Embracing Winter Solstice

As the winter solstice brings its quietest and darkest day, I am taking the opportunity to pause and be very intentional about how I move forward.

This time of year often comes with the hustle of "New Year, new me" resolutions, but this year, I’m feeling a little softer. Instead of racing into January, I’m choosing to meet the year with a slower, more intentional pace.

For the first time, I am engaging in a Yule ritual called 13 Wishes. The ritual begins by crafting thirteen intentions or attainable wishes for the year ahead. Starting on the winter solstice, one wish is burned each day, releasing it slowly as the light returns. The final wish, kept unburned, is the one we are asked to carry ourselves.

What I love about this practice is that it resists urgency. It is a reminder that not everything needs to be decided or achieved all at once.

If this resonates with you this might be an invitation to move forward with intention rather than pressure, allowing your work and your life to unfold as the days begin to grow longer.

I’m setting these intentions for myself both personally and in my work, and here are a few thoughts that you might adopt in your own professional life.

Intentions for Work:

• Clarity Over Urgency: Take the time to understand what matters to you and what aligns with your values can lead to more meaningful and focused work.

• Intentional Connection: Building relationships with thought, care, and boundaries leads to richer, more fulfilling work and stronger collaborations.

• Process Is Productive: Time spent listening, refining, and allowing ideas to evolve is real work.

• Care Is Not a Delay: Moving with care is not slowing things down. It is what makes the work sustainable.

Here’s to moving forward with a softer focus as the days grow brighter.

Happy holidays.