I do this every January to set my business up for success

Posted on by michael nitschke
Share this

Want to make 2026 your best year in business? I’m opening up 5 CEO CIRCUIT BREAKER strategy sessions this month. 

Book your spot before they fill up. 

At the start of every year, I follow a three-step approach to set my business (and life) up for success. 

The three parts are: 

  • The philosophy 
  • The process 
  • The preparation 

You’re going to love how simple this system is. 

Here goes. 

The Philosophy: Breakthroughs follow breaks 

In the lead-up to the Christmas break, most of us are running so hard towards the finish line that the New Year feels worlds away. I’ve learned that setting quarterly goals in the middle of that sprint is actually counterproductive. 

While we have our 10-year Everest Mission (to deliver the most authentic real estate experience) and our 12-month budgets firmly in place, we don’t finalise our Rocks (quarterly projects) until we’ve all had time to breathe. 

Breakthroughs follow breaks, as I’ve said before. 

As soon as I switch off, the ideas naturally start to flow. When I’m spending time with my wife, kids and friends, my creativity kicks in. It’s the paradox of play. The best ideas happen away from work. 

With some distance, I can think about what we could be doing differently as a business, without the noise of the daily grind. 

Carry this philosophy with you throughout the year, for your weekends and scheduled breaks. 

The Process: Leveraging AI for personal reflection  

Once I have my holiday insights, I start workshopping them with AI. I use it to challenge my own assumptions and align my thinking against our existing issues list. 

More on my Issues List process here (free template included). 

My goal is to return to the office for our first leadership meeting with firm ideas. Instead of starting from scratch and trying to build momentum in the room, I bring polished thinking with me. 

It sets us off on a strong note. 

The Preparation: The one pager and admin clean-up 

Finally, I create a strategic brief document, which is essentially a 1-2 page document that outlines the following: 

  • Key priorities for the next 12 months 
  • The specific Rocks (projects) required 

I do this for both the sales team and property management team. This isn’t binding at all – just a solid starting point for the first department discussions. 

I also review our Issues List, tidy it up, archive anything no longer relevant, merge duplicates etc. 

Because of all this prep work, we start the year strong and strategic, solving problems and exploring ideas immediately. 

Try it for yourself. 

And a quick reminder, if 2025 wasn’t your best business year, book a CEO CIRCUIT BREAKER strategy session this month.