A Sixth of the Way There

We’re two twelfths or one sixth of the way through 2026, depending on how you cut your carrots. That small fraction invites a pause. Time is moving, whether or not we’re paying attention, and these natural milestones give us a chance to check our bearings before the next few months gather momentum. This was in my mind as we began this weeks team meeting at Kinharvie. Leading our usual check in, I had us give time to respond to the following: “So far in 2026 - what’s going well and what would be even better if?” Responses facilitated a fruitful individual and collective awareness - that cannot now be unseen.

In leadership, and in life, it’s easy to slip into motion without intention. One task tumbles into the next, and before long, we’re measuring our worth by what’s ticked off the list rather than the meaning behind it. The danger isn’t in being busy; it’s in being unconscious. When activity replaces awareness, even genuine progress can feel hollow.

Taking a moment to reflect isn’t indulgent; it’s an act of stewardship. Leadership begins within, and self-awareness is the light that reveals whether we’re moving with purpose or simply maintaining momentum. It might show where energy is scattered or values have blurred. Or it might confirm that we’re in alignment, that our daily actions are congruent with what matters most. Either way, the light of awareness always creates a choice point.

From that point, we can realign, recalibrate, or recommit. Each choice is a form of leadership - the quiet kind that starts before any meeting or speech - in the internal dialogue we have with ourselves.

So as March unfolds, pause long enough to ask yourself: Am I leading my time, or is my time leading me? Awareness doesn’t demand we change everything overnight; it simply invites us to begin again - with intention, not just effort.