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Pause before you plan

Explore what worked, what surprised you, and what deserves your energy next year

Hi Reader,
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As another year wraps up, it’s time to review the past year, and set your intentions for the new one.

It can be tempting to jump straight into planning mode and set new goals, new tactics, new strategies. Before we push forward, there's real value in pausing to look back. Not to dwell on what didn't work, but to explore the terrain you've already covered and discover the insights waiting there.

The patterns, wins, and surprises from the past twelve months hold clues about what deserves your energy in the year ahead.

When you take time to reflect, you're not standing still. Instead, you're making sure you're moving in a direction that actually serves you and your business.

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What actually worked?

Identify your top 3 marketing activities that genuinely moved the needle. These are not what you thought would work, but what delivered tangible results. This helps you to recognise patterns worth repeating in 2026.

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Where did you spend time versus get results?

Look at the disconnect between effort and outcome. Often we're busy with tasks that feel productive, but don't actually drive the business forward. Sometimes this review can reveal a high-performing activity that you spend little time on, but that can be scaled to expand your results.

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What did you learn about your audience this year?

This is a component of your business that is never fully completed, since it’s always evolving. It can help you to look back on all that you have discovered about your customers and potential customers. These insights could come from conversations, feedback, sales data, or even what content resonated most.

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What didn't you do, that you kept meaning to do?

There's usually a reason things stay on your to-do list. Either they're not actually important, or there's a road block that needs addressing. This reflection helps you to surface what really matters, versus what is noise.

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What surprised you this year?

Unexpected wins, failures, or shifts in your market are especially important to take note of. These surprises are often your best compass for where to head next, and can help you to note what marketing content needs to be created to align to this new information.

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How did your relationship with marketing change?

Did you feel more confident, connected to your audience, or clearer in your messaging? Were there areas that you unlocked a newfound interest in, or that made you feel a little lost? This mindset component often determines what will be sustainable for you moving forward.

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What could you do differently if starting the year again?

We don’t want to reflect on this from a place of regret, but as a strategic learning exercise. If you could do this year all over again, with your newly charted map in hand, what would you prioritise, adjust or approach differently?

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What questions are you still unable to answer?

As part of this review, you might take note of areas of your marketing that you aren’t tracking, or aren’t as knowledgeable about. If there are questions in this list that you can’t answer confidently, it’s time to review what needs to be tracked in the new year to better your understanding.

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You could work through these as a simple self-audit, perhaps journaling your responses or discussing them with your business partner, or a business bestie. The key is extracting the practical wisdom from your experience, rather than just creating another to-do list for January on auto-pilot.

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If you'd like to discuss your 2026 marketing efforts and potentially working together to chart your new route, you can book a discovery call with me to find out if we could be a good fit.

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May your holiday break be restful, restorative, and full of moments with the people who matter most. We can get back to business later…

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These podcast episodes may help you to plan your next steps

Curating Impactful Customer Journeys for Brand Loyalty Listen here

Before You Blame Marketing: Identifying Problems And Their Solutions Listen here

Brought to you by Honey Pot Digital

113 Cherry St #92768, Seattle, WA 98104-2205
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