How I'm Planning 2026 According to God's Rhythm (Not the World's Calendar) Have you ever looked at the year ahead and thought, I want next year to feel and be different, but how do I actually plan for that? That's exactly where I am, and I want to take you behind the scenes on what I'm doing to plan for 2026. But instead of scrambling by January 1st, I started honoring a completely different rhythm—God's rhythm. The Biblical New Year Changed Everything Here's something that might surprise you: the Biblical New Year doesn't start on January 1st. It starts in spring, in the month of Nisan (also called Aviv), which typically falls in March or April. When I started aligning with the Biblical New Year in March and April of 2025, everything shifted. This November and December, I was able to stop stressing. I stopped rushing to finish the year in hustle mode. Instead, I used that time as a sacred pause to be with my family, to reflect, to rest, to be not to do. I spent November and December testing offers and ideas, and that testing led to $8K in revenue in the first few months that wasn't even planned. That was all God. Why Winter Isn't Meant for Sprinting Here's the thing: you can still allow the season to be about reflection. Creation slows down in the winter. Trees aren't blooming, the soil is resting. If God designed winter for rest, why are we forcing ourselves to sprint? Now listen, I've said this before and you'll hear me say it again—January, the beginning of the year, is a prime time for launches. People are in that "new year, new me" energy, and as business owners we can absolutely capitalize on that. But what if we also planned our business around God's rhythm? What if we planned from peace instead of panic? Understanding the Biblical Calendar According to Scripture, the new year actually begins in spring. God told the Israelites in Exodus 12:2, "This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you." This was tied to deliverance, to renewal, to springtime—the beginning of planting and new life. Not in the dead of winter like January 1st, which by the way, was established by Julius Caesar, not God. In 2025, I started honoring that biblical rhythm and it changed how I approached my business and my year. Instead of feeling the pressure to map out everything in November or December, I now begin my true annual planning in March and early April, right around the Biblical New Year. That's when I sit down to reflect deeply on the previous year, take stock of what aligned with God's call on my life and business, and plan the vision and business moves for the year ahead. My 4-Step Process for Planning 2026 Let me walk you through how I'm planning this year with faith, rhythm, and purpose—not just so I can be productive, but so I can be positioned. Step 1: Start With Life, Not With Hustle or Launches This is the biggest shift I've made. I used to start planning my year with launches and revenue goals and then try to squeeze my life in around them. But that's how burnout happens. That's how resentment builds. That's how my husband asks, "Why are you always at your computer?" And that's how you end up feeling like an employee instead of building a business by God's design that He has called you to lead. Now I start with life. We are building life-first businesses. I open my 2026 calendar and I put in what matters most: breaks, birthdays, family time, rest, Sabbath rhythms, travel, vacations. I'm a Type A personality who loves to work and always be doing things, but now I give myself permission to honor those high-energy seasons and slow down in the seasons that I need to slow down. I plan my launches around my life, not the other way around. Life isn't the afterthought—it's the foundation. There's a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. I have a 4-year-old now (he'll be five in July), and we've been homeschooling. I get to start my day with my family and with him. Step 2: Reflect on the Past Year With Grace, Not Judgment Before I think about what I want for 2026, I spend time looking back at 2025—not through the lens of what didn't work or what I should have done, but through the lens of compassion and curiosity. I scroll my camera roll. I check my revenue reports. I look at my email list growth month by month. I remember the seasons where I felt alive, excited, powerful, and the seasons where I was stretched too thin or in hustle mode. I revisit launches, client wins, unexpected opportunities and unexpected challenges. This kind of reflection gives you data you can't get any other way. I can see exactly where: I pushed myself too hard I under-supported myself I was able to have fun and bring in amazing revenue, even when I wasn't even trying I grew in ways I wasn't expecting Things felt aligned and where they didn't God was in the mess and where He wasn't, because my focus was on the world That clarity is everything. Pro tip: If