Summer's almost over, the kids are heading back into classrooms, and that familiar Fall energy is ready to start crackling through offices everywhere. But here's the reality check every communications leader needs: you've got less than 100 business days left to make 2025 count.
Do the math with me. Twenty-two weeks remain in 2025, minus a week for Thanksgiving, two weeks for the winter holidays, and let's be honest—another week or two for that PTO you've been promising yourself since June. That leaves you with 16-18 weeks, or fewer than 100 business days to hit your KPIs and start laying groundwork for 2026.
Feeling the pressure? Good. That urgency is exactly what your team needs right now.
1. Audit Your Annual Goals—Ruthlessly Pull out those January objectives and be brutally honest about what's achievable. Triple down on the wins within reach and have courageous conversations about what needs to shift to 2026. Your stakeholders will respect transparency over false optimism.
2. Lock Down Your Awards and Year-End Recognition Strategy Industry awards deadlines are looming, and year-end "best of" lists are being compiled now. If you haven't submitted entries or pitched your achievements to key publications, you're already behind. This isn't vanity—it's strategic positioning for next year's business development.
3. Activate Your Holiday Content Calendar November and December aren't content dead zones—they're opportunity goldmines when everyone else goes quiet. Plan thought leadership pieces, year-in-review content, and forward-looking commentary that positions your leadership as visionaries, not just survivors.
4. Strengthen Key Relationships Before Year-End Those media contacts you've been meaning to coffee with? That influencer collaboration you've been considering? The customer success story you haven't told yet? These relationships compound, but only if you invest in them before the holiday networking drought.
5. Begin 2026 Planning with Real Data Use these final weeks to gather the metrics, customer insights, and market intelligence that will fuel next year's strategy. Don't let December 31st catch you scrambling to define what success looks like in 2026.
The back-to-school season isn't just for students—it's a fresh start for professionals who recognize that the year's most productive months often happen now. Make these 100 days count.
