The Week Between: Why Smart Business Owners Pause Before Planning

By Purciarele Group

There’s a strange little pocket of time between the holidays and the start of the new year.

The phones are quieter.
Calendars are lighter.
And for the first time in months, many business owners finally have space to think.

And yet—this is the week most people rush through.

They jump straight to resolutions. Big goals. Bold plans. “Next year will be different.”

Smart business owners do something else first.

They pause.

Why the Pause Matters More Than the Plan

Planning without reflection is how businesses carry the same problems into a new year—just dressed up with new goals.

The truth is:
You don’t start January with a clean slate.
You start it carrying everything you didn’t finish, fix, or address.

That includes:

• Unresolved performance issues

• Burned-out managers

• Policies that exist in theory but not in practice

• Payroll or PTO workarounds that “got you through”

• Employees who are unsure where they stand

If you don’t pause to identify what’s actually happening in your business, your resolutions will be built on guesswork.

This Is the Week to Ask the Questions You’ve Been Avoiding

The “week between” is ideal because it’s quiet enough to be honest.

Some questions worth asking now—before you plan anything:

• What problems did we keep pushing off because we were busy?

• Where did managers struggle the most?

• Which employees thrived—and which ones quietly disengaged?

• What policies caused confusion, frustration, or inconsistency?

• Where did we rely on memory, favors, or exceptions instead of structure?

These aren’t comfortable questions. But they’re the ones that determine whether next year feels easier or harder.

HR Is Usually Where the Cracks Show First

When businesses feel chaotic, stretched, or reactive, the symptoms often show up in HR before anywhere else.

Things like:

• “We should really document this…”

• “We’ll deal with that after busy season.”

• “That’s how we’ve always done it.”

• “I don’t want them to panic, so I won’t say anything yet.”

By December, many of these decisions have stacked on top of each other.

This week is your chance to look at them without pressure, defensiveness, or urgency—just clarity.

What Pausing Actually Looks Like (It’s Not Doing Nothing)

Pausing doesn’t mean ignoring the business.
It means stepping back enough to see it clearly.

That might look like:

• Reviewing where time, energy, and money leaked

• Noticing which managers carried too much and which avoided responsibility

• Identifying policies that don’t match how work actually gets done

• Recognizing where lack of clarity created stress for employees

You’re not fixing anything yet.
You’re simply naming it.

That’s powerful.

Why This Makes January Easier (Not Harder)

Business owners who skip this step usually feel it by mid-January:

• “Why is this already messy?”

• “Didn’t we just talk about this?”

• “I thought this year would feel different.”

Those who pause first enter January with:

• Clear priorities

• Fewer emotional decisions

• Better conversations

• More realistic goals

Their resolutions aren’t reactive—they’re intentional.

Next Week Is for Resolutions. This Week Is for Clarity.

There’s nothing wrong with ambition.
There is something risky about skipping reflection.

So if this week feels quieter, don’t rush to fill it.

Use it.

Sit with what worked.
Name what didn’t.
Notice what you’re carrying forward.

Next week, when everyone is shouting about goals and growth, you’ll be planning from a place of awareness—not wishful thinking.

And that’s how real progress actually happens.

If you’re using this week to take stock and want a neutral, experienced perspective on what’s working—and what may need attention before January hits—we're here for you!

We love HR so you don't have to™