you share stories on social media, use your Instagram story archive for this reflection. Going back through that will give you even more insight into what was happening, what felt good, what didn't, and what you need to consider when planning the next 12 months. Take some time to reflect, rejoice, repent where needed, and reset. Step 3: Build Around Your God-Given Capacity and Bandwidth Here's what I know: just because it's a good idea doesn't mean it's always in God's timing. I used to plan for that fantasy version of me—you know, the superwoman who never gets tired, never has a sick kid, and runs a household like she has a staff. I don't. But now I plan for me. The real me. The one who has limits, the one who has a 4-year-old. And that's not weakness—that's wisdom. The Lord says in 2 Corinthians 12:9, "My grace is sufficient for you. My power is made perfect in weakness." So before I set goals, I ask: What do I have capacity for this year? I don't want to build a business that asks more of me than I can give. I want to be able to serve my clients deeply. I want to scale in grace, not just grind and hustle. When you're planning your launches and your revenue plan, think about what you can actually hold even on your worst day. Plan for that. Step 4: Leave Room for God to Move Yes, we plan. Yes, we get to be strategic. But if your calendar is so full that God can't interrupt it, you might be following your plan, not His. Once I have my life in my calendar, I've reflected on the year that's been, and I've thought about my capacity and bandwidth, I start to sketch the architecture of what 2026 can be. What will the launch windows be? When will I have activation events? What is my focus during each season? Do I have a quiet season? Do I have a creation season? Every single plan gets to include room for you being a human. Leave white space. Leave room for recovery. Leave room so that you can get your cup filled on a weekly basis. Leave space for things to evolve and for plans to change, because they often do. It's not about getting it perfect. It's about creating a structure that supports you instead of squeezes you. Build in Flexibility and White Space What if the Holy Spirit whispers a pivot midyear? Will you have the capacity to obey? What if God wants to bless you in a way you didn't plan for? Will there be room for that blessing to land? Proverbs 19:21 reminds us, "Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it's the Lord's purpose that prevails." So map the year, sketch the architecture, but hold it with open hands. If January Still Feels Cloudy or Rushed... Breathe. Your planning season might not be now. It might just be in spring, and that's not late—that's right on time in God's rhythm. When your year feels like it can support you, then you get to show up differently. Your content can hit deeper. Your offers can feel easy. Your confidence grows. And your business expands not because you're hustling or pushing harder, but because you're finally aligned with what the Lord is asking you to do. The Rhythm We're Walking In Let me remind you of the framework: Start with your life, not your business Reflect on the past year with grace, not judgment Build your revenue plan around your God-given capacity Always leave room for divine flexibility for the Spirit to move, redirect, and maybe even surprise you Remember, you get to choose. You get to build in a way that honors the season you're in. You get to co-create with God, not for grind, but for results. And if you do this with intention and alignment, I believe with everything in me that you're going to walk into your most fruitful, peaceful, and powerful year yet. Ready to Build Consistent Sales in 2026 (Without the Hustle)? If you're showing up, taking action, and creating great content—but your bank account doesn't match that effort—I have something for you. Join me for a FREE 3-day live workshop: The Only Three Traffic Systems You Need in 2026 to Make Consistent Sales Starting January 12th, I'm teaching you how to generate consistent leads and sales (even daily!) with a small audience, zero team, and no paid ads. Here's What You're Getting: ✨ The only three traffic systems that work in 2026 and how to use them together in an ecosystem ✨ My Trust Activation Flywheel that replaces complicated funnels and endless posting ✨ What to focus on daily so sales don't depend on you being glued to your phone ✨ My Be a Human First Framework (revealed for the first time!) that allows you to sell with integrity—no pushy tactics involved LIVE-ONLY BONUS: My Steward Well Power Hour Checklist—your daily 60-minute rhythm to build trust, start conversations, and create momentum immediately. This is the exact plan I teach my clients to help them grow their audience and make consecutive $2K-$5K months (the foundation for scaling). Save your seat at businessbygodsdesign.com/workshop → No big audience required.
