Wet, brine-coated roads increase stopping distance. I narrowly avoided a collision after a distracted driver ran a stop sign while I tried to brake on a brine-wet bike lane. Excessive brining on dry days creates safety risks rather than preventing them.

As you plan for 2026, don’t start where you are: start where you want to land and reverse-engineer the route like an explorer mapping the exit before the entry. Working backwards means imagining the goal is already achieved...

In 2025, executives aren’t quitting for failure—they’re quitting for purpose. Record burnout, disillusionment with profit‑only roles, and growing desire for impact are driving top leaders toward mission‑driven careers and nonprofit or entrepreneurial work.

Leah’s Holiday Note: Post-Christmas energy is softer, and emotions are settling down. It is time to take advantage of that calm before the New Year’s intensity hits. Lead with grace, listen more than you talk, and remember: how you handle people now sets the tone for all of 2026.

Kakuma and Kalobeyei, in Kenya’s climate-stressed Turkana County, face extreme heat, deforestation, and water scarcity. Through the refugee-led Trees of Hope initiative, communities are shifting from survival to stewardship, restoring degraded land through local tree planting/environmental action.

At this point in the year, planning isn’t about grand resolutions; it’s about recalibration. Start by looking at the big three pillars: family, friends, and employment, because if those are out of alignment, no productivity hack will save you.

Leah’s Holiday Note: The post-holiday fog is real, so take conversations slowly and leave room for grace. Not every comment needs a response; sometimes calm is the gift.

Christmas has a way of arriving loud and leaving louder; too much noise, too much cheer, too much food, too many opinions, and zero recovery time.