Trailhead Thoughts
“It is never too late to be what you might have been.”
- George Eliot
Trail Map - Learn. Think. Act. ™
Stop Coasting. Start Sprinting.
Most people wait until the new year haze clears to get focused.
What if you had a clear 6-week plan before the year starts?
Let’s break that down.
📚Learn
Your results don’t just come from working hard. They come from working smart, in sprints.
Here’s the formula:
Set a clear goal.
Define your strategy.
List the work that supports it.
Break that work into 3 two-week sprints (6 weeks total).
Track execution, not just results.
Our sprint mindset is all about accountability:
First to yourself (did I do the work?)
Then to the work (did the work, work?)
🤔Think
Ask yourself:
Am I finishing at least 80% of the tasks I commit to each sprint?
If not, why?
Too much on your list?
Wrong priorities?
Low energy or excitement?
Lack of skill or clarity?
If you’re checking fewer than 4 out of 5 boxes consistently, it’s a signal to adjust.
💪 Act
Here’s what to do before the new year hits:
Write down your goal, strategy, and key tasks.
Plan your first 3 two-week sprints - what work will you accomplish? What are your Daily & Weekly metrics?
At the end of each sprint:
Reflect - did I do the work?
Review - is the work helping me reach the goal?
Adjust - remove, refine, or double down
Start now. Don’t coast into 2026.
We’d love to know what sprints you are planning before the new year starts.
Reply and let us know.
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Beyond the Trailhead
The Year Is Won In The First Sprints
We’ve officially made it to that time of the year where the current year is almost over and the next one hasn’t started yet. This strange stretch of the calendar can also be known as the place where good intentions go to die.
Planning gets pushed to next year.
Goals stay fuzzy.
And suddenly we’re halfway through Q1 wondering why nothing feels different.
Momentum doesn’t come from some big annual plan, it comes from well-designed sprints before the new year.
Think of a sprint as a container of work with a clear purpose. Not “stay busy,” not “try harder,” but “if I do this work for two weeks, I should see a result.” It’s as simple as that. Not easy, simple.
Before you think about doing more, get clear on a few things:
What’s the goal? We’re talking one clear objective here, not ten.
What’s the strategy? The 2-3 “buckets” where your time and energy will go.
What’s the work? Specific actions you will (and can) actually do.
What will you track? Simple metrics that will tell you if you showed up or not.
From there, work backward into 30 / 60/ 90 days. Then break those into six, two-week sprints. Small. Measurable. Honest.
The first sprints aren’t about whether the work, works. They are about whether or not you are doing the work.
For the first three sprints, ask:
Did I complete at least 80% of the commitments I made?
If not, why?
Was the work unclear?
Was my list too long?
Was it uncomfortable?
Was it not important enough?
Be honest and real about the answer.
This is where you can set yourself apart from others. Not by pushing yourself harder, but by eliminating what doesn’t belong, what no longer serves you well. Fewer tasks. Clearer focus. More follow-through.
Once you have completed a few sprints, then you evaluate results. Are you closer to your goals? If not, it’s time to fire the work.
Holding yourself accountable to doing the work and holding the work accountable to producing results, changes everything.
Actions You Can Take This Week:
Design your first three sprints. Write down the work you’re truly willing to commit to.
Audit your checklist. Ask, what can I eliminate so that the important work has the room to breathe?
Schedule a sprint reflection. Block time on your calendar at the end of two weeks. Ask, Did I do what I said I was going to do? Why or why not?
That’s it. Simple. Honest. Repeatable.
If you found this framework helpful, chances are someone on your team or in your circle needs it too. Forward this to a friend or colleague who’s trying to start the year with focus and intention.
Don’t wait for January to get intentional.
Your sprint can start now!
Voices from the Trail
Meet Tim Dyck – founder of Best Culture Solutions
Can a fractional resource help you and your business?
Listen to this episode, and schedule a clarity call with Mike to discuss.
Mike and Tim explore how fractional work can help businesses fill critical gaps fast, manage uncertainty, and create memorable customer experiences. They break down leadership mindset, designing for success, and why managing expectations matters. This episode helps leaders rethink how they structure their team, processes, and strategy with clarity and intent.
Listen to this episode on Spotify
Hitting the Trail
Mark your calendar for our upcoming webinars!
December 30th 9:30AM Pacific/ 12:30PM Eastern - Choosing Goals That Compound Your Career. Using our G.A.M.E. Plan method for goal-setting.
January 27th 9:30AM Pacific/12:30PM Eastern - Decision-Making
Click here for more information.
Announcements
Did you know that you can login to findmycatalyst.com to read any past issues of the newsletter? This is a great way to binge the content you are most interested in.
You can also find our Catalyst Countdown Series when logging in. In this series, we are sharing 12 reflections and actions to help you start the new year before it officially begins.
findmycatalyst.com
That’s it for this week.
Keep putting one intentional step in front of the other - the view gets better and better as you climb.
We’d love if you would share this with someone who is ready to build their sprints for the new year.
The Find My Catalyst Team