. It's about doing what matters, exceptionally well, with intention.

Reflection Prompts for Your Business

Before you close this tab and jump back into your to do list, grab a notebook. Take 20 minutes. Answer these questions honestly.

What am I no longer available for?

What behaviors, patterns, clients, or strategies are you officially done tolerating? What are you drawing a line in the sand about? Be specific.

What identity am I stepping into?

Who do you need to become to build the business you want in 2026? What does that version of you do differently? How do they show up? What do they prioritize?

What support do I need next year?

You can't scale alone. What gaps exist in your business? What tasks are you doing that someone else should handle? What expertise do you need access to? Where are you trying to be the hero when you should be building a team?

What will matter most in my business in 2026?

Not what you think should matter. Not what everyone else is prioritizing. What actually matters to you? Revenue? Freedom? Impact? Team building? Visibility? Get clear on your non negotiables.

What am I making space for?

If you release what's not working, what gets to fill that space? New offers? Better clients? More rest? Strategic partnerships? Be intentional about what you're inviting in.

A Fresh Start Awaits

Here's what we know after working with hundreds of service professionals who've scaled their businesses: the ones who grow aren't the ones doing everything.

They're the ones doing the right things.

They're the ones who get clear about what they're leaving behind and what they're making space for.

They're the ones who treat their business like the strategic asset it is, not just a hustle they're trying to survive.

2026 doesn't start on January 1st. It starts the moment you decide what's no longer allowed to take up space in your business, your schedule, and your headspace.

So take those 20 minutes. Write your list. Be honest about what needs to stay and what needs to go.

Because clarity creates momentum. And momentum creates results.

What are you leaving behind? What are you making space for?

We'd love to hear what you're releasing and what you're calling in for 2026. Share in the comments, or better yet, post your reflections on LinkedIn and tag us. Let's create a movement of business owners who are done with the chaos and ready for clarity.

The fresh start you've been waiting for? It's already here. You just need to make room for it.

If you’d like community, clarity, accountability and support in your journey, our Expert Authority Mastermind doors open soon, you can learn more, here:  Expert Authority