Here’s the thing about the holidays that no one really says out loud.

They give us permission to pause.

Not the kind of pause that comes from burnout or hitting a wall. The gentler kind. The intentional kind. The kind where you step back before you actually have to.

This year, I’m letting myself take that break.

For a long time, rest felt like something I had to earn. Finish the thing. Cross the line. Then maybe you can exhale. But the older I get, the more I realize that taking a break is not quitting. It’s listening. It’s noticing when your body, your brain, and your heart are all quietly asking for the same thing at once.

Slow down.

The holidays have a natural rhythm to them. The days get shorter. The light softens. Even the calendar seems to loosen its grip a bit. I’ve learned that fighting that rhythm only leaves me tired and resentful. Leaning into it leaves me steadier.

So I’m stepping back. Not from writing. (I’ve got something big in the works for 2026!) Not from dreaming. Just from pushing.

I’m giving myself space to read without an agenda. To write with a soft deadline. To walk with Hudson and let the cold air clear my head. To sit with a notebook and jot down thoughts that may never turn into anything, and that’s okay.

What I’m looking forward to most is that quiet in-between space. The one where reflection happens naturally. Where ideas start to surface not because I forced them to, but because I finally gave them room.

There’s something coming next year that I’m deeply excited about. I can feel it taking shape, piece by piece. This break isn’t a detour from that work. It’s part of it. Rest has a way of sharpening clarity. It reminds me why I started writing in the first place.

If this season is nudging you to slow down, I hope you listen. You don’t need a dramatic reason to rest. Sometimes the invitation is enough.

If you’d like to stay connected during this quieter stretch, I’d love to have you in my newsletter. That’s where I share the behind-the-scenes thoughts, the reflections that don’t always make it to social media, and what’s slowly taking shape for the year ahead. You can subscribe here.

I’ll be here. Just moving a little more gently for a bit.