Before you fill up that 2025 calendar…

A simple practice to create pockets of peace

A photo of my favorite mountain view on a chilly winter morning.

As you step into this first Monday of a brand-new year, I hope you're feeling a sense of gentleness and intention.

Some years, I greet January with a long list of goals. This year feels different. Between end-of-year tasks, creating holiday magic, and juggling the season's demands, I found myself craving reflection over resolution. The whirlwind of it all left little room for dreaming up ambitious new plans. Instead, I gave myself space to ask:

• What worked well in 2024?

• What didn't go as planned?

• Which lessons should I carry forward?

In early December, I shared with members of The Hive that the second half of 2024 stretched me in ways I hadn't anticipated. I had to re-evaluate, set better boundaries, and prioritize healing. It was a season of growth for my Type A, goal-oriented, inner perfectionist.

Often, with the flip of a calendar, we feel pressure to proclaim resolutions, compose to-do lists, and leap into motion. But winter whispers a different message. As Linda Douty writes in Rhythms of Growth:

"Winter is quiet. Winter waits. Winter respects the organic changes taking place under the surface... Often we rush to figure it out, proclaim resolutions, compose to-do lists. But if we're listening to winter's guidance, we may hear whispers that we're running ahead of the unfolding process."

Don’t you just love that?

She continues with a metaphor that's stayed with me: "Expert fire builders tell us that the empty space between the logs is necessary for fire to kindle. And so it is with us. We must create space to spark the soul's wisdom. The soul, somewhat shy, speaks in whispers, not in shouts; it requires unhurried time."

If your life is anything like mine, though, pockets of unhurried time don't just happen naturally. Despite our best intentions, the days fill up and modern life quickly becomes hectic. That's why I was so struck by a phrase I heard this week while driving along a familiar mountain road – "time sanctuary."

I was listening to Simone Stolzoff on TED Talks Daily when he shared Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel's description of Shabbat as a "sanctuary in time." The concept immediately clicked.

As Stolzoff explained, "Unlike mere intentions to work less or set better boundaries, time sanctuaries require infrastructure... so that work doesn't expand like a gas and fill all of your unoccupied space."

This idea of actively creating sanctuaries of time, rather than just hoping to find moments of peace, has completely shifted how I think about rest and reflection. Here's how I'm creating my own time sanctuaries this winter:

Quick Pauses (1-2 minutes):

• Stepping outside to look up at the sky

• Taking three deep breaths before a meeting

• Mindfully using a special hand lotion that reminds me of a favorite place

I'm always surprised by how these small moments help ground my day and bring unexpected clarity.

Medium Resets (15-20 minutes):

• Savoring morning coffee focusing on the view outside vs. devices

• A quick strength training or mobility session

• Calling a friend or playing fetch with my cavapoo, Salem

I find these short breaks re-energize me and create short opportunities for connection.

Longer Sanctuaries (1 hour+):

• Nature walks without distractions

• Monthly lunch dates with friends (schedule one now!)

• My favorite candlelight Pilates class

• Quarterly step-back days for reflection

These longer pauses give me the perspective I need to show up fully in my work and relationships.

White space on my calendar used to feel like an invitation to do more. But in 2024, I learned the hard way that it's much easier to prevent burnout than to recover from it. That's why I started being more intentional about protecting those empty spaces.

As you look ahead to 2025, why not take a moment now to reserve a few of those open spaces just for yourself? For me, these pauses have become more than just rest - they're the moments where I find my clearest thinking and renewed energy.

Here's to 2025 being a year filled with intentional pauses, meaningful connections, and the wisdom that unfolds when we allow ourselves to rest.

With warmth,

P.S. Some of my favorite moments from 2024 were one-on-one conversations where I partnered with leaders to help them bring their ideas to life, find clarity, and move past feeling stuck. It’s work I deeply enjoy and want to do even more of in 2025.

If you’re craving a fresh perspective or need help prioritizing your next steps, let’s chat. Book a Community Strategy Session for a focused hour to design a clear, actionable plan—or schedule a quick discovery call to explore how we can work together.

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Today! Freestyle Cook-Along with The Intuitive Cook
January 6th, 12:30pm EST / 5:30pm GMT
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Parent Self-Care & New Year Habits January 16th, 1pm EST
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