Plan Now to Avoid Overwhelm in the New Year
“For tomorrow belongs to the people who plan for it today.”
It’s no secret: nonprofit fundraisers carry a lot. You’re balancing year-end campaigns, donor stewardship, board expectations, events, grants, and all the “quick questions” that somehow take an hour.
December can feel like a sprint with no finish line—and before you know it, January arrives, bringing new goals, new pressures, and new expectations.
Here’s the good news:
A little thoughtful planning now can dramatically reduce your overwhelm later.
In fact, the fundraisers who feel the calmest and most in control in Q1 are the ones who make time before the year turns to set themselves up for success.
Let’s explore why early planning matters—and how you can make it simple.
Why Planning Ahead Protects Your Sanity
1. You create breathing room before the rush hits.
Once January arrives, everything and everyone wants your attention: donors looking for updates, program staff needing fundraising, finance asking for revenue projections. Getting even one uninterrupted planning hour can feel impossible. Planning now gives you space to think, prioritize, and prepare—without fighting the January current.
2. You shift from reactive to proactive.
When you enter the new year with clarity, you’re not just responding to whatever pops up—you’re driving the strategy. You know what matters most, where to focus your limited time, and what can wait. That alone eliminates huge amounts of mental clutter.
3. You reduce decision fatigue.
Fundraisers make hundreds of decisions a week. Planning ahead narrows your choices:
“What am I focusing on this quarter?” is answered.
“What does success look like?” is answered.
“What can I let go of?” is answered.
Your brain has fewer tabs open—and that feels like oxygen.
4. You give your future self a gift.
Imagine walking into your office on January 2nd and not feeling behind. Imagine starting the year knowing what your priorities are, what your biggest opportunities are, and how to protect your time and energy. That is what planning now makes possible.
So How Do You Start? Keep It Simple.
Set aside even 30–60 minutes this week to reflect and plan. Grab a notebook or open a doc and ask yourself:
What worked this year—what energized me and moved fundraising forward?
What drained my time and attention without producing meaningful results?
What do I want to do more of in 2026?
What can I stop doing—or do differently?
What are my top three priorities for Q1?
You don't need a complicated system. You need clarity, intention, and a plan you can actually follow.
And if you’d like guidance, structure, and ready-to-use tools, I have something that can help.
Year-End Special: Get My Planning Mini-Course for Just $7
To support fundraisers heading into the new year with more clarity and less chaos, I’m offering $20 off the $27 full price of my mini-course: 👉 The Overwhelmed Fundraiser’s Personal Planning Guide
Only $7 (code NEWYEAR2026) with this year-end offer!
This mini-course helps you:
Assess what truly matters in your fundraising role
Identify what drains vs. energizes you
Visualize your best possible year ahead
Clarify your top priorities so you can stay focused
Map out a simple, actionable plan you can actually use
Get more done without burning out
It’s bite-sized, practical, and designed for the real world of nonprofit fundraising.
If you’re tired of feeling behind, stretched thin, or overwhelmed by everything on your plate, this is your chance to reset—and step into the new year with confidence and clarity.
Your future self will thank you.
Take a little time now to pause, reflect, and plan. Even small steps will make next year feel lighter and more intentional. And if you want support, structure, and a proven process for getting there, grab the mini-course while it’s just $7 (use code NEWYEAR2026).
Here’s to a calmer, clearer, more grounded year ahead—for you and your mission.
