Relishing the Quiet Work of January
There’s something to love about January. We’re all coming down from a few weeks (or months) of extra busyness. We’ve been making magic for others and probably merrymaking ourselves. Maybe indulging a bit more than normal, sleeping in, and leaning into lazy movie days here and there. Instead of building project models and scheduling Teams calls, I’ve been building multi-course meals and scheduling back-to-back plans for the whole family. In my house, the kids are out of school, so any expectation of traditional productivity has gone way down the last few weeks. As much as we spend all year trying not to admit it, we need this break from routine—if only for a little while. Our brains need to unplug from the cortisol drip and we need to do nothing productive for a minute. In some way, these weeks are what we work all year for—time with family and friends, travel and late nights—a little break for fun.
But in January, we all step back into our routines—often begrudgingly. Our hearts think we want the break to go on indefinitely, but our minds actually crave routine and structure. In January, we get that back and for at least a while, it feels so good. At the same time, it’s still winter. It’s still bitterly cold in Chicago for a few more months. It’s a chance for routine and slowness at the same time. Compared to November and December which is routine and packed schedules, I am relishing this new normal. It’s time to quietly build, put in the hard work, and focus on personal wellness and health too. Just like plants and animals go into a dormant period where they are hibernating and conserving energy in the winter, we can go into a period of deep work and focus for a few months, cutting back on the extra activities that drain our energy.
We’re at the very beginning of this LSP journey, and yet the work we are doing has been underway for many years. We are building on the foundation laid by so many visionaries and farmers and committed creative individuals that are convinced that there is a better way to grow food and care for our environment. I am filled with excitement and joy that this is the work I get to do. I’m looking forward to all of the conversations, spreadsheets, projects, and partners we will encounter and develop in 2026. Let’s get to work.