What Undressing the Christmas Tree Taught Me About 2026

What Undressing the Christmas Tree Taught Me About 2026

This morning, while the house was quiet — my daughter on a play date, my wife busy elsewhere — I found myself slowly undressing the Christmas tree.

Just me and the tree.

And as I untangled the lights and removed each decoration, some thoughts began to form. Not about Christmas. About you.

The Return to "Normal"

You've just been through two weeks of festivities. Maybe you loved every minute — the family, the food, the break from routine. Or perhaps you're quietly relieved the in-laws have finally gone home, and your house is returning to something resembling normal.

We all crave that return to the familiar.

But here's the thing I kept thinking about as I stripped that tree: for many managers, "normal" isn't something to look forward to.

Normal means going back to feeling stuck. Normal means another year of frustration. Normal means managing in a way that drains you instead of energises you.

The Sad-Looking Tree

As I took off the last of the decorations, the tree looked... sad. Bare. Done.

The lights that had twinkled for weeks, bringing warmth and joy to our home, are now coiled up in a box. The tree itself, stripped and ready to be taken out.

It felt like an ending.

But then I did what I always do, one final check to make sure I hadn't missed anything.

And like usual, I had.

Tucked deep into the branches was a small decoration. The letter "A" — the first letter of my daughter's name. She'd made it years ago, back when her hands were tiny, and her handwriting was wobbly.

The Nugget Hidden in the Bare Branches

Even when something looks finished — stripped back, empty, done — there's often something precious still in there. Something worth noticing.

That little "A" reminded me of all the Christmases she's had, how she's grown, and the memories we've built together.

And it made me think: maybe it's the same with where you are right now.

Maybe you're looking at your situation — your job, your team, your career — and it feels bare. Like the good stuff has been packed away and all that's left is... nothing much.

But what if you're missing something?

What if there's a nugget hidden in there — something precious that you've overlooked because you've been so focused on what's gone?

An Ending or a Beginning?

Taking the decorations off the tree isn't really an ending.

It's making room for what comes next.

A new year. A fresh start. An opportunity.

Now, I've never been one for New Year's resolutions — why do we tell ourselves there's only one time of year we're allowed to set goals and make changes?

But I do believe in this: how you see things matters.

You can look at 2026 and see more of the same. More frustration. More feeling stuck. More going round in circles.

Or you can reframe it.

You can choose to see it as your next great opportunity.

The Voice in Your Head

Here's something I learned years ago that changed everything for me:

You use just as much energy finding negatives as you do finding positives.

So why not focus that energy on what you can control? On what serves you? On what moves you forward?

Your biggest critic isn't your boss. It's not your team. It's not your partner or your family.

It's the voice in your head.

And here's the thing about that voice — it's just you. Talking to yourself. Which means you can change the conversation.

You can learn to quiet the critic. You can learn to reframe what it's saying. You can learn to lead yourself before you lead anyone else.

The Community Is Here

This is precisely what we work on inside The Empowered Leader's Circle.

It's a free community for managers who are done feeling stuck. Managers who want 2026 to be different — not because of some vague resolution, but because they've changed how they think, how they see themselves, and how they lead.

The community is new. Small. Growing.

But I know it's going to help a lot of people break out of that cycle.

If that's you — if you're a manager who's ready to stop going round in circles — come and find us.

Join The Empowered Leader's Circle →

2026 doesn't have to be like the years before.

But that starts with your mindset. Not a list of things you'll stop doing. Not promises you'll break by February.

Just a decision: this year, I'm putting my energy into what moves me forward.

That's what will make the difference.

Jon