Listening Instead of Pushing (A Year-End Reflection)
This time of year has a very specific energy.
Everything speeds up.
Deadlines stack.
Launches suddenly feel urgent — simply because the calendar says so.
And even when the year has been good, successful, full of momentum, December has a way of whispering: “Just a little more. Finish everything. Close the loop.”
This year at LANACCI was strong.
We showed up consistently, shared our work, launched projects, celebrated wins. From the outside, it looked — and felt — like forward movement.
And still, one of my biggest learnings had nothing to do with doing more.
It had everything to do with listening.
Boundaries Aren’t a Lack of Ambition
Going into the end of the year, my intention was clear:
I wanted to reduce pressure, protect my energy, and create as much spaciousness as possible before the holidays.
Reality, of course, had other plans.
Up until two days before my holiday (starting December 20th), I was still planning to take four websites live. Everything was running. Everything was “technically possible”.
And yet, something felt off.
Not dramatic. Not loud.
Just a quiet resistance in my body.
The kind you can easily ignore if you’re used to pushing through.
Choosing Yourself Changes Everything
What shifted things for me was a message from a dear friend.
She had planned to host a free online workshop — and decided to postpone it. Not because anything was wrong. Not because she owed anyone an explanation. Simply because she didn’t feel well and didn’t feel it was the right moment to push it.
Her message was honest, warm, grounded.
And reading it felt like a permission.
I asked myself one simple question:
What actually happens if these websites don’t go live this year?
And the answer was surprisingly calm.
Nothing breaks.
Nothing is lost.
Nothing collapses.
What does happen is relief. Space. Trust.
And the decision to move the launches to January instantly lifted pressure — instead of carrying it with me into the holidays.
That was perfectionism talking before.
This was self-leadership answering back.
Your Body Knows Before Your Mind Does
One thing I’ve learned this year:
If you don’t know what you feel — that’s already information.
We you tend to push uncomfortable feelings away. Anxiety, resistance, frustration. But very often, that’s exactly where the message lives.
The body reacts faster than the mind.
The mind needs time to explain. The body just knows.
If something makes you anxious, heavy, tense — sit with it.
Ask why. Stay curious. Stay present.
Not everything needs an immediate solution.
Some things just need to be felt before they can be understood.
A Different Kind of Success
This year taught me that success isn’t only measured in output or visibility — even when those things are there.
Sometimes it looks like:
respecting your own limits
planning with your energy, not against it
letting go of timelines that no longer feel right
choosing January over December — without guilt
Especially in a season that invites comparison, it helps to remember:
It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing.
It matters what feels right for you.
And standing up for yourself — quietly, clearly, without drama — is one of the strongest things you can do.
A Quiet Thank You
Before closing this year, I want to say thank you.
To everyone who has been reading along — regularly or quietly, from the beginning or just recently — thank you for being here. For taking the time to read, to reflect, and to check in with yourself in a world that rarely invites us to slow down.
If you’re new, welcome.
If you’ve been around for a while, thank you for staying.
And to my clients, past and present, who might be reading this: thank you for your trust. For letting me do what I love every day, and for allowing me to contribute — in my way — to your ideas, your businesses, and your visions. It truly doesn’t go unnoticed.
This year reminded me that showing up isn’t always about doing more. Sometimes it’s about listening better, choosing yourself, and allowing things to unfold in their own timing.
Thank you for sharing this space with me.
I’m really glad you’re here.
Love,
Lisa
