Celebrate Wins, Catch Gaps: November is for Reflection

With the year nearly behind you and the holiday season approaching, November is an ideal time to slow down—briefly—and reflect on how your business has performed. Before the December rush sets in, take a moment to acknowledge what went well and where there’s still work to be done.

1. Start by reviewing your year-to-date financial reports. What stands out? Have you hit key revenue goals? Are your expenses within target ranges? Did you stay on budget—or drift off course? The numbers tell a story, but you need to pause to hear it.
   

2. This is also a great time to review your outstanding invoices and vendor payments. Are there clients who haven’t paid? Are you behind on bills that could affect your cash flow heading into Q1? Cleaning up your accounts receivable and payable now creates more stability going into the new year.
   

3. Next, make time to celebrate progress. Whether you launched a new offer, survived a rough season, or just stayed consistent—those wins matter. It’s easy to get caught in constant forward motion, but acknowledging growth (even small steps) builds momentum and motivation.
   

   Use this window to also identify gaps: services that didn’t perform, marketing strategies that missed the mark, or systems that caused stress. Fixing everything isn’t the goal—clarity is. You can only improve what you’ve named.
   

4. Finally, set one clear, achievable financial goal to close out the year. It might be paying down a credit card, reaching a savings target, or simply wrapping up all bookkeeping before January 1. This goal gives you direction as the year winds down.

November is about gratitude—but also honesty. What worked? What didn’t? What do you want more of next year? These questions don’t require complicated answers—but they do require space to reflect.

And if you want help organizing your thoughts into a focused financial strategy for 2026, now is the perfect time to get started.