Happy New Year: One Day Left to Reflect, Reset, and Step Into 2026 With Purpose

Happy New Year.

You have one day left.

One day to look back on 2025 and ask yourself the hard questions.

Was it worth it? What went south? What went good? What did you learn? What will you be stepping up in 2026?

These questions matter more than any resolution you will write down. Because the answers tell you where you actually are. Not where you hoped to be. Not where you told others you were. Where you actually are.

And from that honest starting point, you can build something real.

Every Feedback Counts

Think back through the year.

That supplier you should have taken a chance on. That customer encounter you could have handled better. That chef you missed hiring because you waited too long. That marketing team you should have worked with instead of trying to do everything yourself.

Every one of these moments was feedback.

The market was telling you something. Your customers were telling you something. Your team was telling you something. The results you got were telling you something.

Did you listen?

Most restaurant owners do not. They experience the feedback but do not process it. They feel the pain of mistakes but do not extract the lessons. They celebrate wins but do not understand why they won.

This is how people repeat the same year over and over. Different calendar, same patterns. Different goals, same results.

But you can choose differently.

Every mistake and failure is something to learn from. Not just to feel bad about. To actually learn from. To ask what went wrong and why. To change something so it does not happen again.

Every success is something to level up. Not just to celebrate. To understand. To ask what worked and why. To do more of it. To build on it.

This is how growth happens. Not through motivation and willpower. Through learning and adapting.

What Did You Learn?

Let me ask you directly.

What did you learn in 2025?

Not what happened to you. What did you learn from what happened?

Did you learn something about your customers that you did not know before? Did you learn something about your team? About yourself? About the market?

Did you learn what works in your restaurant and what does not? Did you learn where you waste time and where you create value? Did you learn what brings customers back and what drives them away?

These lessons are worth more than any resolution. Because resolutions without lessons just repeat old patterns with new enthusiasm.

Before you set goals for 2026, make sure you have actually learned from 2025. Write down the lessons. Be specific. Be honest.

The restaurant owners who grow are the ones who learn. The ones who stay stuck are the ones who experience without learning.

What Will You Step Up?

Now the forward-looking question.

What will you step up in 2026?

Not what will you try. Not what will you hope for. What will you actually step up?

Stepping up means commitment. It means deciding that something will be different and then making it different through action. Day after day. Week after week. Month after month.

What area of your restaurant needs you to step up? Is it the food quality? The service? The marketing? The team culture? The financial management?

What area of yourself needs you to step up? Is it your health? Your leadership? Your skills? Your discipline? Your relationships?

Be honest. You know where the gaps are. You have known for a while. The question is whether 2026 will be the year you actually address them.

The Deep Desire Question

Here is the question that determines whether your resolution will last.

Is there a deep desire inside you that gives you the why?

Not a surface-level want. Not a should. Not something you think you are supposed to want.

A deep desire. Something that burns. Something that keeps you up at night. Something that makes giving up feel impossible.

If you have that, you will stay consistent. Through the hard days. Through the setbacks. Through the distractions. The deep desire will pull you forward when willpower fails.

If you do not have that, your resolution is a week thing. Maybe two weeks. Maybe a month if you are disciplined. But eventually the motivation fades and you drift back to old patterns.

This is not a criticism. This is just how humans work.

So before you finalize your resolutions, ask yourself honestly. Is this a deep desire or a surface want? Is this something I will fight for or something I will abandon when it gets hard?

Only commit to resolutions backed by deep desire. Everything else is just noise.

Goals Keep Up With You

Here is a mindset shift that changes everything.

Goals are about them keeping up with you. Not you keeping up with them.

Most people set goals and then chase them. The goal is out there somewhere. They are here. The gap creates stress and often defeat.

But when you have momentum, the dynamic flips. You are moving forward. The goals are just markers along the path. You pass them because you are already in motion.

Once you have momentum, only competence and hard work matter. Showing up. Getting it done. Consistently.

Not motivation. Not inspiration. Not willpower.

Momentum. Competence. Consistent work.

This is why the beginning is hardest. You are trying to create momentum from a standing start. Everything feels like effort.

But once you are moving, everything feels like flow. The goals keep up with you because you are already going where they are.

Build momentum first. The goals will follow.

Distractions and Setbacks Will Come

Let me be realistic with you.

There will be distractions in 2026. Many of them.

There will be setbacks. Some of them significant.

This is not pessimism. This is certainty. No year goes exactly as planned. No path is without obstacles.

The question is not whether distractions and setbacks will come. The question is how you will respond when they do.

Every decision you make is correlated to the goal you set. Every choice either moves you toward it or away from it. Even small choices. Even choices that seem unrelated.

When you have a clear resolution, it becomes a filter for decisions. Does this move me toward my goal or away from it? Does this serve my mission or distract from it?

Without that filter, you are blown around by whatever seems urgent or interesting in the moment. With that filter, you stay on course even when the winds change.

Your resolution should sit with you. Easy to look at. Always with you. A reminder of why you do what you do.

It is easy to forget. Life gets busy. Urgent things crowd out important things. Days blur into weeks blur into months.

