One hundred days in

We're more than one hundred days into 2026. I saw someone's post about all their achievements so far this year and immediately felt inadequate. A hundred days sounds like a long time and also not very long. Long enough for a plan to have lost its way. Short enough that we've still got 265 days to play with.

We talk a lot about making plans and setting intentions in January with its fresh energy and sense of possibility. We talk about year end with its reflection and sense of exhaustion. The months in the middle can be too busy to take time to stop and think.

I made a video last year about doing New Year resolutions in October instead of January, and it sparked some interesting discussions. It's a simple idea. Autumn gives you a natural 90 day runway before January even arrives, so that instead of starting from zero on the 1st, you're already in motion. A lot of people agreed with me that January is a terrible time to make big decisions: you're tired, it's dark, and the pressure at that time of year feels a bit much.

When I saw that post about 100 days of 2026, it occurred to me that the same logic applies now. April is another natural reset point. You have information about how the year is actually going - exactly what you need to make better decisions. January plans are often made in that lull between Christmas and New Year, before reality has had chance to weigh in. By April, you know which goals still make sense and which ones were wishful thinking. You know where you've been reactive, letting other people's priorities take up your time. You know whether you've been driving your year or whether the year has been driving you.

Being proactive is not about having a rigid plan and sticking to it regardless. Life doesn't work like that, and neither does leadership. It's about the habit of returning to your intentions. Checking progress. Asking yourself whether what you're spending time on still matters. Have the circumstances changed? Does this still fit who I'm trying to be and what I'm trying to build?

If you set goals in January, April is the right time to look at them again with honest eyes. Don't judge yourself for what hasn't happened yet, but ask what's getting in the way, and whether you still want what you thought you wanted. It could be that the goal still stands but the route needs adjusting or the goal no longer fits and you need to let it go without guilt. Maybe you'll find that you've made more progress than you realised, which is a very nice thing to discover.

So if you're feeling a bit behind or 2026 isn't going the way you'd hoped, this could be a good moment to look back at whatever plans you made in January. Ask yourself what still matters, what needs changing, and what one thing, if you actually did it, would make the biggest difference in the next hundred days.

If a one-to-one conversation about this stuff could help, let me know and join the waitlist here. I'm experimenting with offering taster coaching sessions which has been going really well so far. It's incredible how powerful being properly listened to during a brief conversation can be.

What am I reading? 📚

I generally pick up a Stephen King if I want a gripping and undemanding read. Mr Mercedes fitted the bill recently.

What am I watching? 👀

Gisèle Pelicot tells her own story on Newsnight. A harrowing watch but important to honour Gisèle's astonishing courage, I think. You can read her book too.

Shame has to change sides.

What am I listening to?👂

The Arnolfini portrait is one of my favourite paintings. When I lived in London I often used to pop into the National Gallery for a visit when I was passing. I enjoyed this programme about it although visual art is a tricky subject for radio. There's a link to a high res image of Van Eyck's incredible painting here.

Joy-giving things 😍

The cheery cherry blossom in our front garden

Wishing you a good weekend.

Lucy

ChangeOut is created by Lucy Caldicott. You can find more about my work at ChangeOut.org.

If you're wondering whether coaching might help you think through where you are and where you're heading, I'd love to hear from you. I'm opening up coaching spaces later in 2026. Express your interest here.

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