Growing Without Forcing: A New Way of Beginning the Year

As the new year begins, I’ve been sitting with how different this season of my life feels.

I’ve never been someone who loved New Year’s resolutions, but this year I feel no pull toward them at all. No urge to map out goals, fix myself, or measure progress. Instead, I feel something much quieter - and surprisingly steady.

Peace.

Contentment.

A deep sense of gratitude.

I noticed it during a beautiful New Year’s Eve celebration, and again in these first few days of the year - just sitting here, doing nothing in particular. A feeling of being completely okay. Not driven. Not behind. Just present.

And that feels new.

For most of my adult life, growth looked very different. It was relentless. I overworked. I lived with constant stress, always looking toward the next promotion, the next opportunity, the next level of responsibility. Making more money, achieving more, proving myself - this felt like what it meant to be doing life “right.”

Underneath it all was a belief I rarely questioned: that my worth was tied to my output, and that everything was my responsibility to carry alone.

My body paid the price. I lived in a state of constant tension, trying to offset it with massages, facials, and other ways to make myself feel better - temporary relief without ever changing the pace. I was disconnected from people, too. I wasn’t building deep, nourishing relationships. Vulnerability felt risky. Depending on others felt unsafe.

Then, at 43, in 2023, I hit a wall.

I burned out in a way I couldn’t push through. Despite making more money than I ever had and having tremendous opportunities for advancement and growth, something in me knew I had to stop - completely. With no backup plan, I stepped away from work altogether.

I’m grateful for that season now. It taught me how capable I am. How much I can achieve. And it also taught me something even more important: just because I can do something doesn’t mean I should.

I took four months completely off work, and when I returned, it was to a role with far more flexibility and far less responsibility. But what I’ve learned since is that burnout doesn’t simply resolve with rest and then send you back into the same cycle, refreshed and ready for more.

It changes you.

Two and a half years later, I’m still learning. Still unlearning. Still reinventing my life in ways I never anticipated. I don’t have a strict plan or business model mapped out - and for the first time, that doesn’t scare me the way it once would have. In fact, it feels necessary. Structure and rigidity feel constrictive now.

That said, this transition hasn’t been easy or linear. I struggled deeply with identity when I stepped away from jobs, titles, and accomplishments. There are still moments when fear creeps in - questions about what this means for my future, or whether I’m doing enough.

But what I’m gaining far outweighs those moments of uncertainty.

Space has become the most transformative thing in my life.

In real, tangible ways, that looks like slow mornings. Cooking a full breakfast. Listening to music. Lighting incense. Taking walks. Allowing days with open space to remain open, instead of filling them with productivity just to feel worthy.

I’ve learned to follow my own energy rhythms - bursts of creativity and action, followed by genuine rest. I no longer see rest, boredom, or spaciousness as something to fix. They are part of the process.

And from that space, something unexpected has emerged.

I’m still creating.

I’m still growing.

I’m still trying new things.

But now it’s led by curiosity instead of obligation.

I’m exploring new partnerships and collaborations - not because they fit a perfectly defined plan, but because they feel interesting and alive. Consistency still matters, but I’m no longer willing to close myself off to possibility with a rigid roadmap. Trying things, feeling into what resonates, and allowing things to evolve has opened doors I never would have seen before.

This kind of growth doesn’t show up on charts or graphs. There are no data points to track, no scales to measure progress.

This is about feeling.

Feeling calm in my body.

Feeling grounded in myself.

Feeling moments of genuine enjoyment and appreciation for my life as it unfolds.

I still have hard days. That hasn’t disappeared. But now there are these steady, quiet moments, often ordinary ones, where nothing needs fixing. Where growth is happening simply because I’ve slowed down enough to let it.

That feels like the whole point.

As this new year begins, I’m choosing to grow differently.

To create without forcing.

To trust what’s emerging - even when I don’t know where it will land.

And I’m really looking forward to continuing this year alongside you - sharing experiences, reflections, and whatever unfolds as we each navigate our own evolving paths.

If this resonates, I’d love to hear from you:

What would growth look like for you right now if you didn’t have to force it?

With warmth and curiosity,

Katie