It’s December 30th.
Tomorrow is New Year’s Eve, which usually means resolutions, big goals, and promises we quietly forget by February.
But I’ve been sitting with something different as I plan for 2026.
I was reading Stripe’s year-in-review on new startups, and one thing stood out.
Founders are moving faster than ever.
Not because they have more funding. Not because they have bigger teams. Not because they cracked some secret growth hack.
They are getting to revenue faster because they are deciding sooner.
They are charging earlier. They are selling globally from day one. They are building systems that execute instead of waiting for perfect information.
Twenty percent of new companies now land a paying customer within 30 days. More than half of them hit $100K faster than last year. And many of them are doing it with smaller teams than ever.
The pattern is simple.
Less waiting. Less overthinking. More action installed early.
That hit me as I thought about my own plans for 2026.
Breaking out of your comfort zone rarely looks dramatic. It usually looks like deciding earlier than you feel ready.
Charging before everything is polished. Publishing before the idea feels complete. Installing systems instead of collecting more information. Acting while there is still uncertainty.
So instead of asking, “What big goals do I want next year?” I’m asking a different question.
Where am I still waiting for permission?
That’s what I’m carrying into 2026. Less preparation as a hiding place. More movement. More execution. More uncomfortable decisions made earlier.
If you’re doing any planning this week, here’s a useful prompt.
What would change if you moved one decision forward by 30 days?
That answer is probably your edge next year.