Welcome to Wisdom Wednesdays from Owl & Key
Each week, enjoy a quick guided reflection to help you unlock what's next and bring your Strategic Plan for Life into reality.
Let's dive in!
If you read nothing else here, read this question and then pause for just a moment to consider:
What are you genuinely celebrating this year?
As we approach the end of the year, itâs easy to slip into hustle mode.
We cram in the holiday hoopla. We sprint toward the finish line. We tell ourselves weâll rest, reflect or enjoy after we get through it.
We've all seen the posts (or said it ourselves) - âThis was such a hard year. I canât wait for it to be over.â
And in all that noise, we can rush right past something essential:
Gratitude. Reflection. True Celebration.
The Power of Pausing
We just wrapped our annual Strategic Planning for Life retreat, and once again, it did not disappoint.
Even after more than a decade of doing this work, Iâm continually amazed by what happens when we simply slow down long enough to reflect, connect, and align on whatâs next.
But one of my favorite parts?
The celebration.
Real celebration.
Not performative.
Not forced.
Not tied to outcomes or metrics.
Just honest recognition of a life lived.
Even small moments of pauseâespecially around this simple questionâcan unlock tremendous joy.
(Our annual video to capture the time spent together reflecting, celebrating and planning. Cheers to doing life together, Phil! đ)
Look Back in Reverence
Try it right now. Give yourself a moment to feel the depth of the life you've lived this year.
Think of all that youâve accomplished.
All that youâve endured.
All that youâve overcome.
The love shared.
The hugs given.
The smiles exchanged.
The relationships formed.
The adventures had.
The moments of pain that quietly morphed into beauty.
Life. Was. Lived.
When we reflect, we almost always begin to see itâthe beauty woven through the noise. Anxiety softens. Clarity emerges. Gratitude makes itself known.
Sometimes gently.
Sometimes slowly.
If This Year Still Feels Heavy
And maybe that doesnât come easily for you right now.
Maybe this year held some really big things.
Maybe it still feels tender. Or unresolved. Or heavy.
Thatâs okay.
In time, the heaviness may soften into clarity.
The tension may loosen into hope.
The anger may ease into gentleness.
Because when we look backâwhen weâre readyâwe often see how simple it really was:
We were here.
We showed up.
We loved hard.
We got caught up in lifeâjust as weâre meant to.
And we kept going.
What Actually Matters
At a deep level, we all know this.
Weâre human animals navigating a very surface-level game.
And what truly matters isnât what the world tries to sell us.
Itâs the community we keep.
The way we move and care for our bodies.
The simple, ordinary experiences that shape our days.
The worldâand our phonesâwill tell us otherwise.
Theyâll insist weâre behind. That weâre lacking. That we havenât done enough.
And suddenly, it can feel like thereâs nothing to celebrate at all.
I know this spiral well. I get stuck in it, too.
An Invitation
So hereâs an invitationâfor all of us.
Let us celebrate the community we keep.
The care we offer our bodies, minds, and hearts.
The ways we show up for the people we love.
Let us celebrate that we are doing the simple thingsâevery dayâto survive and to thrive.
Let us celebrate that we are here.
That weâre showing up.
And that this, in itself, is enough.
Celebrate the challenges.
The peaks and the valleys.
The full, honest picture of a year lived.
Because the truth is this:
If youâre here, reading this, you are thriving.
You are intentional.
Values-aligned.
Purpose-driven.
You lead with kindness.
You care deeply.
You give your all.
And that is worth celebrating.
A Quiet Moment for You
Over the next few weeks, I invite you to sit with these questions:
- What are you celebrating this year?
- What do you feel proud ofâbig or small?
- And for anything that didnât go as planned⌠how might it have happened for you?
Carry that energy with you as this year closes and a new one begins.
Let it shape the way you spend your time.
Allow your answers to help you pioritize your focus and to appreciate what truly matters - to you.
Soak up the micro-moments of joy.
And go slow(er) to really breath it in.
With deep gratitude for your presence here in 2025âthank you. Iâm endlessly grateful for this intimate, inspiring community filled with truly incredible humans.
Keep thriving, friends.
Youâre living a beautiful life.
With warmth,
Krista
Create Your Plan - And Enjoy the Process
When youâre ready to set intentions for the year ahead - one that takes all your inner knowing and turns it into the real-life experiences you desire - the Strategic Planning for Life framework is waiting for you.
Plus a community of others who share this mindset and life approach as well as an abundance of resources and content to support your journey.
Hereâs how you can give yourself, your life, your business, your family, your partnership the gift of intentional time this year and beyond...
- âď¸đż Retreat Experience - Deadline is December 30 (4 spots left) - We are hosting an intimate retreat in Ohio January 16-18. Join us if you want to carve out time for yourself to create your own Strategic Plan for 2026âŚand want to do it with exceptional humans and fun experiences (think: working by the hearth of a cabin in the woods, bonfires, hikes, saunas, surprises and laughs).
- Respond to this email if thatâs you, and I'll send you the info.
- đ Cozy Up & Do it Solo - Grab a copy of the book. Everything you need to know is included. Take yourself on a date or cozy up by the fire. Youâll be filled up with excitement and have clarity and confidence for what's next.
- đź Start Something of Your Own - This is for you if you dream of starting a business of your own OR your life demands it right now because of other career or financial circumstances. This live program will guide you on how to create the next chapter based on whatâs best for your life, your goals and your current conditions.
- Learn more here and grab your spot. Registration closes January 9.
- â 1:1 Strategic Partnership & Guidance - I am finalizing my roster of personal clients for 2026. Together, we build your Intentional 2026 Strategic Plan in early 2026, and then as you run forward, I keep you tethered to your intentions and deepen your clarity throughout the year.
- This is for you if...
- You have a lot on your plate as a leader (in life, family and business).
- You always prefer to have a coach or creative partner by your side to fuel clarity and momentum.
- You know that you have big change or vision for the year and chapter ahead.
- Once the last 3 spots are filled, weâll open the waitlist or pair you with another Expert Guide.
- This is for you if...
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- Schedule a time to connect and learn more here.
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