Don’t “Crash Into Christmas”: How You End the Year Is How You Begin the Next

Every December, something happens to the collective nervous system of the coaching world (and honestly, the whole world): We run, then we run faster, trying to close out all the things and do it well… and then, somewhere around December 22nd, we crash headfirst into Christmas/Hanukkah/The holidays. We hit the holiday season exhausted, burned out, overstimulated, overloaded with holiday commitments, and clinging to the fantasy that we’ll somehow “rest” between December 24th and January 2nd. 

But let’s be honest, for many of us, especially moms, that rest never arrives. 

Moms and primary parents - you are the unsung heroes of every holiday. You are the magic-makers, the planners, the emotional anchors, the chefs, the quiet leaders. And while everyone else talks about “recharging,” our reality often looks like an endless list of logistics and ensuring everyone else gets to experience joy.

So let’s talk about something radical: what if you ruthlessly prioritized self-care in December?

Because… How you support yourself in this final stretch of the year determines how you begin the next one. Burnout doesn’t reset at midnight on January 1st. Exhaustion doesn’t heal because champagne is present. And creativity doesn’t revive itself simply because a calendar page turns. If we want a powerful, intentional, grounded start to 2026, we have to end 2025 differently.

The Truth: You Need More Rest Than You Think

This season calls for far more rest, space, and presence than our culture encourages. When you think about the highest performing people - athletes, CEOs, Marines, Black Belts - they are exceptionally deliberate about baking in recovery time BEFORE they’re wrung out and strung out. Recovery looks like: taking an electrolyte break during workouts, stepping away from one’s desk, pausing to check in with your self/body/team, box-breathing and visualizing. We think we need to burn ourselves out before we take a break - consider taking breaks strategically, to sustain high performance. And that includes creating breaks in your “off season” to fully recharge.

If you want true rejuvenation for the new year, consider this your invitation to:

• Set a real “out of office.” Not “I’ll check email occasionally.” A full stop. Pretend like where you are doesn’t have internet.

• Block out your calendar with intentional downtime. No errands. No plans. Just breathing room.

• Give yourself unstructured time. Time to hang out, to wander, to nap, to stare at the ceiling and let your nervous system catch up.

• Challenge yourself to play more. Laugh more, move more, surprise yourself. Presence cannot coexist with pressure.

This isn’t frivolous. It’s not indulgent. It’s not optional. It’s vital. Your creativity, resilience, and coaching mastery depend on your ability to decompress deeply enough that your mind resets, your emotions soften, and your energy recalibrates.

Creativity Emerges When We Stop Forcing It

One of the most humbling truths of coaching and leadership is this:

Your greatest creativity happens when you stop trying to be creative. The moment we stop forcing direction, clarity, or vision… Something emerges. Ideas, insights, intuitive hits, alignment, courage… they all arise when the system finally has space. This “emptying out” matters more than we realize. It’s a detox plate for the soul. And when we enter January with a clearer internal landscape, we are infinitely more ready to meet the speed of life with grounded visibility and stable leadership.

A Radical Suggestion for the New Year

Block off more time than you think you need at the start of January. Most people try to hit the ground sprinting on January 2nd. And most people burn out by February. Instead? Create space. Take the first week off if you can. Ease in. Restore.

Let your internal wisdom set the pace for the year ahead, not the demands of the calendar.

If we are not embodying what we’ve learned, slowing down, and resetting our systems, we’re missing the most important piece to growth - integration. And we can’t do that without rest.

How You End the Year Is How You Begin the Next

Don’t crash into Christmas this year. End this season with intention.With presence.With rest.With community.With boundaries that protect your energy and your brilliance.

Give yourself the gift of space.Give yourself the gift of doing nothing.Give yourself the gift of honoring the year behind you.

And then, only then, begin again.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS with big love,

Lisa