Do Less, Get More: Lessons from 2025 for a Strong 2026

Last year required a different kind of efficiency. Work came in waves, priorities shifted, and the pace demanded sharper choices rather than heavier workloads. Midyear, I refined my approach. Instead of treating every task as essential, I focused on the actions that consistently produced real outcomes.

The impact was immediate.

More focus.

More meaningful conversations.

More signed contracts.

More space to think.

No burnout, no loss of momentum. Just better alignment.

It wasn’t about doing less. It was about being deliberate.

That mindset is shaping how I move into 2026.

When the shift felt uncomfortable

The transition wasn’t easy at first.

Seeing blank space on my calendar felt unfamiliar, almost irresponsible. A to-do list with only a handful of tasks looked too light to be “real work.” For years, volume had signaled momentum. Suddenly, clarity had to take its place.

But once I lived in that space for a short while, the benefits became obvious.

Blank space became thinking time.

Thinking time became better decisions.

Better decisions created better results.

The discomfort was temporary.

The payoff was not.

Sustainability thinking, applied to work

This is the same discipline we use in sustainability.

We don’t begin with ambition. We begin with efficiency.

We eliminate waste first.

Then we invest where there is real value and long-term return.

The same logic applies to how we work.

Doing more isn’t resilience.

Doing what matters is.

“Sustainability is the discipline of reducing waste and strengthening value. 

Good work follows the same logic.”

This principle shows up in buildings, in organizations, and in our own workflows. When we remove low-value load, performance increases. When we focus on what delivers, momentum builds. When we invest intentionally, the return compounds.

What carried forward into 2026

The second half of last year confirmed that clarity outperforms volume. The work that stayed on my plate had purpose. The rest simply didn’t support the outcomes I wanted to drive.

Organizations went through the same adjustment.

Throughout 2025, many ESG and sustainability teams dealt with shifting sentiments and economic pressure not by waiting for conditions to improve, but by trimming their programs until they were lean enough to deliver meaningful value now. That discipline also positioned them for the moment when markets call for stronger, better-resourced programs again.

Those refinements carry forward.

What we do in 2026 will shape how 2027 feels.

The approach guiding this year

Efficiency and value first.

Everything else is reconsidered.

Not as a slogan. As a working method.

• Less noise, more meaningful outcomes
• Fewer scattered conversations, stronger connections
• Fewer assumptions, clearer decisions
• Precision outperforms volume.

Eliminating low-value tasks prevents burnout

Intentional actions outperform activity

Time spent wisely beats time spent broadly.

Connections create more movement than output

High-quality conversations shape opportunities.

Thinking time protects execution

Good judgment prevents downstream rework.

Return is the metric

If it doesn’t contribute, it doesn’t stay.

This isn’t slowing down.

It’s operating at the right altitude.

2026 doesn’t need to be heavier.

It can be clearer, more strategic, and far more effective.

What worked for you last year, and what are you ready to drop in 2026?