Theme: Laying Steady Foundations #

New beginnings are exciting, but they’re also delicate. The second week of the year wasn’t about grand leaps forward—it was about setting the groundwork, brick by brick, for what’s to come. The focus was on building clarity, momentum, and alignment—both at work and home.

Work: Clarifying the Blueprint
At work, the new year began in earnest, and with it, the complexity of a programme that spans two PMOs, each with overlapping accountabilities. RACI models are great on paper, but when two sets of leaders and structures coexist, clarity doesn’t emerge without effort. The week was dedicated to mapping out roles and responsibilities and ensuring alignment across teams. It felt less like a sprint and more like laying steady planks across a gap, one meeting and one conversation at a time.

Performance reviews were another cornerstone. Listening to my team recount their wins and struggles over the last year was a grounding experience. Performance isn’t just about metrics—it’s about understanding what motivates people, what’s weighing them down, and how to unlock their potential. These conversations weren’t just checkpoints; they were moments to pause and connect.

Another highlight of the week was working on a portfolio prioritisation framework with a senior product colleague. We prototyped a formula, debated its nuances, and ended the week with a solid starting point. It’s one thing to identify priorities; it’s another to ensure they’re actionable. Documenting this process is next on my list.

Personal: Running on Foundations
The week’s theme of steady foundations extended into my personal life. I kept up with my running schedule, with a sublime long run on Saturday reminding me why I love the discipline. Momentum, as always, starts small—a step, a stride, a rhythm—but it builds. The simplicity of running serves as a metaphor for the week: consistency over flashiness, process over perfection.

However, not everything stayed on track. My journaling faltered, mornings were less structured, and illness in the household, disrupting our usual flow. Nights became fragmented as we tried to reclaim our energy. The weight of January blues was tangible. Supporting that while balancing my own work-life rhythm felt like walking a tightrope.

Yet, there were moments of joy: a spontaneous Friday evening family roast dinner, a beach playdate for our little one, and a quiet Sunday trip to Totnes, accompanied by more decluttering—a small but meaningful continuation of Week 1’s theme of making space. Still, the underlying structure of the week felt unsteady, as unresolved admin tasks and missed calls to family abroad added to the tension.

What We Build, What We Let Be
This week underscored that foundations aren’t just about plans and processes; they’re about how we hold space for the unexpected. It’s easy to get caught up in the doing—to focus on the visible progress. But the most important work often lies in creating a steady base for everything else to stand on.

So the theme for Week 2 has been about “laying steady foundations.”

Next week’s intention? “Finding Balance in Tension.”