Every year in January our industry association, BSCAI, hosts a leadership conference for C-Level executives in the commercial cleaning industry.

These events typically take place in tropical / resort-style locations, and it would be easy to assume this is simply an indulgent activity for business owners and executives to bask in the fruits of their labor.  And, truth be told, there is no shortage of sun, sand, water, food, beverage and a little golf, snorkeling and story-telling.

However, for me it's a time to recharge, regroup and look forward to the upcoming year ahead.

What do I want to accomplish?  What do I want for our organizational goals and objectives?  How do we get there?  What challenges and risks might be looming around the corner?  What new opportunities and possibilities can we identify and capture?

Years ago, I would contemplate the year ahead, and allow ideas and visions to swirl around my head.

I never had a shortage of goals, objectives and intentions for the new year, but something prevented me from writing them down and committing to anything. 

Looking back, this was the ultimate cop-out....I never failed and I never came up short.  Not because of any remarkable achievement.  But because I was too coward to document my intentions.  And, the results?  They were "meh".  We went through the basic motions on a daily, weekly, monthly basis and had mediocre results.  But we never failed...only because we never really had a target to aim for.

I was a business "tumbleweed"...I basically let the winds of success/failure, opportunities/challenges  blow me around in whatever direction the winds prevailed.

If this sounds fun, it isn't.

It's exhausting and frustrating, and the only silver lining is that you never miss your goals (because you were too chicken to set them).

About 7 years ago...after 15+ years in business...I finally grew up.  I was tired of being a tumbleweed.

It was time to put a rudder in the water and start controlling my own journey.

Each January, I now set goals and objectives, both personally and professionally.

Some are tangible / measurable objectives; and some are more subjective and anecdotal in nature.

But they are clearly documented and visible for me, and my team members to see.

We know exactly where we are trying to go as an organization, and we work collaboratively to determine how we are going to get there.  Sometimes we need to course-correct on the fly; and other times we need to bear down and push full steam ahead.

To be honest, it's a lot more fun when you are chasing targets and meeting objectives.

And, even when we fall short, there is a sense of satisfaction that we challenged ourselves fairly.

So as you look ahead in 2026, take the time to crystallize your goals and objectives.  Put them to paper, own them and share them with your team.

Make 'clarity' your 'compass' and you'll have a far more successful journey!