Hey friend,

January shows up loud. Goals. Timelines. Pressure to have it all “figured out” and “tightened up” by a date someone made up. Meanwhile, your nervous system is still asking for a minute.

This issue is about building practices that actually support you. Not forcing momentum, not chasing the perfect environment, and not pretending a beach view fixes stress.

We’re talking simple rituals. Seasonal pacing. Intentional pauses that protect your mental health and make flexibility sustainable in 2026.

Because the goal isn’t really more freedom.
It’s freedom that feels good.

Let’s steady the system.

— Ric & Shellie

P.S. Know a remote worker who’s flexible but quietly fried? Forward this before they book another “reset” trip instead of changing the system. 🙌🏼

By Becca Marshall

Resourced Living is a monthly column for remote workers, weaving practices and tools as lifestyle medicine—so you can stay balanced, clear, and supported in everyday life.

Feeling behind because your 2026 goals aren't crystal clear yet? 

You might be fighting against winter's natural rhythm. Becca reveals why honoring the pause between cycles, Chinese New Year's Snake-to-Horse transition, creates more powerful intentions than forcing January momentum. 

She shares four simple practices for meeting this moment with presence instead of pressure, plus why your clarity doesn't need to arrive on January 1st's arbitrary timeline.

Let winter work its magic on your goals →

✅ Remote Work Mental Health: 7 Proven Strategies to Combat Isolation and Burnout

✅ How Remote Work Impacts Psychology: Mental Health, Productivity, and Social Dynamics

✅ Work-Life Balance vs. Work-Life Integration in Remote Jobs

by Sarah Leslie

Belief Rules is a bimonthly column guiding you to the real Cause of your life experience, so you can align with truth and change from the inside out. 

Working from paradise didn't make Sarah Leslie's deadlines disappear or her nervous system settle.

Even with ocean views and total flexibility, stress still showed up. She discovered that location freedom means nothing without a deeper shift: protecting wellness through intention, not waiting for your environment to do it for you. 

Her simple rituals between work blocks changed everything, but not for the reasons you'd expect.

Stop waiting for paradise to fix you →

🔆 Rethinking Productivity in the Age of Flexible Work. Somewhere along the way, we started treating rest like a reward instead of a requirement.

🔆 The future of work, according to Generation Z, is purposeful, digital and flexible. Gen Z brings pragmatic sensibilities shaped by the unique social, economic and technological landscapes of their upbringing.

🔆 RTO mandates to AI agents: How work is changing in 2026 and beyond. Analysts expect major changes in the workplace in the years ahead.

Next week: Career Advancement in the Age of AI- Flexible professionals should treat AI as a leverage engine.

Coworking in Chicago. Happy hour in DC. Singo (yes, really) in Cincinnati. Soup crawls, ski sessions, book clubs, and hockey games. 

Remote workers are gathering in actual places, doing actual things, with actual humans. Novel concept, right? Whether you're craving community or just need proof you're not the only one talking to your cat during meetings, there's a crew waiting.

Call-to-Action: Find your people (IRL, imagine that) →

🤓 MarketingAlec : Skip the AI hype, get real results. Join 12,000+ marketers learning the AI tools and prompts that drove 40% better performance.

⚒️ Cooking Agile : Actionable insights, spicy takes, and practical tools for people who build.

$🏆 The Thoughtful Executive : Helping executives and marketers build influence at scale.