The days between Christmas and New Year's are strange.
Life slows down. Work quiets. The world feels like it's catching its breath.
This window?these few quiet days?is the pause before the climb.
And if you use it well, it can change how you lead, grow, and step into the year ahead.
Why the Pause Matters
Everyone wants momentum in January.
But momentum doesn't show up because the calendar turned.
It comes from clarity, and clarity comes from pausing long enough to hear your own thoughts again.
Most people skip the pause. They rush from one year into the next with no reflection, no evaluation, no intention. Then they wonder why every year feels like a repeat of the last.
Leaders don't rush the climb.
Leaders prepare for it.
A Hard Pause I Never Asked For
Earlier this year, I learned what a real pause feels like?the kind that isn't quiet, isn't peaceful, and doesn't give you a choice.
The day my son passed away, my world stopped.
Everything in me shut down. Breathing felt like work. Standing took effort. Moving forward felt impossible.
But in that heaviness, something happened that I didn't expect. The world got painfully quiet, and in that silence I started seeing things I'd been sprinting past.
Loss strips life down to the essentials. It forces you to see what matters and what never did.
And when everything unnecessary falls away, the truth gets louder:
Life is short. Time is fragile. People matter more than anything else we chase.
Grief didn't just change how I see life?it changed why I live it.
It didn't just slow me down?it made me pay attention.
Reflection Isn't Optional for Growth
Your pause won't look like mine.
But every leader needs one.
Before you set goals...
Before you map out plans...
Before you sprint into a new year...
Ask yourself a few hard questions:
- What did this year teach me?about myself, about others, about life?
- What pain reshaped me? What joy refueled me?
- What needs to end? What needs to begin?
- Where do I need to grow so I can climb stronger this time?
Reflection doesn't slow you down.
Reflection prepares you.
You don't climb a mountain by charging at it blindly?you climb it by stopping long enough to understand the terrain.
Stepping Into What's Next
Next year will bring challenges, opportunities, and moments you don't see coming.
Some will stretch you.
Some will bless you.
Some may break your heart.
But whatever the year holds, here's the truth:
You are stronger than you felt this year, wiser than you were last year, and more capable than you give yourself credit for.
You've climbed before.
You'll climb again.
And this pause?this quiet space right now?is where your strength regathers.
Make This Pause Count
Don't rush this week.
Don't sprint into January.
Sit with your thoughts.
Sit with your grief if you need to.
Sit with your gratitude.
???
Because when you pause with intention, you climb with purpose.
And purpose is what turns a new year into a meaningful one.