The start of a new year has a strange effect on people working in fast-growth businesses. On one hand, there is pressure to move quickly, pick things up, and deliver. On the other, there is often a quiet urge to pause and ask a bigger question: Is what I’m doing now actually moving me towards the career I want?

By the end of 2025, a lot of finance professionals were tired. Not because they were lazy, but because expectations had crept up without the role always evolving to match. More insight. More scenarios. Faster reporting. Better business partnering. Stronger judgement. Often with the same headcount and very little guidance.

January is one of the few moments in the year where you can step back and look at the bigger picture. Not in a dramatic “new year, new me” way, but in a grounded, practical way that actually leads to change.

I still don’t believe in traditional resolutions. I do believe in intentional career planning. And in finance, that usually starts with reflection.

For me personally, I generally like to take at least a few days of ignoring anything to do with work over the Christmas period and then after that ideas or thoughts start popping into my head and I think about what I really want and things that I would like to do.  It's amazing how much pops in after a few days of nothing.

Step One: Acknowledge What You’ve Actually Done Well

Most finance professionals are very good at spotting gaps. Weak processes. Skills they need to improve. Areas where they feel behind. What they are far worse at is recognising progress.

Before you think about where you want to go in 2026, take time to write down what you achieved in 2025. Not vague statements. Specific things.

• Roles you stepped into before you felt ready
• Decisions you influenced
• Difficult conversations you handled
• Systems you cleaned up
• Confidence you built, even if it felt uncomfortable

This matters more than it sounds. If you don’t recognise what you’ve already proven you can do, you will constantly aim too low for what comes next.

Career step changes don’t come from people who think they are “not ready yet”. They come from people who can see their own capability clearly.

Hand on heart, I have always started a role or a business when my confidence isn't there.  But it's built up over time and once I've learnt what I can quickly, 12 months in I'm there.  

The first stage of the FLF framework in both the book and course focuses on this step before all the other stuff.

Step Two: Get Honest About the Career You Actually Want

This is where many people get stuck.  

They say they want to be a CFO. Or a Finance Director. Or a strategic finance leader. But when you ask what that means in practice, it’s vague.

I know, because I talk to many aspiring CFOs and when we chat for 5 minutes, I can see quickly that they don't actually know what they want and need to do this step.

Take time early in 2026 to define what you want your role to look like in two to five years.

Not just the title. The work.

• Do you want to be close to decision-making?
• Do you want ownership of strategy, not just reporting?
• Do you want to lead a team, or stay hands-on?
• Do you want variety through fractional work, or depth in one business?
• Do you want to work for a startup / scaleup or do you want to go back to a large corporation?

In 2025, many finance professionals experimented with fractional roles. Some loved it. Some realised they wanted to go full time again, but at a much higher level than before. There is no right answer. What matters is clarity.

Once you are clear on the direction, the next step becomes obvious.

Step Three: Identify the Gap Between Where You Are and Where You Want to Be

Career step changes don’t usually fail because of lack of intelligence. They fail because people don’t address the right gaps.

Ask yourself honestly:

• What skills does the role I want actually require?
• What behaviours do senior finance leaders consistently demonstrate?
• Where do I default to execution instead of judgement?

For many finance professionals, the real gap is not technical. It’s leadership.

Things like:

• Confidence in ambiguity
• Ability to prioritise when everything feels urgent
• Communicating clearly with founders
• Letting go of tasks that feel safe but keep you small
• Managing imposter syndrome rather than letting it drive decisions

If you want a different role in 2026 or 2027, these are the areas that matter.  

Step Four: Decide What Needs to Change This Year

This is where journaling can become practical.

You don’t need a five-year plan. You need to decide what changes this year.

That might be:

• Taking ownership of board reporting
• Stepping into cashflow and scenario planning instead of avoiding it
• Delegating more operational work
• Asking to attend leadership meetings, not just prepare packs
• Getting support to build confidence as a leader

One meaningful shift is often enough to change how people perceive you.  Career step changes happen when your role starts to feel different before your title does.  I absolutely encourage you to make these kinds of changes before your promotion.  Practise makes perfect.

And if you don't know where to start, use the FLF book - as this has actions you can implement today at the end of every single chapter.

Step Five: Plan for the Blockers Before They Show Up

Every finance leader I work with can list the reasons they haven’t stepped up yet.

Too busy.
No time to think.
Founder doesn’t give space.
Team is too junior.
Confidence is shaky.

None of those disappear on their own.

Instead of hoping 2026 will be calmer, plan for the blockers now.

If time is the issue, what can you stop doing?

If confidence is the issue, what support do you need?

If expectations are unclear, what conversation needs to happen?

This is often the difference between another year of incremental progress and a genuine step change.  Doing the same thing and waiting for the blockers to move on their own, is not going to change your life.  Doing things differently will.

Step Six: Treat Your Career Like a Long-Term Project

One of the biggest mindset shifts for finance leaders is realising that your career deserves the same structure and intention you apply to a business.

You wouldn’t expect a company to scale without strategy, feedback, or investment. Your career is no different.

• Use January to set direction.
• Use the year to execute consistently.
• Review and adjust as you go.

Not perfectly. Just intentionally.

You don’t need to overhaul your life in January. But if you want 2026 to feel different, something needs to change.

Leadership starts long before the title catches up.

If this is the year you want to step into a bigger role, start by giving yourself permission to plan for it properly.

Want to become a confident, strategic finance leader in a startup within the next 12 months? 

Here’s your plan:

1. Subscribe to my YouTube channel and Newsletter for weekly practical tips and real talk about startup finance leadership.
2. Read my book Financial Leadership Fundamentals to get clear on what’s expected of you and how to show up as a leader.
3. Join the Financial Leadership Fundamentals course to fast-track your growth with structure, support, and strategy that works in the real world.