Keep the resolution visible. Keep the why present. This simple practice separates those who achieve their goals from those who forget them by February.

The Person With Control

Let me describe someone you may have seen.

There is a certain type of person who has control.

You can see it in how they carry themselves. They are not scattered. They are not reactive. They are not all over the place.

They are silent in their behaviors. They do not need to announce what they are doing. They do not need validation for every step. They move quietly and purposefully.

But they are loud in their actions. The results speak. The progress is visible. The impact is undeniable.

And despite their discipline, they are still grateful. For the people around them. For the life they have. For the opportunity to build something in this world.

This person understands something important.

We are among the few who can really work on and build what we have created ourselves in this world. There is no amount of money that can buy that. The ability to create. To build. To shape your own life and business.

That ability is priceless. And it comes from skills, curiosity, and constant reminders of why you are doing what you are doing.

The person with control cultivates all three. They build skills deliberately. They stay curious about what they do not know. They keep their purpose in front of them always.

You can become this person. It is not about personality. It is about practice.

To the New Year

As we step into 2026, my wish for you is simple.

Thrive and grow. Both in life and in business.

That is the only way. You cannot separate the two. A thriving life without a thriving business leaves something missing. A thriving business without a thriving life leaves you empty.

Both. Together. That is the goal.

I hope you have enjoyed our newsletter this past year. I hope it has brought you some value. Some inspiration. Some tools for everyday life.

That is what we try to do. Share what we know. Help where we can. Be honest about what works and what does not.

What We Do

Let me be clear about what we do for restaurants.

Marketing. Brand. Increased productivity with AI.

That is it. Those are the only things restaurants need from a marketing partner.

Do too much and it will already affect your low profits. Restaurants do not need complexity. They need focus. They need the things that actually move the needle, done well and done consistently.

Marketing brings new customers in. Brand keeps them coming back. AI multiplies what is possible with the time and resources you have.

We have built systems around these three things. Systems that work. Systems that have helped hundreds of restaurants grow.

January Special Offer

If you want to start 2026 with serious momentum, we should talk.

In January, we will get on a call and discuss whether our system is right for your restaurant. No pressure. Just a conversation about where you are and where you want to go.

Even if you decide not to work with us, your restaurant will thank you for the clarity. Understanding your situation better is valuable regardless of what you do next.

And here is something special for January.

We will pick three restaurants that will get five hundred dollars off the first three months.

Three restaurants. Five hundred dollars off. Only in January.

If you have been thinking about getting serious about marketing in 2026, this is the time.

Book a call. Let us talk about your restaurant. Let us see if we are the right fit.

https://www.anthconsulting.com/restaurant-growth-challenge#calendar-652ZsXHqbhZk

Make 2026 Count

One day left in 2025.

Use it well. Reflect honestly. Extract the lessons. Set resolutions backed by deep desire.

Then step into 2026 with purpose. With momentum. With the determination to thrive and grow in both life and business.

The restaurant owners who win are not the ones with the best circumstances. They are the ones who learn, adapt, and keep moving forward.

Be one of them.

Happy New Year. Let us make 2026 extraordinary.

Frequently Asked Questions

How should I reflect on 2025 before setting goals for 2026?

Ask yourself what went well and what went poorly. Look at specific moments—supplier decisions, customer encounters, hiring choices, marketing efforts. Extract lessons from both successes and failures. Write them down. Be honest. Resolutions without lessons just repeat old patterns with new enthusiasm.

Why do most New Year's resolutions fail?

Most resolutions lack deep desire behind them. They are surface-level wants or things people think they should want. Without a burning why that makes giving up feel impossible, motivation fades within weeks. Only commit to resolutions backed by genuine deep desire.

What does it mean that goals keep up with you?

When you have momentum, you are already moving forward. Goals become markers along the path rather than distant things you chase. The dynamic flips—instead of stressing about the gap between you and the goal, you pass goals because you are already in motion. Build momentum first.

How do I stay consistent with my resolutions throughout the year?

Keep your resolution visible and always with you. Make it a filter for decisions—does this move me toward my goal or away from it? Expect distractions and setbacks. They will come. Your response to them, guided by your clear resolution, determines whether you achieve your goals or abandon them.

What does a person with control look like?

They are silent in their behaviors but loud in their actions. Not scattered or reactive. They move quietly and purposefully while producing visible results. Despite their discipline, they remain grateful for their life and opportunities. This comes from cultivating skills, curiosity, and constant reminders of purpose.

What do restaurants actually need from a marketing partner?

Marketing, brand, and increased productivity with AI. That is it. Doing too much creates complexity that affects already low profit margins. Restaurants need focus on things that move the needle—bringing new customers in, keeping them coming back, and multiplying what is possible with available resources.

What is the January special offer?

In January, three restaurants will be selected to receive five hundred dollars off the first three months of working with us. This is only available in January. Book a call to discuss whether our system is right for your restaurant and to be considered for this offer.

What if I book a call and decide not to work with you?

Your restaurant will still thank you for the clarity. Understanding your situation better is valuable regardless of what you do next. The call is a conversation about where you are and where you want to go. No pressure. Just clarity that helps you make the right decision for your business.