The start of a new year often brings a surge of motivation—new goals, fresh expectations, and the familiar pressure to start strong.

As a remote professional, I feel this energy intensely. It’s easy to believe I should already have clarity, momentum, and a full, color-coded plan for the months ahead.

But seasonally, we’re still in the heart of winter.

Winter moves at a different pace. It asks for rest, reflection, and the slow settling of ideas that aren’t fully formed yet. When I let myself follow that rhythm, I feel less like I’m “behind” and more like I’m aligning with something wise.

Lately, I’ve been living in the tension between these two forces:
the social collective, which urges action and achievement, and
the natural collective, which invites stillness and incubation.
Somewhere in the middle is where my true intentions emerge.

We’re also approaching Chinese New Year, which means we’re still in the final stretch of the Year of the Snake—an energy focused on introspection, shedding old layers, and internal transformation. I can feel that in myself. So much of last year’s growth hasn’t fully landed yet. My clarity is still crystallizing.

Soon, we’ll shift into the Year of the Horse—an energy of movement, momentum, and outward expression. But right now, in this pause between cycles, I’m practicing letting clarity arrive in its own timing instead of forcing it.

Here are a few simple practices I’m using, and invite you to try, as we honor this transition:

1. Set intentions that feel true in the body, not rushed by the moment.
One word, one value, or one direction is enough for now.

2. Simmer with winter’s slower pace in small, meaningful ways.
Quieter mornings, reflective walks, or blocking off a no-meeting window.

3. Make space for clarity instead of chasing it.
Even a few minutes of stillness can shift our entire internal pace & perspective.

4. Trust that momentum will come when the season turns.
Horse energy will bring its own lift—no need to sprint ahead of it.

This year, I’m choosing to meet January with presence, not pressure. When I honor the quiet of winter, I enter the new year with more integrity, more alignment, and more trust in where I’m heading next.