How to Move Forward — Even If You Have No Goals

embrace the unknown
frolic in the mystery
dance in the darkness

Typically I enter a new year filled with anticipation for what I want to do, create, offer, and experience.

As a visionary, I’m never without big ideas, dreams and plans. In the early days of the year my challenge usually is choosing a focus and limiting my options.

This year, I’m on foreign soil. I still have ideas; notebooks and journals filled with them. But there’s no fuel to propel them; no fire.

Not even a spark.

I can’t seem to lock into even one big goal or dream. Ideas disintegrate the moment they land.

I’ve spent the past few months wondering what’s wrong, trying to reignite my motivation, to no avail.

Is it burnout? Am I languishing? Am I depressed?

Possibly all three.

I am also tired. Lonely. Isolated.

All of these states play a role in depleting motivation and focus, but I don’t want to pathologize it.

From the perspective of nature, it’s simple:

This is the emptiness of winter.

I’m in the emptiness. I’m in a winter.

In nature, in my business, in nearly every aspect of my life.

I’ve been here before but I haven’t always heeded the lessons about honoring winter. Even though I teach it and write about it.

So this time I’m trying something different. I’m experimenting with taking my own advice.

I’m embracing winter.

How to Embrace the Winter

Nothing could be more self-destructive in this moment than trying to push myself into a project that isn’t aligned with my energy of the moment.

Rather than pushing away this malaise or trying to push through it, I’m playing around with how to embrace it.

I’m using this time to reflect and integrate lessons and insights.

I’m taking the pressure off myself to have big dreams and big goals going into 2022.

Instead, I’m thinking small. I am updating my daily rituals to ensure they continue to nourish and nurture me.

I’m dreaming up new ways to serve, even if they are temporary experiments.

I’m thinking short term rather than long term.

That’s how it is sometimes.

Removing the pressure to “think big” is often the best form of self-care we can give ourselves in the winter seasons of our lives.

I’m experimenting with playing in the mystery rather than just sitting in the mystery.

I’m learning how to dance in the darkness.

If you’re in a winter too, I invite you to connect. Share a message in the comments. Let’s dance together.