Let 20 minutes be enough

January arrives with a lot of expectations.

Fresh starts. Big goals.

A sense that we’re supposed to feel energized, focused, and ready to move forward.

But for many babywearing consultants, January doesn’t feel like that at all. It feels congested. Physically, emotionally, logistically. Life hasn’t reset just because the calendar flipped, and the gap between what we hoped to do and what we can realistically manage can feel discouraging very quickly.

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January Isn’t a Sprint, It’s a Reentry

For many small, service-based business owners, January isn’t a launchpad. It’s a careful reentry.

When capacity is limited, the question stops being “What’s my big plan for the year?” and becomes something much more grounded:

When life is heavy, pushing yourself to think big can backfire. What you need instead is a way to keep moving forward gently, without disconnecting entirely.

When Goals Feel Abstract, Projects Keep You Moving

This is where the difference between goals and projects becomes important.

Goals are directional. They point you toward something bigger.
Projects are concrete. They’re things you can actually touch, complete, and move forward in small pieces.

When capacity is low, goals can start to feel abstract or even cruel. They hover in the background, reminding you of everything you’re not doing. Projects, especially small ones, bring you back into motion.

Instead of asking, “What am I doing this year?” try asking:

That might mean updating your event calendar, drafting one message, tweaking a flyer, outlining an email, or checking in with a past client. These are not dramatic moves, but they’re real ones that keep you moving forward.

When you lower the pressure and focus on what fits into the margins of your life right now, you stop bracing against your work and start tending to it again.

Those small moments add up. They keep you oriented toward what you’re building, even when growth feels slow or invisible.

Staying Connected Is the Work

Some seasons are for running.
Some are for crawling.
And some are simply for staying in touch with what you care about.

If your goals already feel dusty a few weeks into the year, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. It means you’re responding to the life you’re actually living.

Progress doesn’t always look like expansion. Sometimes it looks like continued presence when your capacity is limited.

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This post is inspired by Episode 20 of our COC-exclusive podcast, The Business of Babywearing, where we explore how to stay connected to meaningful work through real life, not ideal conditions.