How To Spend The Last 90 Days Of 2026 So You Can Do Less And Get More From Your Business In 2027
“Will you survive?”
The waitress, crown of frozen-in-time 80s curls tipping forward, drops a plate of already-oozing over easy eggs in front of my husband.
“The chef broke them.”
“It’s no problem.”
We went back to breakfast conversation but her question never left.
Not after the tab is paid.
Or on the windy country road home.
Or when I strip the calendar of one month to reveal the next.
No one goes to a restaurant to survive.
We come for the waffles.
The Bourbon glaze.
Eggs. Over easy.
We’re here to have our hearts’ desire.
It’s not the time or place to settle for what’s put in front of you.
I’m not talking about the restaurant anymore.
October 3rd marks the last 90 days of 2026.
But I see it as the pre-beginning of the new year.
Not as a time for mad-dash “crush your goals” before January energy.
More like a ruthless editing of what got in the way of accomplishing them in the first place.
✂️ ✂️ ✂️
1. The Should Audit
What are you doing out of guilt, fear, or a sense of 'should'? So often, letting it go is far less destructive than we assume. When my body responded “Instagram” last October, a very opinionated part of me thought it would ruin my business. One year later, if I could sum up the choice to walk away from a popular IG account in one word, it would be: Peace. Peace from the time and bandwidth it's given back to me, certainly. But a deeper peace from knowing that you can build what you want the way you want—and win. Read: How I Make A Stable Income Without Posting On Social Media.
2. The ‘Rewire’ List
“What if laziness is nothing but a habit of thinking about the effort instead of thinking about the pay off? What if you could reverse laziness by developing a habit of thinking about the delicious food you’d like to enjoy instead of how long it would take you to get up and go get it?” A Harvard professor once asked this, and it made me think about the thoughts repeated out of habit versus the ones chosen with intention. What ones need an edit and what tiny actions I could take to rewire in the fresh prose?
3. The “What If” List
One of the most heartbreaking aspects of the human condition is thinking we want something because others who look happy and successful have it. Pursuing careers that end up being the wrong fit, following strategies for goals that look good on paper but feel void in heart. Defining success for yourself is obvious, figuring out the path to your version of success is less so. It takes a little bad-assery to get off the prescribed route and experiment. “What if” I did it this way instead? A wise teacher once said “what if” is the start of all great stories. Perhaps it will seed your 2027 adventure too.
This year, my “what if” seems to be calling me back to Instagram.
I’ve been writing little reflections on micro moments, and my gut says, “It’s a caption, it’s a caption, it’s a caption! What if I post low-effort pics paired mini-stories in the caption—2012-era later ‘gram style?”
Thing is—they’re ummm… different from my typical writing style. My head weighs in, “that’s not gonna do you any favors.”
But it said that about leaving IG last year too.
Not everything on our lists will happen overnight, and that is the point.
Small tweaks here, little adjustments there, so when 2027 officially rings in, it won’t start with resolutions; it’ll start with steady momentum, an unapologetic stake in the ground that says:
“I’m not here to get by, I’m here to thrive.”
Here’s to creating the life and livelihood you love,
Cyndi Zaweski, Owner of StoryCraft
Cyndi is a start her career as a journalist, spending a decade in newsrooms before trading her press pass to teach entrepreneurs how to spread their message through storytelling. Following traditional digital marketing tactics, she grew her Instagram to 65K—and promptly burnt out. Six months after she quit social media, sales jumped 176%. That’s when she realized that the mainstream narrative about what it takes to succeed online is just a made-up marketing script. Today, she helps business owners bypass the pressure-filled tactics to build a sustainable business that moves their mission forward with a memorable narrative.
