And so we have entered December, most of us are preparing for a break from work and some rest time with family and friends. I am reminded how a quote from Andy Murray helped me reflect on December as a whole.
In 2017, Andy Murray finished the Wimbledon quarter-final barely able to walk. For months he had been playing through serious hip pain, still competing and winning, but by pushing himself to his limits. Privately, he was running on sheer will power. His backup team knew he was hurt and he knew he was hurt.
However, he kept going with sheer determination. He finished the season on reputation and grit. And when the year ended, something devastating happened: He couldn’t continue. This injury effectively brought his career to a standstill for a long time, and he was never able to return to his previous form. His body had given out. The pain he had ignored became the surgery he now couldn’t avoid. The fatigue he had hidden became the burnout he could no longer deny. The season he had finished was the season that cost him the next one.
And the quote I heard from him that was so resonating?
“I’d been covering up the problem for a long time. When the season ended, I had nothing left.”
End of Year Crash and Burn
That line has stayed with me, because I realised I was doing the same thing in my approach to my business.
Pushing. Grinding. Hiding the strain and stress. And every year finishing on force, not rhythm. Crossing the line, yes, but crossing it exhausted and broken. Spending the Christmas break wrecked.
The importance of recognising this is that, just like Andy Murray, that approach cumulatively cost me my next season; January, Q1, momentum, clarity, creativity, because I arrived in the new year depleted, and definitely not prepared.
Previously, I treated it like the final stretch of a marathon where you’re half-running, half-limping, forcing your legs forward with whatever energy is left. The legacy of this is of course loose ends everywhere, with a beyond optimistic hope that January would then magically bring clarity, discipline, and momentum simply because the date had a new number in the year box. Of course, January never did. Because I didn’t finish the previous one strongly, the start of the new year punished me for that.
It took me a long time to admit that the way I ended December was exactly why I spent most of January in a fog, playing catch-up while knowing more prepared businesses were sprinting past me.
A Different December
I now have the approach of treating December differently. Just because you can finish doesn’t mean you’ve finished well. And finishing poorly has consequences.
My subtle switch? I stopped looking at January as being the time when the year starts. January simply amplifies whatever state you arrive in.
December is a unique month of the twelve available and gives you something far more valuable than you realise:
- Most clients take leave and slow down
- Team pace naturally softens
- Psychological space appears
- You naturally generate more reflection energy
Because of this, the pressure drops just enough to allow thinking time.
Think about the most successful football teams. How many times have you seen commentators and managers make comments that their results are down to disruption in their pre-season preparation. How many footballers struggle the entire season if they were injured during pre-season and never have a space in the schedule to build that fitness up again once the season starts.
December is my, and your, off-season.
A Four-Part December Reset
1. Review
Do a simple, honest reflection on your year:
- What worked?
- What broke?
- What drained you?
- What energised you?
- What surprised you?
- What did you tolerate for far too long?
2. Reforecast
Focus on three variables:
- Cash: what will cash realistically be at the end of first quarter 2026?
- Sales Pipeline: what is firm, or nearly nailed down, and what is speculative down to fantasy?
- Runway: what are the key assumptions that are holding the business together?
Doing this removes fear over your break and gives you clarity.
3. Refocus
This is the most important part. Set your:
- Three priorities for January
- One major decision to resolve
- One thing to stop doing
January then starts as a sprint with a clear, focussed direction, not a slow climb out of exhaustion.
4. Reconnect
With:
- Your Clients; simple messages, expectations for January
- Team : give clarity and appreciation
- Yourself: talk to yourself as your own advisor: why are you doing this, what do you want next year, what do you want to feel like
Simple Actions You Can Take This Week
Try and take a 90 minute session before the end of next week for a December Reset:
- To reduce your January commitments by 20%
- To email your key clients with an expectation-setting update
- To review your cash and debtors before the Christmas break
- To plan the first week of January in detail: meetings, decisions, focus
These are small moves that create huge January momentum.
Closing Thought
Sport teaches me that finishing exhausted isn’t the same as finishing prepared and ready to go for the next game or race. Business Leadership has also taught me that limping across the line creates a slow, painful start to the next challenge.
Great businesses don’t end the year with the leader ready to collapse. They end the year clear. The way you finish December isn’t the end of the race, it’s the start of the next one.
Helping leaders and businesses drive success forward
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We empower ambitious business owners to grow with clarity and confidence. Based in the UK, we specialise in working in creative and service-led industries that demand a financial partner who gets it — responsive, knowledgeable and always easy to talk to.
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