I was recently on my favorite walking path here in Quincy and something stopped me in my tracks.

All the trees were completely bare, but there was something different about them… Something I could feel even though I couldn’t see it yet.

They’re preparing.

Underneath the surface, sap is starting to move. Energy is beginning to stir. They’re getting ready for the explosion of growth that’s coming, but they’re not rushing it. They’re building the foundation first.

And I realized this is exactly the energy I want to bring to this new year.

After a month of deep rest and reflection (just signing back on from my monthlong winter break), I’m not interested in the frantic “New Year New You” energy that demands we transform ourselves by January 5th. But I’m also not staying in hibernation mode.

I’m in preparation mode.

There’s something so powerful about this phase—when you can feel the energy starting to move, when clarity is emerging from the rest, when you’re ready to take aligned action but you’re not forcing it.

This is the sweet spot between winter’s deep rest and spring’s explosive growth. It’s where sustainable transformation actually begins.

What if instead of forcing immediate change, we used January’s energy to prepare the soil for what wants to grow?

What if we honored the stirring that’s happening beneath the surface and trusted that the right action will become clear when the timing is aligned?

I’m feeling this so deeply as I step back into my work. The sabbatical gave me incredible clarity about what I want to create this year, and now I get to begin building it from a place of rest rather than depletion.

There’s magic in this approach. In honoring both the rest AND the stirring. In preparing for growth without rushing it.

How are you feeling as we move into this new year? Can you sense that subtle shift from deep winter into preparation mode?

Sending you love and excitement for what’s preparing to emerge!