Welcome to the 301st episode of Take Flight Weekly Podcast. Today, I want to introduce my word for 2026: RightSize. It's more than a word, it's a mindset I intend to use throughout 2026. You'll start to hear me use it frequently in my coaching and content.
RightSizing is about creating alignment between who you are, what you want, and how you operate. For some, it means scaling back; for others, it means expanding. It could mean eliminating the unnecessary, moving up in quality, or moving down in volume to make room for those things that truly matter to you and create an ROI (return on investment) or ROT (return on time). This episode explores what fits, what doesn't, and what must evolve so that your life and business are being lived and executed intentionally.
Before we dive in, let me remind you of my purpose: to help you, the full-service, full-fee advisor and entrepreneur, become more productive and more fulfilled. Why? Because happy advisors and entrepreneurs produce more. Listen as if we're sitting together one-on-one. This is your coaching session.
What Is RightSizing?
RightSizing is a philosophy rooted in awareness and discipline. It's about resisting the pull toward "more" for the sake of more and choosing what's right. It's what happens when you start making decisions based on energy, alignment, and outcome. Ego is eliminated as part of the equation. In a world that glorifies growth at any cost, RightSizing is the counter-move.
Over time, we accumulate commitments, systems, and even clients that no longer fit. We add before we edit. We say yes because we can, not because we should. The result? Overwhelm, inefficiency, and a business that feels heavy instead of freeing. The truth is, everything you add—every team member, every platform, every listing—creates weight. Some of that weight creates lift; some of it drags you down.
RightSizing forces you to create boundaries. It also involves an audit of your time and resources.
RightSizing asks you to examine the structure beneath your success. Are your goals still yours, or have they become someone else's expectations? Is your business operating at 30,000 feet, or are you still in constant takeoff mode? This season of RightSizing is about simplification, optimization, and focus.
RightSizing can replace a lot of words. It's the mindset of eliminating, simplifying, streamlining, decluttering, refining, and aligning while also expanding, elevating, optimizing, and recalibrating so every part of your business and life fits with precision, purpose, and profit. For those of us in our late 50s, 60s, and 70s, it can also replace the word "retire" should you so choose to use it as a later-in-life philosophy.
10 Areas to RightSize in 2026
Here are 10 areas to consider as you RightSize your life and business this year:
- Your Business Model– Is it built for profit, predictability, and joy? Or is it built on obligation and burnout?
- Your Team– Do you have the right people in the right seats, or too many seats altogether?
- Your Client Base– Are you working with clients who energize you and align with your value?
- Your Time– Audit your calendar. How much is proactive vs. reactive?
- Your Marketing– Simplify your strategy. Focus on consistency over complexity.
- Your Systems– RightSize your tech stack. Eliminate what's redundant or underused.
- Your Financial Structure– Align expenses and income goals with your current reality and vision.
- Your Health & Energy– Are you operating at peak performance or running on fumes?
- Your Space– Is your environment inspiring creativity and focus, or cluttering your headspace?
- Your Vision– Does your 3-Year Vision still excite you? If not, it's time to rewrite it.
RightSizing is a natural part of growth. It sets you up for the next level of your life and business. It's an intentional recalibration that allows you to grow in the right direction. In 2026, refuse to live on autopilot. Audit your commitments, align your priorities, and design your 2026 to reflect what truly matters. When you do, you'll find that your business fits your life not the other way around.
What is your word for 2026? What do you plan to leave in 2025?
