The Space Between: Change, Gratitude & Moving Forward with Intention

The week between Christmas and New Years always feels a bit different.

It's quieter. Slower. Suspended between what was and what’s next. A natural pause—one we rarely give ourselves during the year, especially as leaders. This year, that pause feels particularly meaningful.

2025 was a year of significant change for me, both personally and professionally. A year that asked for courage, honesty, and a level of self-trust I didn’t fully appreciate until I was living it.

After over a decade in corporate leadership roles, I made the decision to step away from a path that was familiar, successful, and secure—and begin the adventure of building something on my own. It wasn’t a decision I made lightly. It wasn’t driven by dissatisfaction or burnout. It was driven by alignment.

I listened to my gut. And I took a leap of faith.

As leaders, we talk often about change—how to plan for it, manage it, measure it, and sustain it. But personal change has a way of reminding you that no framework or methodology can fully prepare you for the emotional reality of stepping into the unknown. What it does require is clarity of intention, conviction in your values, and a willingness to trust yourself even when the outcome isn’t guaranteed.

This year brought new and exciting highs, often found in the smallest of moments. Early conversations. First steps forward. Quiet confirmations that I was building something meaningful. And it also brought moments that tested me deeply. Those moments that make you question every decision you’ve ever made in your lifetime.

What I learned, in real time, is what self-trust actually looks like. Not the polished, confident version we like to talk about but the kind that shows up when certainty is absent, when doubt is loud, and when you choose to keep moving forward anyway.

In many ways, my personal experience this year mirrored the organizational transformations I’ve spent my career leading. There’s initial excitement. Momentum builds. Then reality sets in. Doubt appears. Resistance, sometimes external but often internal, emerges. And it’s in those moments that belief in what you are building or becoming becomes more important than proof.

One of the most powerful lessons reinforced for me this year is that change is rarely about bold, sweeping moves. It’s about small, consistent steps taken with intention. Momentum isn’t built overnight. It’s built through patience, persistence, and trust in the process.

Another lesson that stood out clearly: no meaningful transformation happens alone.

I am incredibly grateful for my network. For the people who showed up for me in ways both big and small. To every professional and personal connection who offered a celebratory comment, an encouraging word, a thoughtful question, or constructive feedback as I took this leap of intuition - thank you.

The power of people never ceases to amaze me.

I’ve spent my career advocating for the human side of change, and this year reaffirmed that truth in the most personal way. Whether in organizations or in life, transformation is sustained by relationships. By community. By leaders and peers who see you, challenge you, and support you forward.

As I reflect on this past year, a few truths feel especially clear:

• Clarity often comes after commitment, not before.

• Confidence is built through action, not certainty.

• Trust, whether in yourself, your team, or your direction is the foundation of any lasting change.

  
  

As leaders, we are often so focused on what’s next that we forget to pause and acknowledge what it took to get here. Reflection isn’t a luxury; it’s a leadership discipline. Gratitude isn’t passive; it’s grounding. And moving forward with intention requires us to carry those lessons with us. Not rush past them.

As we step into a new year, my hope for myself and for the leaders I work with, is that we make more room for that humanity. That we allow space for reflection alongside execution. That we recognize doubt not as a weakness, but as a natural companion to growth. And that we continue to lead change in a way that honors both results and people.

So, in this space between what was and what’s next, I’m choosing gratitude. I’m choosing trust. And I’m moving forward—intentionally.

As you reflect on your own year, I’ll leave you with a few questions I’m sitting with myself:

• What did change teach you this year?

• Where did you listen to your gut and where might you next?

• And who are you grateful for as you step into what’s ahead?