Ep. 39 - Closing Out The Year And Words Of Year
On the very last day I'm in my spa each year, I do something that might sound silly.
I start at the very back of the spa and walk through every single room, saying thank you. Thank you to the treatment rooms that held so many transformations. Thank you to the break room where my team laughed and cried and grew together. Thank you to the lobby that welcomed hundreds of clients.
I make my way to the front, stand in the middle of the lobby, take a deep breath, and say: "Thank you for an incredible year." Then I close the door, blow a kiss (yes, really), and leave.
I know it sounds a little woo-woo. But I've done it every year since 2018, and it keeps me grounded in a way nothing else does. It reminds me that this business—this thing I've built—is so much bigger than me.
The Five Words That Shattered Me
This year started with one goal: just have a baby. Mission accomplished. But last week, something happened with my oldest that required multiple doctor visits in one day. He's okay now, but there might be surgery involved. It's scary. It broke me a little.
I was telling my team member Lacey about it, and she said something that gave me full body chills:
"Amanda, you are irreplaceable at home."
She continued: "You are irreplaceable at home, but you can hire someone to come in here and do the things you do. You can hire someone and they can just come in and do them. You cannot do that at home."
I sat there, stunned. Because she was right. Obviously right. Duh-Amanda-duh right.
But when you're so close to your work, so identified with your business, you can't always see it.
The Fear Behind the Hustle
Here's what I was really afraid of: If I'm not working in my business or on my business constantly, it won't be as successful. If I slow down, everything will fall apart.
But then I looked at my numbers.
We're midway through December, and we're about to do almost $75,000 better than last year.
Let me repeat that: I had a FOUR-MONTH maternity leave this year. I had a baby. I was gone. Completely gone. And we did $75K better.
My goal was maintenance mode. Just keep things afloat. Don't let it fall apart. $75K more is not maintenance. That's growth.
And I did it without being physically present. Without being mentally present. And when I came back, I was super part-time—five or six hours a day, three days a week.
So tell me again why I thought slowing down would destroy my business?
Time Is My Most Valuable Currency
I cannot build my kids' childhood again.
I can build my career at literally any point in my entire life. But I will never get a redo on this time with my boys at these ages. That's irreplaceable.
Time is my most valuable currency right now. And I've been spending it like it's infinite. It's not.
The 2026 Words: Fierce and Clear
I haven't fully decided on my word(s) of the year for 2026, but two keep coming up:
CLARITY - I'm becoming more and more clear about what I want, how I want to spend my time, my boundaries, what's important to me.
FIERCE - I'm going to fiercely defend my time. And I'm going to do it without apologizing.
Because here's what I'm learning: just because I'm slowing down doesn't mean I'm not still going to be successful. Success looks different in every season.
Right now, success looks like being 100% present when I'm with my boys. Success looks like leaving my phone in the other room during dinner. Success looks like saying no to opportunities that would've excited me a year ago.
Success looks like building a business that runs beautifully whether I'm there or not.
What Fierce Clarity Looks Like
I wear a watch that notifies me when team members call or text. Those I don't let go. Everything else? It can wait until the boys go down for their nap.
I work three days a week, five to six hours per day. That's it.
I say no to opportunities that would pull me away from this season with my kids. I defend my time without apologizing.
And somehow, the business is growing faster than when I was grinding 60 hours a week. Make that make sense.
The Permission You're Looking For
If you're reading this and thinking "I want to slow down but I'm scared," let me give you permission:
Your business can grow while you slow down. Your team can thrive while you're less present. Your clients can be well-served while you set boundaries. Your success doesn't require your suffering.
I'm living proof. $75K more in revenue during the year I had a baby and took four months off.
That's not luck. That's systems. That's a strong team. That's knowing when to step back and let others step up.
How to Close Out Your Year
If this resonates with you, I want to invite you to try something on your last day in your spa this year:
Walk through your space slowly. Thank each room for what it held this year. Stand in your lobby and take a deep breath. Say thank you for the year. Blow a kiss (trust me on this one). Walk out knowing you did enough.
Then, before the new year:
Reflect on what 2025 actually was for you (not what you wish it was, but what it WAS)
Choose a word or phrase for 2026
Get fiercely clear about what you're defending in this next season
Give yourself permission to want something different
What I'm Taking Into 2026
I'm taking the lesson that I'm irreplaceable at home. I'm taking the knowledge that my business grows even when I'm not grinding. I'm taking the understanding that time with my boys is my most valuable currency.
And I'm leaving behind the belief that I have to hustle myself into exhaustion to be successful. That version of success? I don't want it anymore.
The Question I'm Asking You
What are you going to be fiercely clear about in 2026? Do you have a word or phrase of the year?
And maybe more importantly: what would you say 2025 was for you?
Because if you're unsure what you want, how will you even know when you have it?
Want help building a business that runs beautifully whether you're there or not?
Fill out this intake form to book a free 30-minute discovery call with me. I help spa owners create sustainable processes that get real results without the overwhelm.
I help spa owners create systems and teams that allow them to step back without everything falling apart. If you're ready to build something sustainable that gives you fierce clarity about your time and your boundaries, let's talk. Let's figure out what success looks like for your spa in this season of your life.
