A reflective leadership pause
Jeanne Porter, Founder & Principal
Let’s Reflect Together
As we enter the final stretch of 2025, I want to offer a gentle reminder—this season is not about rushing, proving, or striving. It’s about stewardship. Stewardship of our time, our energy, our calling, and our hearts.
It’s easy to look back and focus on what didn’t happen. But I’ve learned this: God is just as present in what remains as He was in what has already passed. These final weeks still matter. They hold meaning, opportunity, and rest—if we choose to approach them intentionally.
Here are a few ways to close this year well… with peace, clarity, and quiet strength.
- Choose Focus Over Frenzy
When time feels short, clarity becomes essential. Instead of trying to do more, I encourage you to do what matters most.
Ask yourself:
What would feel honoring to complete or tend to before this year ends?
Choose just three priorities—not ten, not a long list, just three. These may be personal, professional, or deeply spiritual. Fewer priorities allow us to lead with intention rather than exhaustion.
Once those priorities are clear, break them into simple, manageable steps. Progress doesn’t come from pressure; it comes from faithful, consistent movement. And remember—your priorities may shift. That’s not failure. That’s wisdom.
- Lay Down Guilt and Lead with Grace
This time of year often carries a quiet weight. We feel pulled in many directions—work, family, service, rest—and guilt can creep in, whispering that we’re never doing enough.
But guilt is not a leadership tool. Grace is.
Release the unrealistic expectations—both the ones placed on you and the ones you’ve placed on yourself. Progress is enough. Faithfulness is enough.
Boundaries are part of healthy leadership. When you choose where your energy goes, you’re not neglecting others—you’re honoring your capacity. Focus on what’s in front of you, and resist the urge to fixate on perfection.
- Let Purpose Renew Your Motivation
As the year winds down, motivation can feel harder to access—and that’s human. When that happens, don’t push harder. Pause and reconnect with your why.
Why does this goal matter?
Who will it impact?
How does it prepare you for what’s next?
Celebrate the small wins. They matter more than we often realize. Every step forward builds momentum and confidence.
I also encourage you to visualize the fruit of your faithfulness—finishing a project, creating margin, spending meaningful time with those you love. When we see the outcome, our hearts re-engage.
And please—stay close to people and spaces that breathe life into you. Encouragement is fuel.
- Treat Rest as Sacred, Not Optional
One of the most powerful leadership decisions we can make is to rest—on purpose.
Rest is not a reward for productivity; it’s a requirement for sustainability. When we schedule moments of intentional downtime, we give ourselves permission to exhale without guilt.
Take time to reflect on this year. Notice where you grew, where you stretched, where God met you in unexpected ways. Reflection brings closure—and hope.
- Step Into the New Year Already Grounded
Finishing the year with intention allows us to step into the new one with momentum—not pressure.
Carry forward what served you well. Release what no longer fits this season. Perhaps write down a word, a theme, or a quiet intention for the year ahead—something that keeps you anchored when life feels full.
You don’t have to finish everything to finish well.
Steady progress, guided by faith and fueled by grace, is more than enough.
May these final weeks of 2025 be marked by clarity, peace, and renewed purpose—so you enter the next season not depleted, but deeply rooted.