Start. Stop. Continue.
By Rob Jafek | Boomerang Capital Partners
As the year winds down, most of us feel the pull to pause for a moment and take stock. It is natural to look back at what worked and what did not, to look forward to where we want to go, and to try to draw a clean line between the two. The season lends itself to these reflections because there is something grounding about stepping out of the daily rush and asking a few simple questions. What should I start doing next year? What should I stop doing? And, perhaps most overlooked, what should I continue doing?
The start and stop questions tend to get the most attention. They feel action oriented. They put us in decision mode. They let us imagine something new or cut loose something that has been weighing us down. There is real value in that. Every business benefits from choosing a few intelligent experiments to start. Every team benefits from cutting bureaucracy or habits that no longer serve the mission. So yes, start and stop matter. But they are not the whole story.
The “continue” question is where the real leverage often sits. What is already going well? What is creating value, solving problems, strengthening relationships, or building momentum? What, if protected and nurtured, can carry you much further than you might think? The truth is that most positive outcomes are the result of consistent, repeated actions rather than dramatic new initiatives. Yet many organizations and individuals underinvest in what is already working. They assume that if something is going well, it will always go well, even without attention. That is rarely the case.
This is where the continue part of the framework becomes powerful. It invites us to identify what we are thankful for and then ask a second question. What do these bright spots require in order to keep going? Sometimes the answer is very little. A recurring meeting that keeps a team aligned. A weekly habit of checking on a customer. A moment each day for calm thinking before the emails begin. These small wins compound. They only need to be recognized and maintained.
Other times the answer is more substantial. The thing that is working may require additional investment in time or money to scale or to remain healthy. Maybe a team member has stepped up in ways that deserve more support or training. Maybe a business line that has been steady and reliable could grow with a bit of capital or with better tools. Maybe a relationship that has become a genuine asset needs more deliberate care because reliability and trust are built over years. The “continue” question is not passive. It can be the most strategic question of the three.
In my own experience, looking at the continue column helps me reconnect with the underlying mission that started everything in the first place. It reminds me why we built what we built. It reconnects me to our customers and to the team members who showed up with grit and clarity even when circumstances were uncertain. It is easy to treat successes as background noise. It is healthier to pause and appreciate them.
As you look toward next year, try giving the continue category equal billing with start and stop. Make a short list of what went right this year. Identify the people and the processes that made it happen. Ask what they need from you so that the success does not fade with the holiday decorations. These decisions set the tone for the coming year because they reinforce your strengths. They also communicate to your team and your partners that you see the good and that you intend to build upon it. Start what is worth starting. Stop what is holding you back. Continue what is already helping you thrive. That is how you create a year that is not only productive but also meaningful.