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If you’re leading a team while juggling inspections, staffing pressures, training requirements and ever-rising expectations, January can quickly start to feel overwhelming.
This blog is here to support you. It’s written to help you take a breath, step back, and approach the year ahead with a little more clarity and confidence.
By taking a few thoughtful, manageable steps, it’s possible to feel more in control and create a positive, steady start to the year, not just for you, but for your whole team too.
Each section includes a clear takeaway to keep things simple, along with a practical tip you can actually use, so you can focus on what really matters: helping your team thrive without burning yourself out.
It can be helpful to take a pause and think about what is it that really matters this year. Reflecting on the areas where progress will make the biggest difference, both for your team and the children you care for, is a good starting point.
Maybe it’s:
Keep your goals visible, intentional, and revisited regularly. Writing them down once is a start, but revisiting them keeps priorities clear and helps everyone stay on track.
Take a few minutes this week to write down your top three priorities. You might be surprised at how much clarity it brings.
Once priorities are clear, a ‘year-in-action’ plan can help bring them to life. Linking together staff meetings, inset days, training, supervision, coaching, curriculum development and inspection preparation makes it easier to see how each piece fits together.
Training works best when it’s strategic, progressive, and responsive to your setting’s needs. Examples might include:
Even a simple draft of a year plan can shift the pressure from reactive to intentional. Clarity matters more than perfection.
Even small steps taken consistently can ripple across your team, building momentum throughout the year.
Staff meetings can be more than updates and notices. They can become spaces for reflection, learning, and problem-solving.
You might introduce:
When meetings connect to your year plan, each session feels more purposeful. They become a way to reinforce priorities, celebrate progress, and address challenges together.
Try introducing one reflective question or problem-solving activity in your next meeting and notice how the energy shifts.
Small daily reflections can make a surprising difference over time. Taking just a few minutes at the end of the day to consider what worked and what could be improved helps you and your team stay on track.
A simple diary or reflection tool can help with:
Even short reflections, done consistently, help improvements feel real and visible.
Start with one question each day: “What went well today, and what can I support tomorrow?”
Leadership can be rewarding, but it can also feel challenging. Decision fatigue, staffing pressures, inspection anxiety, and feelings of isolation are all common.
You don’t have to navigate it alone. Connecting with peers, sharing learning, attending webinars, or having someone to discuss challenges with can help you stay confident and focused.
Supportive connections can help to ensure you and your team feel prepared, informed, and energised throughout the year.
Consider reaching out to one peer or mentor this month. Even a short conversation can provide reassurance or fresh ideas.
The year ahead doesn’t have to feel reactive, rushed, or overwhelming. With a clear plan, purposeful training, consistent reflection, and supportive connections, you can help your setting move forward with confidence.
Start with the questions that matter, plan thoughtfully, and take small, consistent steps. Each step, no matter how small, adds up and over time, intentions become visible improvements.
Pick one priority today and take a small step toward it. Leadership shouldn’t feel like pressure to do everything at once; it’s helpful to focus on moving forward with purpose and care.
If you’d like a little extra guidance along the way, there are support options and upcoming courses that can provide ideas, practical tools and inspiration for you and your team. Exploring these options can help you feel more confident and connected as you navigate 2026 one small step at a time.
Here’s what I want you to take away from this: burnout is real, it’s prevalent, and it’s not your fault. But it also doesn’t have to be your future.
We’re in a profession that matters enormously. The work we do with young children shapes their entire lives. But we can’t do that work well if we’re running on empty, pushed beyond our limits, and pretending everything’s fine when it’s clearly not.
So let’s start talking about this. Let’s watch ourselves and each other more carefully. Let’s catch the signs of stress before they slide into burnout. Let’s be honest about what we’re experiencing. And let’s take those micro-steps – small, accessible actions that can stop the decline before it becomes a crisis.
The Everyday Success Diary by MBK Early Years is your all-in-one tool to take control, stay organised, and lead with confidence.
Whether you’re managing one room or a whole nursery, this diary is your secret weapon for calm, confident leadership.
Also, why not take a look at our Ofsted Preparation: Leadership and Management course. Aimed at leaders and managers to ensure they understand what is expected of them during an inspection visit.
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