It's February 7th.
First, a shout-out and celebration 🎉 for the three clients who landed next-level roles this week. One is making a significant step up into an Executive Director role. Another secured a career-building job at his dream company. And the third is stepping into an exciting stretch role. I can’t wait to see what each of you does with these moves. Way to go!!
Last week, I had five discovery calls with execs and senior professionals. Different industries, different roles, different situations.
Three said some version of the same thing: "I meant to start this in January."
You probably recognize the pattern.
Update your resume. Reach out to that connection. Start building visibility. Get clear on your next move.
And... you didn't.
You're not alone. Most career resolutions are dead by now.
But here's the good news: one month in is the perfect time to restart. Because now you know what actually got in the way. And you’re not starry-eyed from the New Year goal-setting rush.
You're One Month Into 2026. Here's How to Restart What Stalled.
TL;DR: Most career resolutions die by February 1st. High urgency, low clarity, no system. If you meant to make a move and didn't, here's the reset: audit what stalled, focus on what actually matters, and restart with one micro-action this week.
Why January Plans Die
I've worked with hundreds of professionals through this exact moment. Those who restart in February/March usually outperform those who had a perfect January. Because they learn from what stalled.
The 4 reasons career resolutions fail:
1. High urgency, low clarity
You knew something needed to change.
The Sunday night dread was real. The sense of being stuck was real. The feeling that you're capable of more was real.
But you didn't know exactly what to do about it or where to start.
Urgency without clarity creates paralysis. You can't move toward something when you don't know where you're going. So you freeze. You research. You overthink. And nothing happens.
2. High importance, low urgency
The legendary Jim Rohn would tell the story of a person eating a Hershey bar every day. One month? No problem. A year? You're probably seeing the effects. 5-10 years? Major consequences, or as he called it, the delayed disaster.
A client told me last month: "I've known for two years that I need to move. But there's never been a forcing function."
He's right. Career work is important. You know it matters. You know something needs to change eventually.
But not today. Not this week. Not with everything else going on.
So you wait. And wait. And suddenly it's a year later, and nothing has changed except that the dread has gotten heavier.
Translation: Important things without deadlines get crushed by urgent things with deadlines. Every single time.
3. No system
You had good intentions. Maybe you even had a list.
But no weekly routine, no triggers, no accountability. Just vague plans to "work on career stuff when I have time."
The professionals who make real progress - increased career capital and marketability, career moves that they celebrate, they have systems (or external support). Weekly career CEO time. Accountability partners. A trusted coach. Monthly milestones. Structure that protects the work from getting crushed.
4. Competing priorities crushed it
Of course they did.
Work got busy. A project blew up. Your kid got sick. Life happened in the way life always happens.
Just this week, one client had a concussion. Another is going through some elder care issues. Another is navigating an all-consuming corporate restructuring.
They have me for accountability. I'm providing guardrails to prevent them from losing momentum.
Imagine how it goes when you don’t have that support.
Career work fell to the bottom of the list because it always does when there's no structure protecting it.
The pattern: Intention without structure dies fast.
You're One Month In. Here's What Actually Matters Now.
Forget January. Reset your focus for the next 11 months.
My message is to focus.
The 3 career levers to focus on (choose ONE):
Lever 1: Clarity & Positioning
If you're unclear on your story, value, or next move.
This is where most people actually are, even if they don't realize it. They think they need to apply to more jobs. They actually need to get clear on what they're selling and where they're going.
Focus: Career clarity work, narrative development, understanding your career capital.
Action: Take the Career Power Audit, Year-End Career Reckoning Worksheet. Talk to 3 people about their career paths.
Lever 2: Visibility
If you're clear on your direction but invisible in your market.
I worked with a VP who had 15 years of great experience and zero market presence. No LinkedIn activity, hadn't talked to anyone in his network in two years, completely off the radar.
He was shocked when his job search went nowhere. He had built nothing to search from.
Focus: Building the 4Rs (Reputation, Relationships, Refer-ability, Reach).
Action: Start a weekly visibility routine. LinkedIn presence, reconnect with 2 people per week, join one industry conversation.
Lever 3: Search Momentum
If you're clear and visible, but not actively moving.
You know where you're going. People know who you are. Now you need structured execution.
Focus: Structured job search or internal promotion campaign.
Action: Launch a 12-15 hour/week search system, activate your warm network, apply to 2-3 targeted roles per week.
The mistake: Trying to do all three at once.
Pick one lever. Go deep until you see progress. Then reassess.
The 48-Hour Restart
You don't need a new plan. You need to start.
Here's how to restart in 48 hours. Note: Your intensity and approach depend on the urgency of your career actions. Adjust accordingly.
1: Audit what stalled (15-30 min)
Get honest with yourself.
- What did you say you'd do in January?
- What actually happened?
- What was the real barrier? (Clarity? Energy? System? Competing priorities?)
Write it down. Don't skip this step. The insight lives in the gap between what you planned and what you did.
2: Choose your lever (5 min)
Based on where you are, pick ONE of the 3 levers above.
Write down your one focus for the next 90 days.
Not three focuses. One.
3: One micro-action this week (30 min)
One small but meaningful and concrete action you'll take in the next 7 days.
Examples:
- Do a clarity exercise
- Book a coffee chat with someone in your target role
- Update your LinkedIn headline
- Apply to one targeted role
- Block 15 minutes every Sunday for career CEO time
- ​Reach out to explore career coaching support​
The action matters less than the momentum. You're proving to yourself that you can move.
Hour 4: Install the system (45 min)
This is where most people skip. Don't.
- Put recurring "Career CEO" time on your calendar (15-30 min weekly at a minimum)
- Identify your accountability mechanism (friend, coach, public commitment)
- Set one monthly milestone for Feb, March, and April
The difference: Structure beats motivation. System beats intention.
The clients who make moves don't have more willpower than you. They have better systems.
What's at Stake
February 7th feels like nothing.
But compound this pattern for 11 more months, and nothing changes.
The Sunday night dread continues. The feeling of being stuck deepens. The gap between where you are and where you want to be grows.
I’ve been doing this a long time and have seen this happen. I hear from someone in February. We talk. They say they'll think about it. They disappear. They reach out again in November, one year older, one year more frustrated, still stuck in the same place.
It doesn't have to be that way.
The alternative:
Restart now. Pick your lever. Install the system. Make February the month you actually moved.
What I Want for You
You're one month into 2026.
Your January plan may have fizzled or you got stuck, but you get to restart. Today.
The professionals who win don't have perfect plans. They have systems.
They pick one lever. They take one action. They show up every week.
You can do this. Starting this week.
- Start here: Take the Career Power Audit to see which lever you need to focus on (5 minutes).
- Coming soon: If this resonates and you know you need more than a worksheet or a single call, I'm building something specifically for this. A structured program that gives you the system, the accountability, and the clarity to actually advance. This year. A Bold Career Accelerator beta will launch in a couple of months. It's designed for professionals who are done waiting and ready to install the career system they've been putting off. Join the waitlist here, and you'll be the first to know when it opens.
- Work with us: If you need help building your system and are ready to invest in support, reply to this email to start a conversation.
Ian