When new directions begin with reflection

Taking stock, zooming out and listening for what’s quietly changing

When new directions begin with reflection

A quiet shift

This is the time of year when things start to shift, even if you can’t quite name it. That’s certainly true for me.

Recently, I closed my membership, one that was earning me less than minimum wage and began offering in-person workshops instead. It wasn’t a dramatic decision, more a quiet acknowledgement that something needed to change.

New directions often start like this.

With small steps, not big decisions.

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Reflection before clarity

For me, journalling and reflection aren’t the conclusion, they’re the starting point.

After closing the membership, and alongside the growing realisation that I most probably have ADHD, I’ve been reviewing and re-orientating. I’ve been following the breadcrumbs, researching and giving myself space to notice rather than rushing myself to decide.

Journalling has helped me reflect without demanding instant clarity.

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Zooming out

One thing that really stood out for me recently, through my Journalling the Wheel of Life workshop, was the value of looking at life as a whole, rather than trying to fix one part in isolation.

When we focus only on work or one problem area, it’s easy to miss what else is quietly influencing how we feel: our energy, our relationships, our health, our sense of meaning, our capacity for rest.

We don’t need all the answers before taking the first step. Clarity often emerges after we pause, notice and take stock.

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What I’m taking from this season

Lately, I’ve been stepping back and asking broader questions, not just about my career, but about how my life fits together right now and where things feel supportive, strained or simply in need of care.

A few gentle takeaways I’m carrying forward:

• You don’t need a fully formed plan to begin changing direction

• Reflection works best when you zoom out, not when you narrow in

• Small experiments can be more revealing than big decisions

• Journalling can be a place to listen, not just to problem-solve

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If you want to reflect too

If this resonates, you might like to spend a few quiet minutes with one or two of these prompts:

• If you looked at your life as a whole, which area feels most out of balance right now and which feels more supportive than you expected?

• Where are you sensing a quiet pull for change, even if you don’t yet know what that change looks like?

• What small step, not a big decision, might help you listen more closely to what’s emerging?

You don’t have to solve anything today.

Sometimes reflection itself is the new direction.

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If you’d like to go deeper, January’s paid Substack will include a gentle end-of-year retreat — a reflective space to take stock and orient yourself for what’s next.

Happy journaling,

Carol