Last month I wrote about choosing Essence as my word of the year – a reminder to come back to who I really am beneath the noise, the busyness, and the expectations that quietly build over time.

A month on, I’ve been reflecting on what that actually looks like in real life. Not in big, dramatic changes, but in the small daily choices.

Essence, for me, isn’t about doing more. It’s about noticing when I’m drifting away from what matters, and gently steering back again.

Sometimes that means creating space instead of filling it. Saying no when my instinct is to say yes. Going for a walk when my head feels full instead of pushing through another task. Being properly present with family rather than half-working and half-listening.

I’ve also noticed that when I show up from that place – calmer, clearer, more myself – my work improves too. Coaching conversations deepen. Decisions feel easier. I feel less rushed and more intentional.

None of this is perfect. Some days I still slip into autopilot. But Essence isn’t about perfection. It’s about returning – again and again – to what feels true. In the words of TS Eliot, who said it far more eloquently than me:

We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring 
Will be to arrive where we started 
And know the place for the first time.

And maybe that’s the real lesson so far: we don’t need to reinvent ourselves. We just need to remember who we already are.

If you’re at a point where you’re ready to reconnect with what really matters, that’s exactly the work I love to support people with. You can contact me here to set up a free discovery call.