Strategy Revenge of the Zombie Project (Or When It’s Time to Circle Back) Elizabeth Holloway Strategy 4 mins read January 19, 2026 » Blog » Revenge of the Zombie Project (Or When It’s Time to Circle Back) Revenge of the Zombie Project - Table of Contents The Reality Check The triage protocol A few things to remember What's the takeaway? Raise your hand if your least favourite part of January is finally having to unpin those discussions and circle back on all those projects that got back-burnered in favour of closing out the year. You’ve got an inbox full of recap emails and meeting requests to get balls rolling again, and it’s only a couple weeks into the new calendar year. How do you sort through all that noise? Here’s the thing about all these projects that seem desperate to be brought back to life: not all of them are going to be worth the effort. If they were fine to sit dormant for a month or two, then the urgency was never there to begin with. So, let’s take a look at how to sort through which projects are worth prioritizing, and which you should be closing the file on. The Reality Check Before we start hacking away, let’s name our weapon of choice. We call it a Project Reality Check. It’s a simple way to look at those “paused” ideas and measure them against what you actually have the time and energy for right now. This process helps you spot the work that matters and clear out the “zombie” projects that just eat up your day. This check stops you from falling into the trap of thinking you have to finish something just because you started it. Just because you spent money on an idea in October doesn’t mean it makes sense for you in January. The triage protocol To clean up your to-do list, you’ve got to be a little ruthless. You can process your “paused” list effectively by running each item through three simple questions regarding alignment, capacity, and value. 1. Does it still make sense? November’s priorities rarely match January’s reality. Things change. Competitors launch new stuff, and your own goals shift. You need to ask yourself if the project still matters in this new context. Consider whether it helps you hit your main goal for the next few months, or if the problem this project was supposed to solve has disappeared on its own. Alignment drives results. If you can’t honestly say this project helps your bottom line or your main goal right now, it’s probably time to let it go. 2. Do we have the time and tools? A project might be a great idea, but if you can’t actually pull it off, it’s just a distraction. Zombies feed on time. If a project needs 20 hours of work that you simply don’t have, you need to be honest about it. Take a hard look at your capacity across budget, people, and tools. Do you still have the money for this, or did it get used up during the end-of-year rush? Is the person who really wanted this even around to help, or are they swamped with other things? Finally, consider if you can do this with what you have, or if it requires building something new from scratch. 3. Is it actually worth the effort? Sometimes, you just need to move on. It’s better to finish three great projects than to have ten half-finished ones gathering digital dust. It is okay to archive a project if it was a “nice to have” request from someone who isn’t involved anymore, or if the information you used to justify the project is more than six months old. Ultimately, if the work required is way more than the value you’ll get out of it right now, you should feel comfortable archiving it. A few things to remember Checking in helps clear up your backlog fast, but you have to remember that past spending doesn’t justify future waste. Don’t throw good money (or time) after bad. Teams work better when they aren’t drowning in “maybe” projects, so recognize that you can only do so much. Make sure you have real data (proof saves money) before you start working again. What’s the takeaway? It’s completely normal to stare at a pile of “paused” projects and feel a little overwhelmed. But remember, the goal of this reality check isn’t just to cross things off a list. It’s to make sure you’re spending your energy and resources on the work that actually moves the needle. By being honest about what fits your strategy, your budget, and your bandwidth right now, you aren’t just cleaning up a spreadsheet. You’re giving your team the focus they need to win in Q1. Let the zombies sleep. You’ve got real work to do. Share This Article Other articles you might like The Organizations Making Pride Real All Year Round Elizabeth Holloway Campaigning 8 mins read June 15, 2026 Research That Sits on a Shelf Fails the Communities It Studied Elizabeth Holloway Strategy 6 mins read June 8, 2026 Where Non-Profit Teams Should Start with AI Adoption Elizabeth Holloway AI 7 mins read June 1, 2026 How to Turn Your Annual Report Into a Full Year of Social Media Content Marissa Norton Social Media 7 mins read May 25, 2026 Videos you might be interested in Scaling SEO & Content with AI Earning Attention Through Human-Centred Video Storytelling AI for Non-Profits with Mitch Schwartz About Us Our Work Our Expertise Digital Marketing Branding Web HubSpot CRM WunderWorks Wunder LandBlog Webinars Videos Privacy Settings Book a Call Search this website
The Organizations Making Pride Real All Year Round Elizabeth Holloway Campaigning 8 mins read June 15, 2026
Research That Sits on a Shelf Fails the Communities It Studied Elizabeth Holloway Strategy 6 mins read June 8, 2026
How to Turn Your Annual Report Into a Full Year of Social Media Content Marissa Norton Social Media 7 mins read May 25, 2026