I used to treat January like some kind of corporate New Year's resolution—load up the calendar, commit to everything, convince myself this would be the year I finally got it all done.

Then I'd hit a wall mid-February, wondering why I felt like I'd already run a marathon when the year had barely started.

Sound familiar?

I finally figured out what I was doing wrong after the humbling experience of dropping out of the Keys 100 at mile 60. Turns out, the same mistakes that made me bail on that race were the exact ones I was making in business every January.

Most high achievers I know struggle with the same thing: we're terrible at quitting.

We're wired to finish what we start. We've been conditioned our entire lives to see quitting as failure, to push through pain, to never give up. That mindset serves us well most of the time, but it can also trap us into pursuing things long past the point where they make sense.

I've withdrawn from races. I've exited business partnerships. I've discontinued services that no longer align with our direction.

Some of my best decisions have been knowing when to stop—but it took me years to develop a framework for making those calls without ego getting in the way.

January rolls around, and everyone's talking about clean eating, detoxes, and dramatic diet overhauls.

I get it—after weeks of holiday meals, family gatherings, and being way too full of cheese, the temptation to go all-in on a restrictive plan is real. But let’s be real: the nutrition resets that actually stick aren't about punishment or perfection. They're about getting back to the fundamentals that make you feel sharp, energized, and ready to perform.

This means reclaiming the mental clarity and physical energy that got buried under the charcuterie board.

Every December, I block out time on my calendar for the most important meeting of the year. No clients, no team members, no agenda items that someone else set. Just me, a notebook, and a few hours to think clearly about where I've been and where I'm going.

I didn't always do this. For years, I'd roll from one year into the next without really pausing. Sure, I'd set some vague goals, maybe jot down a few intentions…and then get swept back into the current of daily demands. By February, I couldn't remember what I'd even wanted to accomplish.

And I eventually realized that approach doesn't work when you’re serious about building something that matters.