A Better End-of-Year Checklist
December 18, 2025 | By David M. Wagner
If your year has been anything like mine, you likely can’t believe that there are only two weeks left in 2025.
This year has been a slog. And the end-of-year crunch feels especially…crunchy.
You may have a hundred things on your to-do list. Work to wrap up before the year is done. Planning for 2026 to do.
So I thought, rather than pile on with suggestions of any more work for you to do, I would offer a different kind of end-of-year checklist.
One that reflects the incredibly hard year you’ve had and all the incredibly hard work you’ve done.
1. Cut Yourself Some Slack
2025 was a hard year.
Maybe things didn’t all go according to plan. You didn’t hit all those goals. You weren’t always at your best.
The mark of an exceptional leader is not that they never make a mistake or somehow managed to be “on” and perfect all day, every day, all year long.
Exceptional leaders show themselves (and others) grace for being less than 100%. And they make an effort to get better, to do better, and to help others be better.
You showed up this year. You survived. That alone is worth celebrating.
2. Celebrate Your Wins
And along those lines, there’s no way the year was all bad. In fact, a lot of it may have even been great!
Think about all the work your team did this year that makes you proud.
Show them some appreciation for their hard work and accomplishments.
And then consider what you are proud of contributing – not the team, not anyone else. You. What did you do this year that’s worth celebrating?
I won’t make you share your personal points of pride with others (though I think it’s a good idea). Just at least acknowledge them for yourself.
3. Connect with Peers
You know who else gets what kind of year it’s been, and who would love to celebrate your wins with you?
Other nonprofit and library leaders.
Seek them out. Go grab a beverage together. Because leadership is too challenging to do it entirely alone.
Commiserate about 2025, if it’s helpful. And if not, agree to talk about literally anything else.
Whatever approach helps restore your energy and fill your cup.
4. Maintain Boundaries through the Holidays
Preserve that time with family, friends, loved ones… attend that holiday party… shut off that email and phone… refuse that meeting.
The single greatest threat to a violation of your boundaries is you. Don’t give in!
Making plans for time away from work – and protecting those plans – doesn’t just give you the break you very much earned (and need). It also sets a strong example for your team to also take care of themselves.
5. Rest and Rejuvenate
Let me put a fine point on it: making time to rest is an essential part of your job.
It’s not a nice-to-have. It’s not optional.
You cannot be at your best unless you make time to rest. Rest is essential for your health and for showing up for your team.
It’s also one important tool for avoiding burnout (the fire risk is HIGH right now!).
No amount of planning or preparation will help you kick off 2026 with strong momentum unless you also take time to reflect, reset, and relax. So let this be the last checklist you follow this year.
When you (and Lens on Leadership) come back in 2026, if you find you could use some additional support, let’s talk. I’ll be accepting clients for strengths-based executive coaching next year.