Before you map out next year’s goals, pause.Instead of starting with your business plan — start with your personal balance sheet. A few years ago, I caught myself jumping straight into next year’s business planning — revenue targets, client goals, course launches — all the things. But I realized I hadn’t paused to look at the foundation it all rests on: my own financial health. So I sat down and did an honest “accounting” of my life. Not just the dollars and cents, but the full picture — my assets (what I have),my liabilities (what I owe),and my dreams (what I’m hoping for). That quiet review changed everything. It reminded me that planning isn’t just about what we’ll achieve — it’s about what we’ll steward. So before you finalize your business goals or build next year’s budget, take an hour to do an honest “accounting” of your own life: - What are your financial assets and debts? - What’s the state of your time, energy, and relationships? - And what dreams has God placed on your heart for the year ahead? Don’t do this with apps. This should require your patience and time. Do it manually. Yes, that goes counter to everything else I do with my clients, where I use technology. But it’s soooo helpful. Once a year, I sit down and update everything by hand - income, expenses, assets, liabilities (debts), and net worth. It takes time to enter the numbers and review them. It sounds tedious, but it’s actually empowering. When you see your full financial picture — the trends, progress, and what’s really going on — it gives you peace of mind that a single bank account or stack of statements ever will. When we start our 2026 planning from this place — grounded in gratitude and clarity — we make wiser, more peaceful choices. Because stewardship isn’t only about managing business profit. It’s about faithfully tending to all that’s been entrusted to us — our money, our purpose, and our hearts. Let this be the year you build your goals on the solid ground of personal stewardship.

Life — and business — are not meant to be lived at the edge of exhaustion, stress, and scarcity. True growth happens within the margin. Margins give us space: In business, margins give us cash flow, profit, and breathing room to make wise decisions. In our personal lives, margins give us time and presence for the people we love. Emotionally, margins give us clarity and peace so we can lead without burning out. As E.M. Forster once wrote: “We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” Margins are what allow that space — the pause where clarity and growth can take root. This community is where we’ll explore all three. I’ll begin by focusing on business margins — teaching you how to know your numbers, pay yourself, and create a financially resilient company. But as we journey together, we’ll also talk about the personal and emotional margins you need to run a business that doesn’t just survive — but truly thrives. This is a place for encouragement, practical tools, and honest conversations. Annie Dillard reminds us: “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”Margins help us spend those days wisely. This isn’t about chasing more. It’s about creating enough — enough profit, enough peace, enough margin to thrive. As Seneca once said: “It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it.” Living within the margin is how we redeem that time. Here, you’ll find tools, encouragement, and real conversations about creating margin in every area of life. Welcome — you belong here. — Diana