Hey Reader,

Last week, I shared that after a season of intense caregiving and losing my mom in December, I've decided to start 2026 a little differently.

There will be no big January 'New Year, New Me' energy.

There will not be any big launches.

There will not be huge intensity or unnecessary pressure right now.

I'm EASING into this year and giving myself lots of space for processing my grief, recovering from caregiver burnout, and figuring out what this next stage of my life will look like.

Do I have goals for this year? Of course.

(After all, I'm a type 3 enneagram and a capricorn rising. Goals and planning are one of my love languages!)

But the reality is - I've never NOT taken care of my mom. Growing up with a disabled parent since age 4 has meant a huge part of my life has been oriented towards how to juggle taking care of her on top of raising a family and running a business.

I've done enough therapy over the years to realize that I'm currently going through a major life and identity shift.

And one of the perks of being the CEO of my own business? I can offer more than a couple of days of bereavement leave.

In fact, as of today, I've taken a full 4 weeks off from my business without my business slowing down or stopping.

While I did plan to take off time over the holidays (we shut down the business the last two weeks of the year every single year), I didn't plan to take an additional two weeks away.

And while I've taken this time off:

• My team has continued to take care of clients including on-boarding, renewing, and off-boarding clients
• My client growth engine has continued to run behind the scenes, making new sales without me doing a single thing
• My community has showed up for me in incredible ways - from thoughtful notes to bringing meals to even attending my mom's memorial service

This is why I will continue to talk about why SYSTEMS are more important than PLANS.

When life throws us a curveball, we don't rise to the level of our plans. The plans go out the window!

We fall to the level of our systems.

And a successful system requires a feedback loop that helps you adapt, adjust and stay accountable.

​And that's where this one habit of your Monthly CEO Date comes in.​

​This week on the Promote Yourself to CEO podcast, I’m breaking down how I use a Monthly CEO Date to keep my 90-day plan alive, adaptable, and realistic.​

This practice has been especially important for me in seasons where life requires more flexibility and self-compassion than hustle-harder mentality.

​In the episode, I walk you through:​

• Why it's essential to review your 12 month and 90 day goals regularly to stay focused
• The key questions I ask myself each month to adapt and adjust my plan based on my real life and capacity
• How to spot potential problems early before they turn into business emergencies
• How to review revenue, marketing, and metrics without obsessing
• Why it's essential to proactively protect your time and energy so you don't become a bottleneck

This isn’t about micromanaging your business.

It’s about creating a feedback loop that helps you lead with clarity and make decisions proactively.

If you’ve been feeling frantic, behind, or like you’re always putting out fires, this episode will help you see why.

It’s not a motivation problem.
It’s not a discipline problem.
It’s a missing rhythm.

And the good news is, rhythms can be built.

To CEO clarity,
Racheal

PS - If you missed the first episode in this series, learn how we create life-proof 90 day plans right here!​

PPS - If listening is helping but you want support actually building these planning rhythms into your business, the On-Demand CEO Retreat is available now.​

It walks you step by step through creating a focused 90-day plan and the monthly, weekly, and daily practices that help you follow through without burnout.

When you enroll, you’ll also get the Client Growth Engine training as a bonus so your planning aligns with how you attract, nurture, and convert clients.

You can move through it at your own pace and return to it whenever you need to reset.

​👉 Get instant access to the On-Demand CEO Retreat​

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