Because it’s February

It’s 9 pm on a Thursday evening, and I’m sitting on the floor of my living room – on a nice meditation cushion, actually – writing to you. There have been times when I’ve written this monthly newsletter with some strategy and craft, a few drafts over a few weeks, taking a few days between versions to contemplate what I’m sharing.

But it’s February. 

It’s a short month.

I like to get the newsletter out mid-late month, and here I am starting, with two days until I’m “late.” (The things we make up in our brain and later tell ourselves we are obliged to do, right?) 

But it’s February.

We’re just cusping the first 16% of the calendar year.

We’re deep in winter, starting to see spring’s light.

Boston and New York were just slammed with snow. Berlin is seeing its first real sunlight in months.

And I am very much still in my anti-Julius Caesar state of mind from last month. Six of you wrote to me that you’d like to join the Anti-New Years Club, and I look forward to welcoming you.

But it’s February.

The trouble with launching a club for people who want to take it easy in the winter and start their year in the spring is that the person who would launch said club would need to spend effort preparing said launch in the winter.

Said person is doing more than the bare minimum but certainly not piling on extra work.

Lately the work is generating itself, and I think that’s the metaphor for trusting timing. 

The work will generate itself. Let’s not pile extra things onto our “I should” lists.

In my years of marathon training, I learned to sustain the effort, not the pace, when going uphill. That means that the physical exertion should feel similar on an incline but it’s normal to slow down. A runner who tries to maintain the same speed on a hill will likely arrive at the top of the hill exhausted and have a net-loss of speed. A runner who sustains effort will cusp the hill with energy to keep the same effort, and more quickly return to the same speed.

It’s February. 

We are still going uphill, basically training for the days when our energy will be full again. 

Sustain effort, not speed.

I closed three coaching engagements this week and started two more. With 10 active coaching engagements, courses, and workshops, my calendar has been fuller than it was this time last year. I’m embracing that; to me, these are the signs I look for when people ask me how solopreneurship is going. While it’s going in a positive direction, I’m not asking for more, more, more. 

And I’m inviting you to not ask for more, more, more, too. 

It’s February. 

Focus on what’s enough for you, and know that the time for more will come.

And What Else?

Explore one or all of these questions, and embrace the challenge to dig deeper, asking what else might be relevant to answer.

• Honor Yourself: What have you done really well in the first two months of 2026?

• Explore Curiously: What would change if you focused on sustaining effort?

• Foster Trust: What could you afford to take off your shoulders or your “should” list?

• Shift Perspectives: What might be different in a few months if you wait to sprint?

• Clarify Decisions: What will you practice acknowledging and saying “no”?

• Empower Action: What rewards are possible if you slow down before spring?

These questions are styled in the fashion of the And What Else? coaching card deck, which you might have seen prototypes of last year. I’m in discussion with a publisher to bring more copies to life, and I look forward to sharing more… in the spring! ;)

Nuggets of Work-Life

Every coaching session and workshop closes with acknowledging learnings, insights, and moments of celebration. Here are a few of my recent nuggets:

• In the 40+ coaching sessions I’ve facilitated this year, clients have been finding new options to re-balance work and life, negotiating higher salaries, opening difficult conversations with loved ones, shifting their job interview strategies, and practicing visibility of their work (some work ended up on the Olympic podium!). To all the folks who bring me their vulnerabilities, I’m constantly reminded what a privilege and honor it is to support you. 

• Disclaimer: Parents of young children may want to skip this. I’ve averaged a solid 8.5 hours sleep this winter. Reading Matt Walker’s Why We Sleep in 2020 and opting to embrace the full 8 hours was one of the best decisions of the decade for me. Rest. Rest. Rest.

• A final “win” I want to claim for the past few weeks is exactly this: not chasing more. The fact that I’ve shared my “new year” (it’s still coming!) thoughts with you all has also supported me to “walk the talk” and catch myself in moments where I think I “should” do something. Enough is enough, and I’m grateful to have enough.

Practice Makes … Space for More Practice

• A pastime: rest. Just do it. Take a nap. Let yourself sleep in. (Fun fact: hurkle durkle is an 18th-century Scottish phrase for lounging in bed long after it is time to get up.) Spring will thank you. 

• A recipe: brown sugar is a common American baking ingredient not easily available in all parts of the world. When my supplies were short, I learned it’s as simple as blending 1 cup white sugar + 1 tablespoon of molasses for light brown sugar or doubling to 2 tablespoons of molasses for dark brown sugar. Who knew DIY brown sugar could be so simple?

• A movement: a simple 20 second break from poor posture. Seated or standing, inhale as you pull the shoulders forward and up in the direction of the cheeks and ears. Exhale as you roll the shoulders down and together. 3-5 rounds of breath and your shoulders, lungs, and mind will all thank you. 

Ways to Engage and Support

Thanks to those who opted to join the Anti-New Years / April Fools Club. We’ve got six people interested so far! There’s still time to express interest… also because I have yet to plan our spring start. 

I’ll also be celebrating my 900th consecutive day of meditation on March 15. If you haven’t tuned into my recorded Insight Timer meditations, that could be a great way to warm up. I’m thinking of doing a live offering for the 900th day. Anyone in? Let me know!

In joy,
Stephen