“In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth rushing back to.”
– Dave Hollis

There’s a strange kind of honesty in the last days of December.
Not the festive kind, not the busy kind — just the kind that shows up when everything finally slows and you’re left with yourself.

The lights are still hanging. The noise has thinned out. Even the air feels like it’s telling you, “Okay… breathe.”

This is the part of winter no one talks about — the in-between. The space where you’re not closing the year anymore, but you haven’t stepped into the next one either.
It’s quiet, almost uncomfortably so, and it has a way of bringing up things you didn’t exactly schedule time for.

Some thoughts feel grounding. Some feel heavy. Most feel like they arrive too honestly. And honestly? That’s alright. This quiet is its own winter signal.

Not a dramatic one. More like a soft tap on the shoulder. A reminder that the body needs a pause.

The mind needs a moment to sift. The heart needs room to admit where it actually is — not where it “should” be at the end of the year. Winter gives you space to feel the truth without rushing it.

But here’s the part we sometimes forget: While winter gives us permission to slow down, the world doesn’t stop moving.

Bills still come. Kids still need us. Opportunities still pass by. Life doesn’t offer a clean “pause” button just because we’re in a quieter season.

So yes — honor your wintering. Don’t pressure yourself to perform. Take your slower mornings. Hold your gentler boundaries.

But also be honest with yourself: Sometimes winter isn’t a signal to stay still… it’s a signal to pay closer attention. Because every so often, right in the middle of your tiredness, something small but significant shows up — an idea, a chance, a door you didn’t expect.

And this is where winter asks for balance:

Not pushing yourself blindly, but not freezing in place either. Not forcing growth, but not ignoring it when it’s already starting. Not chasing everything, but not waiting for life to hand you clarity on a silver platter.

If something looks like the beginning of spring — let yourself follow it.

Your season may be quiet, but your capacity is not gone. You can rest and still reach. You can slow down and still move toward something good. You can honor the heaviness and still welcome the possibility of light.

Wintering isn’t about hiding until life feels easy again. It’s about knowing yourself well enough to tell the difference between what needs space… and what needs a little courage.

So as this year folds away and a new one waits on the edge, maybe the best thing you can do is simply this:

Notice.
Be honest.
Leave room for the unexpected.

And when something feels like it’s nudging you forward — trust that nudge.

You don’t have to sprint into the new year. You just have to take the step that makes sense for the season you’re in.

And if you want to sit with the whole Wintering journey again — the slow, the heavy, the hopeful — you’re welcome to revisit the earlier weeks. You might find something different this time, now that you’ve lived the month and felt its quiet turn.

Finally, if you are ready to get started preparing for the New Year we have some great recommendations and freebies for you and your children.

Sometimes kids don’t have the words adults do to describe what they feel during quiet or uncertain seasons. That’s why we created a kid-friendly reflection freebie, inspired by the same kind of yearly-audit process that Mel Robbins talks about in her How to Make 2026 the Best Year: 6 Questions to Ask Yourself episode (Episode 351, available at MelRobbins.com).

This freebie is designed to help kids:

look back at what they’ve learned,
notice moments they’re proud of,
name what they want to carry with them,
and set intentions for growth without pressure.

It’s not a goal sheet or a pressure-filled chart — it’s a gentle space for kids to reflect in their own language, at their own pace.

🔗 Download the Kids Wintering Reflection Workbook here

This tool can help kids bring clarity to their own sense of “in-between” moments — and give them a simple way to name what they want to carry into the next year.

If they (or you!) like this approach, you might also explore Mel’s broader set of annual reflection tools and workbooks on her site: https://www.melrobbins.com/episode/episode-351/.

If you want to sit with this final stretch of winter—and maybe reread the series with fresh eyes—you’re welcome to start here or you can start from the beginning of this series.

👉 Read the first part of Wintering blog

You don’t have to rush into the new year.
You just have to notice what feels true—and take the step that fits the season you’re in.

Wishing you a warm and joyful New Year! See you in 2026 :)

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