Issue 01 · October 2026
Welcome to the first issue. The Coaching Success Journal is a monthly note from Joel for business owners who want useful perspective and a practical next move. Each edition will explore one important challenge in more depth, then offer a small action you can try in your own business.
A busy final quarter is not the same as progress
Before the year ends, choose three outcomes you can measure and make room to move them.
By Joel Zimelstern
The final quarter can fill a business owner’s calendar quickly. Client work still needs attention. The team brings decisions. New opportunities appear, and unfinished projects ask for one more push. At the end of a full week, it is tempting to count everything crossed off the list as progress.
But activity and progress answer different questions. Activity asks, “What did we do?” Progress asks, “What changed because we did it?” A full calendar can be necessary. It is not, by itself, evidence that the business is moving toward the result you want.
Name the change
Start with the outcome rather than another task. “Improve sales” points in a direction; it does not yet tell you what to watch. You might instead decide to shorten the time between a qualified enquiry and a proposal, or to increase the number of repeat conversations with good-fit customers. Those are illustrative possibilities, not targets for every business. The useful measure depends on what is actually holding yours back.
Choose three priorities for the remainder of the quarter. Three is a discipline of attention, not a claim that the rest of the business stops. One may concern customers or revenue, another the team’s ability to deliver, and another cash, margin, or the owner’s time. Make each priority specific enough that you could tell a colleague what improvement would look like.
Protect the first move
For each priority, write down where things stand now, one action that could move the result, who owns that action, and when you will review it. A priority without a first move stays on a planning page. A first move without a review date risks becoming more activity.
Then look at the existing calendar. What commitment can you remove, simplify, delegate, or renegotiate so the work has room? A useful plan makes a trade-off visible. It does not simply add three worthy intentions to an already full week.
At the next review, ask what the measure shows. Continue, adjust, or stop the action according to what you learn. The point is not to defend a perfect plan. It is to finish the quarter with clearer evidence of what helped the business move.
Put it to work — three priorities
- Choose: Write three outcomes that would make the quarter stronger.
- Measure: Note today’s starting point and one sign of movement.
- Move: Name the first action, owner, and review date.
Ideas, tools & conversation
From the Owner’s Desk — Make room before January
For a Vancouver business owner, the last quarter can put two jobs on the same calendar: deliver today’s commitments and prepare for a strong January. Waiting for the calendar to clear can leave planning until the year is over. Protect one short review appointment now. Use it to decide which current commitment deserves less time so one of your three priorities can receive more.
Business in Numbers — A three-line scorecard
Give each priority one line: desired result / measure / next review date. If the result takes time to show, use an earlier signal you can observe weekly – perhaps proposal turnaround or delivery delays. Review the movement, then decide what to change. The scorecard should guide decisions, not create another reporting project.
Winner’s Circle — Notice a decision that moved
A useful win need not be a large sale. A recurring delay understood or a decision handed to the right person can clear the way for progress. At your next team conversation, ask: Which decision became clearer this week, and what changed afterward? This is a practice prompt, not a client result.
Further reading — Essentialism
Essentialism · Greg McKeown. When Q4 fills up, deciding what deserves your attention becomes a leadership task. Try this: review five recurring commitments. Remove, simplify, or renegotiate one so your three priorities have protected time.
Read Joel’s notes and try one action. This link leads to Joel’s notes, not a free copy of the book.
GrowthCLUB — Plan the next 90 days
If you want a dedicated day to turn priorities into a working plan for Q1 2027, Joel’s GrowthCLUB 90-day planning workshop is scheduled for Tuesday 8 December 2026, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Vancouver time, at Terminal City Club, 837 West Hastings Street, Vancouver. Lunch and materials are included. The fee is CA$479 plus CA$23.95 GST (CA$502.95 total); group size is limited to 16. Check the booking page for current availability and cancellation terms.
Explore GrowthCLUB and booking details.
Need to work on a current business challenge sooner? Email Joel about coaching or ProfitCLUB group coaching to explore which route fits.
Ask the Coach — A question for the next issue
Which important decision keeps getting crowded out by the busy week? Reply to joel@coachingsuccess.ca with a question for Joel. He may explore a theme that other owners share in a future issue. An identifiable business situation would only be published with your permission.
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