Every January, I used to sit down with my notebook, a strong coffee, and a stack of goals waiting to be written. It felt like what leaders are supposed to do. You wrap one year, reflect for a day or two, and jump straight into planning the next one before the ball has even hit the ground in Times Square.
For years, that was my rhythm. Meet with my family in December to set intentions. Then in January build the plan, set the targets, charge forward. And to be honest, it worked. We hit goals, grew the business, and made progress. But somewhere in all of that motion, I stopped asking whether the timing of that motion even made sense.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF RESET
A few weeks ago, I watched a short video from Verne Harnish, author of Scaling Up and founder of EO and the Scaling Up frameworks that have shaped thousands of companies worldwide. (Fun side note, Verne agreed to write the Foreword for our upcoming book Revenue Rewired, which still feels surreal.)
In his video, Verne shared something that completely reframed how I think about the start of a new year. He said that January might actually be the worst time to do your personal planning.
He talked about how nature doesn’t treat this season as the time to grow. It’s a time to rest, restore, and prepare. Trees aren’t blooming right now. They’re strengthening their roots. And maybe that’s what we should be doing too.
That idea landed hard for me.
WINTER IS FOR ROOTS, NOT GROWTH
I’ve spent my entire adult life building businesses, relationships, family, and purpose. But this year looks different. We just became empty nesters, and for the first time in two decades, the house feels quiet. The pace is slower, the mornings are still, and I’m learning how to sit with it.
There’s this instinct to fill the silence with activity, to plan something, to move. But maybe the work right now isn’t about doing. Maybe it’s about rooting.
If you think about it, winter gives everything permission to pause. The ground freezes, the branches stop reaching, and nature focuses on unseen strength beneath the surface. I’ve started to see this season of my life the same way.
I’m not trying to sprint into the year anymore. I’m trying to grow deeper roots for the next chapter.
WHAT I’M DOING DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR
Instead of rushing to map out my personal and professional goals in January, I’m following Verne’s advice and waiting until March 21, the spring solstice, to set my real plan for the year.
That doesn’t mean I’m doing nothing now. It means I’m spending this time thinking, journaling, and having the right conversations instead of forcing clarity before I’ve earned it.
Right now, I’m doing three simple things:
- Reflecting without judgment. What worked last year? What didn’t? I’m not assigning blame, just awareness.
- Revisiting my rituals. Am I keeping the habits that fill me, or just the ones that keep me busy?
- Reconnecting intentionally. I’m using this quiet time to be present with the people who matter most before the pace picks up again.
It feels slower, but it’s actually more intentional.
THE FIVE F’S THAT REFOCUSED ME
In that same video, Verne talked about the five areas people ultimately care about at the end of their lives: faith, family, friends, fitness, and finance. I’ve been sitting with that list a lot lately.
What I’ve realized is that most of my energy in past years lived in the fifth F, finance. Not out of greed, but because building companies is what I do. It’s what I’ve known. But this new season of life is inviting me to rebalance the equation.
I’m making time to strengthen relationships, reestablish health routines, and redefine what wealth really means to me now.
ROOTS FIRST, RESULTS SECOND
For years, I believed January was the month to charge ahead, to prove discipline and ambition. Now I see it as the month to breathe, to rest, and to plan for deeper alignment instead of faster motion.
If nature can wait for the light to come back before it grows, maybe we should too.
So this year, I’m taking Verne’s advice. I’m giving myself permission to pause, reflect, and rebuild my roots. The spring will come soon enough, and when it does, I’ll be ready to grow again.
CALL TO REFLECTION
If you’re reading this, don’t rush your reset. Use this time to ask yourself:
What’s trying to grow inside you that needs stillness before it can take shape?
Maybe January isn’t the start. Maybe it’s the pause you’ve been needing.
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