Resting After a Year of Sprinting
Because it’s a marathon, not a race!
Reading time: ~2 minutes
For many of us, 2025 has felt like a series of sprints with no clear finish line. One deadline bleeding into the next, one uncertainty rolling straight into another. I don’t know about you, by my December has been unusually productive, which is not a humble brag, but more so a reflection on the current state of affairs (or the world? Honestly not sure.)
Beyond the hustle and bustle, as the year comes to a close, it carries along the usual pressure to reflect, reset, plan, and somehow feel optimistic, all at once.
When I first started thinking about a cheerful year-end wrap-up for this blog post, I planned to focus on personal resilience, but 2025 has been a difficult year for a lot of people. The job market has been unforgiving, with many still navigating uncertainty, rejection, or exhaustion. In that context, the idea of “rest” that comes along with December can feel irresponsible, indulgent, or out of reach. When things aren’t resolved, it’s tempting to believe that stopping, even briefly, means falling behind. So instead of harping on how to be resilient and carry on, I’m talking about the opposite, which is to take a moment for yourself, because constant motion doesn’t equal progress, and exhaustion doesn’t make uncertainty easier to solve.
Somewhere along the way, rest became framed as a reward you earn only after things work out. Finish a project, clear a hurdle, hit the milestone, and then you can breathe. The problem with that is that in long seasons of effort, the finish line keeps moving. If you’re always waiting to pause, you never actually recover.
This year reminded me that rest isn’t quitting, nor is it complacency. It’s maintenance, much like a pit-stop during an F1 race. It’s what allows you to stay clear-headed, patient, and grounded when the road ahead is still unfolding. In a marathon, pacing matters more than speed (out of my depth on this one - running is not for me!) December, for many of us, is a moment to slow the stride without losing direction.
Rest doesn’t have to look like disappearing or checking out entirely. Sometimes it’s letting December be lighter without labelling it “unproductive.” It’s spending time with people who make things feel just a bit better. It’s doing small things that make you smile without trying to optimize them. It’s choosing not to pile on new goals just because the calendar is turning a new page.
Personally, this year was quite a lot! I sprinted through new challenges, commitments, certifications, relationships, and much more. I learned, unlearned, mentored, and was mentored. So as the year closes, I’m taking a pause, because showing up rested matters more than showing up rushed, even if it feels like a luxury.
As we head into the end of the year, my hope for myself and for anyone reading this is simple: enjoy December where you can. Be present, be kind to yourself, and trust that the work you’ve already done doesn’t disappear just because you paused to breathe.
What About You?
What does rest look like for you this December?
Wishing everyone a safe and joyful holiday season. See you in the new year!
Ryan
