Presence, Expansion, and Ease: Honoring the Rhythm of the Season
I am choosing presence over perfection, expansion over stagnation, and ease over force.
If you follow me or read my blog, you’ll already know that I’m holding off on setting resolutions or rigid goals right now.
Instead, I’m honoring the current season that I’m in, and encouraging the women around me to do the same.
That does not mean that I am in freefall, or that I have come to a complete stop.
In fact, it is quite the opposite.
If there is anything this season has taught me, it’s that:
Stillness is not a punishment, but an opportunity.
Slowing down does not have to mean that progress or momentum must cease.
It means that I am more intentional with where I put my time and energy.
The more I slow down, the more I listen to my body and my own capacity, the more attuned I become.
This season, of winter, of reflection, of becoming a mother for the first time, comes with its challenges.
But it also comes with so many opportunities.
Opportunities to create a sustainable rhythm for myself.
Opportunities to be intentional about the life I am building, not only for me, but for my daughter.
I don’t want her to step into a world where her worth is measured by productivity.
Where pushing past her limits is praised more than listening to her intuition.
I want to instill in her, and in myself, and in my clients, that our rhythms matter.
That listening matters.
That the more we listen, the more we hear.
Hustle-culture Colby would have been chomping at the bit, throwing caution to the wind and trying to accomplish as much as possible for my business, my book, and household preparations, all before the baby comes.
The 2026 version of me, the one choosing presence, expansion, and ease, allows herself to have slow mornings, cut her content plan in half, and refocus the energy that she would have been putting toward trying to squeeze in one more launch before going on hiatus.
Instead, that energy has been shifted into redefining the structures that will support me postpartum, when I need it the most.
As I moved through these reflections, three words kept surfacing.
Not as goals.
Not as resolutions.
But as anchors, ways I want to move through this year, and the seasons that will follow.
PRESENCE
Because I don’t want my daughter to fight for my attention.
I want to be there for her.
I want to be with her.
I know it won’t always be perfect, but I am committed to being as present as I can, as often as I can.
Ways I will incorporate presence:
Regularly checking in with myself and honoring whatever capacity I am at in that day or moment.
Choosing to be more and do less.
Where I used to try to fit in a 1–2 hour writing block every day, I now aim for 15 minutes, and I don’t beat myself up if I wasn’t able to squeeze it in.Letting my days be guided by how I feel rather than how much I planned to accomplish.
Creating small pockets of undistracted time
putting my phone down,
slowing conversations,
being fully where I am instead of mentally jumping ahead.
EXPANSION
Because growth doesn’t only come from doing more.
It comes from learning.
From creating.
From filling our lives with the things that bring us joy.
The more we expand ourselves in meaningful ways, the more we unlock the true potential of what we are capable of, and the more we are able to lift each other up.
Ways I will incorporate expansion:
Being intentional about where my energy and attention go.
Spending less time on screens and more time listening to music or podcasts, journaling, reflecting, and creating space for curiosity and creativity.
Saying yes to what feels genuinely interesting or nourishing,
even if it doesn’t have an obvious outcome or purpose attached to it.Allowing my interests, creativity, and learning to evolve
without needing to immediately turn them into something productive or useful.
EASE
Because this is a big one for me.
Force is something I have been slowly learning to release over time, and it is something I want to focus on deeply this year, especially throughout the season of my postpartum recovery.
Ways I will incorporate ease:
Holding the understanding that I am, in fact, allowed to and have to slow down.
Honoring this season of my life and trusting that I don’t have to carry it all at once.
Building more margin into my days. Leaving space between commitments. Resisting the urge to fill every open moment.
Noticing when I am forcing something and choosing to pause, soften, or step back instead of pushing through out of habit.
I will update my goals and plan my life accordingly when the energy of spring presents itself once again.
But for now, my focus is exactly where it should be.
And maybe this is an invitation for you, too.
Not to rush into resolutions.
Not to hold yourself to a version of the year that feels misaligned.
But to slow down long enough to listen.
To notice what’s present.
To choose a few guiding words that feel steady and supportive of the season you’re actually living in.
Because our rhythms matter.
And when we honor them, we make space for lives that feel grounded, sustainable, and truly ours.
If this reflection resonates, you’re welcome to continue reading along or join me in the Weekly Oasis newsletter, where these thoughts unfold season by season.
