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The 5 Moves That Quietly Decide Who Wins 2026

Let me ask you a blunt question: If I looked at your calendar and pipeline right now, could I predict your 2026?

Because top advisors know something most of the industry forgets every January:

January is not a month. It’s a lever.

Pull it right, and the rest of the year tilts in your favor.

Pull it wrong, and you spend the next 11 months “working hard” just to feel caught up.

Here are the Top 5 things top advisors are doing this January to give themselves the best shot at their best 2026—written with the rigor of a McKinsey operating review, but with the human reality of what actually works in a busy practice.

And yes: I’m going to make it practical enough that you can implement it before the month ends.

1) They install a 2026 Scoreboard (and stop guessing)

The big idea: Top advisors don’t “hope” for growth. They instrument it.

Most practices don’t have a performance problem. They have a visibility problem.

When you can’t see the business clearly, you manage by emotions such as:

 “It feels busy.”

 “We’re doing lots.”

 “The market’s weird.”

 “Q1 always starts slow.”

A scoreboard such drama. Scoreboards replace subjective inputs with factual data that drive sound decision-making and growth.

How to implement (60 minutes)

Build a one-page dashboard with eight measurable numbers:

 Net new assets (monthly)

 New households (monthly)

 Client attrition (monthly)

 Reviews completed vs planned (monthly)

 Discovery meetings held (weekly)

 Proposals outstanding (weekly)

 Close rate (monthly)

 Referrals received (monthly)

Then set one non-negotiable rhythm:

30 minutes weekly (same day, same time) for a CEO huddle:

o What’s on track?

o What’s off track?

o What do we do this week to correct it?

o Who owns it?

Excellent outcome example: By the end of January, your growth becomes predictable. By March, you can point to exactly why you’re winning-because the scoreboard tells the truth every week.

2) They Segment Clients (and reclaim capacity without losing quality)

The big idea: Top advisors don’t get better by doing more. They get better by doing less, better.

Unsegmented service models create silent decay:

 your best clients get less proactive thinking

 your team gets stretched thin

 your calendar fills with “urgent” noise

 business development becomes optional

Segmentation isn’t elitist. It’s best practices with structure.

How to implement (90 minutes + your admin lead) Segment using two lenses:

Economics: revenue, assets, complexity

Energy: values fit, trust, referability, mutual respect

Create three tiers with clear standards:

A Tier: proactive planning + curated experiences

B Tier: structured review rhythm + planning triggers

C Tier: streamlined service model (or transition plan)

Then do the brave January move: choose one:

 raise minimums for new clients

 reprice high-complexity relationships

 transition C-tier relationships that no longer fit

 redesign service, so your team isn’t drowning

Excellent outcome example: By the end of Q1, you’ve recovered 4–6 hours per week. Your best clients feel like they joined a premium experience—not a busy office.

3) They build a “Top 25” Relationship Plan

The big idea:  The next 12 months will be shaped by a small number of relationships. Not because they’re transactional—because they’re strategic. Top advisors treat relationships like a portfolio:

 concentrated

 intentional

 reviewed

 rebalanced

How to implement (one focused afternoon)

Choose your Top 25:

 Top 15 clients by influence + fit (not just AUM)

 Top 10 COIs (and COIs-to-be)

For each, write a 5-line plan:

 What matters to them right now?

 What value can I deliver in Q1?

 What introduction could I earn?

 What “wow moment” would they remember?

 What date will I act?

Key upgrade: Replace “If you know anyone…” with earned-introduction language:

“I’m doing a small number of planning resets this quarter for people like you. If one person comes to mind, I’ll take great care of them.”

Excellent outcome example: By the end of Q1, you generate warm intros without feeling salesy—because your clients experience you as intentional, not opportunistic.

4) They Design the Ideal Week (before the year hijacks the calendar)

The big idea: Your calendar is your business model.

If the calendar is chaotic, the practice is chaotic. If you don’t install rules in January, you will spend the year negotiating boundaries—one meeting at a time.

Top advisors don’t defend their time emotionally. They protect it structurally by setting boundaries.

How to implement (45 minutes)

Pick a simple week structure such as:

 2 meeting days

 2 deep work blocks

 1 business development block

 1 weekly ops huddle (30 minutes)

Add three rules such as:

 no “random availability.”

 meetings happen in windows

 Friday is pipeline hygiene + planning

Then communicate it like a professional: “We schedule client meetings in these windows so we can be fully prepared and proactive.”

Excellent outcome example: By February, your week feels calmer while output rises. Your team stops firefighting. Clients feel a more confident, premium team.

5) They run a January Meeting Surge (and start the year on offense)

The big idea:  Top advisors don’t wait for the year to start. They create demand early—then spend the year serving it. January is the one month where outreach feels natural:

 people are goal-oriented

 Schedules are less congested

 financial motivation is high

How to implement (a clean 2-week sprint)

Build two lists:

1. Clients: planning resets for A & B tiers

2. Prospects: warm leads, stalled opportunities, referrals you didn’t convert

Use a straightforward invite:

 “I’m doing a limited number of Q1 planning resets—want one of the spots?”

 “If we could improve one thing in your plan this quarter, what would it be? Let’s take 20 minutes.”

Follow up like a pro:

 3 touches over 10 days (invite → value proposition → close the loop)

Batch meetings:

 Scattered meetings kill momentum

 clustered meetings create flow

Excellent outcome example: By Feb 15, your calendar is full of high-quality

conversations. Pipeline is real. Reviews are on track. Your year starts with traction, not random growth.

The January Execution Plan (so this doesn’t become “nice ideas”)

If you want the simplest possible rollout, run January in four weekly sprints:

Week 1: Install the Scoreboard

Week 2: Segment clients + service standards

Week 3: Top 25 plans + schedule the actions

Week 4: Ideal Week + Meeting Surge sprint

And keep one weekly rhythm:

 30-minute CEO huddle

 scoreboard + pipeline + next actions

 repeat until winning becomes normal

Closing: The question that separates average from elite

Top advisors don’t leave their year to chance. They install a system so good that—even on the weeks they’re tired—the system still wins.

So here’s the real question:

Which of these five moves would change your 2026 the fastest—if you actually did it before January ends?

Drop the number in the comments (1–5).

And if you want, add what’s getting in your way of a prosperous 2026—because odds are, someone reading this has already solved it.

Thank you for reading! This is what we help advisors do every day!  Written by Jeff Thorsteinson

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