A short letter about false starts, quiet pauses, and learning that preparation is progress, even when nothing visibly moves forward.

Today was meant to be a ‘beginning’. Your first day back at school. My first day back at work. The gates opening. The year properly underway. 

But you had other plans. Through no fault of your own, a bug of some sort snatched you up. 

A false start. Though the older I get, the less I believe that’s really a thing.

Nothing was lost, in truth. We stayed home together. I got to take care of you while you rested. And somewhere in that pause, something quietly shifted for me too. For as long as I can remember, January has been a difficult month. Things move slowly, budgets aren't opened up, decisions haven't been made, directions are not yet committed to, and dates aren't in the calendar. January has typically left me feeling a little exposed. So I am encouraged, thanks to your enforced pause, to approach this month differently. 

For the first time in my career, I don’t feel the need to burst out of the gates at full speed.

Instead, I slowed down. Took a different look at it, a wider field of vision.

I spent the day setting things up rather than pushing things forward. Optimising how I work. Cleaning up my laptop, my iPad, my phone. Decluttering screens. Resetting passwords. Installing tools and extensions that help me think more clearly, search more accurately, work with less friction.

I separated creativity from administration.
Focus from noise.
Output from intention.

The work I’ve done today, whilst you napped next to me, shows me that sometimes the most important work happens before anyone sees a result, when you’re quietly arranging the pieces so they can hold together later.

I’ve been thinking about the months ahead like this:

January is for setting things up.
February is for selection, choosing what deserves energy and what doesn’t.
March is for conversion, turning intention into action.

Not rushing. Not forcing. Just moving with purpose, alignment with your values and authenticity.

I want you to know this, Leo:
If life ever throws you a false start, a delay, a pause, a moment that doesn’t go to plan, it doesn’t mean you’re behind.

Sometimes it means you’re being given space to build properly.

To prepare.
To think.
To choose differently.

And if all you do that day is take care of someone you love, or quietly put your own house in order, that counts too.

I’m glad our year didn’t start the way we expected.

It started the way we needed.

Love you buddy, I hope you feel better tomorrow.

Always,

Daddy,