The Holiday Dump List: How to Actually Rest and Still Crush 2026

Your brain doesn’t need another plan. It needs a parking lot.

I was on a networking call this morning, one of those mastermind, style conversations where everyone answers the same prompt, when the host asked a question I absolutely was not emotionally prepared for before my second cup of coffee.

How are you going to clear your mind before the holidays so you can actually rest… and not limp into January already exhausted?

Not “what are your goals.”
(I got those all queued up!)

Not “what are you launching next.”
(This one has me uber excited!)

Just… how are you going to let your brain breathe?
(Sorry, I don’t understand the question.)

I sat there a bit dumbfounded honestly, because my brain has 47 tabs open and one of them is playing music I can’t find.

Your Holiday Dump List (aka: Why This Hit a Nerve)

The host kept going, calmly, while the overachievers in the room (hi, it’s me 🙋‍♀️) collectively realized we had never actually rested a day in our entrepreneurial lives.

She talked about doing a Start / Stop / Keep reflection for 2026.
Not to plan the year. But to unload the mental tabs that are still open.

Then she added another layer:

A Now / Next / Later / Never list, a simple way to decide what actually deserves your attention in 2026…

and what can finally stop living rent-free in your head like a project idea from 2021 that still whispers, “we could resurrect this.”

Ever wonder why do you “take time off” but come back more tired than when you left?

It’s because your body might be on vacation… but your brain is still running background processes like it’s trying to land a plane.

As people started sharing, one guy jumped in and said something so simple it almost made me mad I hadn’t thought of it first:

“You need a holiday dump list.”

Not a productivity list.
Not a goal-setting worksheet.
A get-it-out-of-your-head-so-you-can-rest-without-guilt list.

And yes, I immediately wrote it down like it was sacred text.

The Truth About Resting (aka: The Part Most People Get Wrong)

Rest doesn’t come from doing nothing.

Rest comes from knowing nothing important is being forgotten.

You don’t need better time off.
You need better containment.

Because when everything you want to do, fix, launch, stop, start, or rethink is floating around in your head, your nervous system never fully powers down.

Even if you’re technically “off.”
Even if you’re on a beach.
Even if you said you were unplugging.

This is why you’ve had at least one “BRILLIANT idea” while trying to relax that instantly ruined the relaxation. 

(It’s also why I have a water proof notepad and pencil in my shower. Aquanotes on Amazon make great stocking stuffers for fellow high-achieving entrepreneurs.)

Aaaaannnnddd, this is why AI, when used strategically, is such a gift.

Not to do more.
Not to hustle harder.
But to hold your thinking for you, like a very organized assistant whose job is to remember things so you don’t have to.

So here’s the exact exercise I will absolutely be doing myself before the holidays.

Weekly Challenge: Create Your Holiday Dump List 

Level 1: Start/Stop/Keep (2026 Edition)

Get it out. No organizing yet. No judging yourself. No pretending you’re suddenly a minimalist.

Start
What do you want to begin doing next year?
(Offers, rhythms, boundaries, content styles, support systems.)

Stop
What are you done carrying?
(Clients, projects, people, habits, expectations, launches that drain you and somehow still end up on your calendar.)

Keep
What’s actually working that you don’t want to accidentally abandon because you got bored or distracted?

This step alone will make your shoulders drop about two inches.

---

Level 2: Now/Next/Later/Never

Now take everything you wrote and sort it…gently. This is not the Hunger Games.

Now (Q1)
January-level focus. A few things. Not everything. You are not building Rome in 90 days.

Next (Q2)
Important, but not urgent. The natural next step after Q1, not alongside it.

Later (Q3–Q4)
Ideas you like, but don’t need to put energy into just yet.

Never
And this one matters more than people think.

What are you intentionally not doing in 2026 because it doesn’t bring revenue or joy?

Including:

• Projects you (or someone else) keep “should-ing” yourself about
• People or groups you’ve outgrown but keep tolerating
• Ideas that sounded good in theory but don’t fit your actual life

That list? That’s not quitting.
That’s leadership.

This isn’t about locking yourself into a rigid plan. It’s about giving your brain permission to rest because:

• Nothing is lost
• Nothing is forgotten
• Nothing needs to be solved right now

You’ve captured it. Contained it. Parked it.

And when January comes?
You’re not starting with exhaustion.
You’re starting with motivation!

Which feels wildly different.

Weekly Challenge (Holiday Edition)

Before the holidays officially begin:

• Do your Holiday Dump List
• Don’t optimize it
• Don’t pressure yourself to act on it

Just get it out of your head and onto paper, or better yet, into ChatGPT 😉

Copy and paste Level 1 and Level 2 into ChatGPT and ask it to walk you through each question one at a time.

Then have it organize everything into a Google Doc or your notes app so your ideas are safe, captured, and not randomly attacking you while you’re trying to watch a Christmas movie.

Then close the laptop knowing your ideas will still be there when you come back.

If You Want 2026 to Actually Look Different

Dumping your ideas is powerful, but implementing them without burning out is the real work.

That’s exactly why I built the 7 Figure CEO System.

Not another course.
Not another pile of tactics.
Not another “just be more consistent” pep talk.

This is a clear, step-by-step system that shows you what to work on first, what comes next, and what can wait so you stop guessing, stop jumping ship, and stop chasing the newest shiny object like it’s going to fix everything this time.

Inside the system, we take everything you just dumped out of your head and turn it into:

• Clear priorities
• CEO-level decisions
• Systems that save time and make money

No more spinning. No more rebuilding every quarter. No more duct-taping tools together and hoping for the best.

⚠️ Important heads up: I currently have 3 spots left at 2025 pricing for founders who want to lock it in before rates increase on January 1.

If you’re serious about making 2026 the year your business gets easier, not heavier, this is your moment.

Rest isn’t lazy.
It’s strategic.

If this hit you, reply and tell me what ended up on your Never list, those are usually the most freeing (and slightly scandalous) ones.

And if your brain could use a permanent place to unload ideas instead of carrying them 24/7… you already know I’m going to say it:

That’s what smarter systems (and a well-trained AI sidekick) are for.