How to Lock In and Make 2026 Your Best Year in Business
Have you ever noticed this strange paradox?
The brighter, more switched-on you are… the harder it seems to make real progress in your business.
It’s frustrating. You know your stuff. You’re full of ideas. You’re working hard.
But growth still feels inconsistent. You’re spinning plates. Progress is patchy. And you’ve probably asked yourself at some point…
What do I actually need to focus on to make this year my breakthrough?
That’s what we’re tackling in this article.
Because if you’re ready to finally move the needle—to cut the fluff, fix what’s stuck, and create momentum that actually lasts—then you need to do one thing:
Lock In.
And in this article, I’ll show you exactly how to do that.
Most businesses don’t have ten problems.
Why Being Smart Can Be a Trap
Let’s start with a bold statement:
The smarter you are, the harder it can be to succeed in business.
Controversial? Maybe. But we see this play out all the time.
Because the smarter you are, the more likely you are to:
Overthink decisions
Chase every new opportunity
Try to solve every problem at once
Get paralysed by perfectionism
While others are “doing the do”, you’re stuck wondering if this is the right path, what others will think, or whether this could be optimised first.
Here’s the reality:
Success doesn’t come from knowing everything. It comes from executing the right things consistently.
And to do that, you need clarity. You need a plan. And most importantly—you need to lock in.
What Does It Mean to “Lock In”?
To lock in means to:
✅ Get clear on what you want
✅ Strip away distractions
✅ Focus on a few high-impact actions
✅ Build habits that drive real results
It’s about ruthless prioritisation—and shutting the door on all the other noise.
The business owners who thrive in 2026 won’t be the ones with the most ideas. They’ll be the ones with the most focus.
The Cost of Staying Unfocused
If you’re not locked in, here’s what tends to happen:
You’re busy, but not effective.
Your weeks blur into each other without progress.
You start things, but rarely finish them.
You feel overwhelmed—despite working all the time.
And worst of all? You never quite hit your goals.
Not because you’re not capable. But because you’re trying to do everything—and end up doing nothing especially well.
The solution?
Step back. Reconnect. And lock into the right path. Amazed
The 5-Step Framework to Lock In and Make 2026 Your Best Year Yet
Whether you're an electrical contractor like John (from our Entrepreneurs Circle Zürich mastermind), a coach, consultant, or creative—this framework works across the board.
Let’s break it down.
1. Reconnect With Your Goals (Use the TERMS Framework)
Before you do anything in your business, you need to get clear on what you want from it.
Ask yourself:
What do I want this business to provide for me?
How do I want to live?
What income do I need?
How much time do I want off?
What work energises me—and what drains me?
At EMS, we use the TERMS Framework to define this:
Time — How much do you want for yourself?
Energy — What fills you up vs. burns you out?
Responsibilities — What are you doing that you shouldn’t be?
Money — What income does your ideal life actually cost?
Satisfaction — What brings you purpose and fulfilment?
Tip: Design your ideal life on paper. Then cost it out. Once you know what your dream life costs, you can reverse-engineer your business to fund it.
2. Quantify the Gap Between Where You Are and Where You Want to Be
Once you know the lifestyle you’re aiming for, the next question is:
What does my business need to do to fund this life?
If your ideal life costs €250,000/year, what turnover do you need?
Based on your profit margins, how many clients or contracts does that require?
What’s your average order value? Your conversion rate? Your lead flow?
Example: If you’re making €150k profit now, and you want €250k, you probably don’t need to double your business. Because with your overheads already covered, each new sale adds disproportionately to your profit.
This is about getting numerical clarity—so you can move forward with purpose.
3. Find the Bottleneck and Fix It First
Every business has a constraint—a primary bottleneck that’s slowing everything else down.
For you, it might be:
Not enough leads
Poor conversion rates
Delivery issues
Recruitment gaps
You being in the way of growth
Identify your constraint. Because when you fix it early in the year, the rest of the year transforms.
Ask: “What’s the one thing that, if resolved, would make everything else easier?”
4. Choose the Few Actions That Drive the Biggest Results
Here’s a myth that needs busting:
You don’t need to do more. You need to do less—better.
Once you’ve identified your goal and your bottleneck, choose the few actions that will actually make a difference.
If lead flow is the issue → Focus on your marketing strategy
If delivery is the issue → Focus on systems, hiring, or capacity
If you’re the bottleneck → Delegate, document, and get out of the way
Every day, ask: “What’s the most valuable thing I could do today that moves the business forward?”
Then do that.
5. Make 90 Minutes a Day Your Non-Negotiable Habit
This is the game-changer.
I’ve been using the 90-Minute Rule for years:
Spend at least 90 minutes a day working ON your business, not in it.
That means no emails, no admin, no delivery.
We website then we'll share that if they're not pre-booked and prepaid they're not going to the yard some of the guysJust focused time on:
Strategy
Marketing
Systemisation
Team building
Solving constraints
Block it out. Make it sacred. Because this single habit can transform your business more than anything else. Four months ago
The Power of Reflection
One of the most powerful things you can do is look back before you move forward.
Take 15–30 minutes this week and ask:
What actions did I take last year that drove real results?
What actions or behaviours held me back?
What do I need to do more of?
What do I need to stop doing?
The answers might surprise you—and give you instant clarity on where to focus next.
Why Business Owners Stay Stuck (And How You Can Break Free)
Let’s finish by busting some common beliefs that hold people back:
❌ “I just need a better idea.”
Nope. You need better execution.
❌ “I’ll work harder this year.”
Unless you’re working on the right things, more hours won’t help.
❌ “This doesn’t apply to my business.”
It does. Every business grows the same way: clear goals, focused effort, and consistent action.
Final Thoughts: You Don’t Need Another Plan. You Need to Lock In.
Here’s the truth: Your success in 2026 won’t come from how smart you are. It will come from how focused you are.
Design the life you want.
Set the business goal to fund it.
Identify the constraint.
Do the actions that move the needle.
Block the distractions.
Lock in.
And if you’d like help with this—if you’re ready to finally build a business that works for you—that’s exactly what we do.
🔍 Click here to book a free strategy session and let’s figure out how to lock in your best year yet.
