New (school) year resolutions

It’s back-to-school time again. As I wrote exactly a year ago, this is when I pause to realign and check in on my resolutions —listed below. With three kids now in school and after a long summer break, the sense of renewal and excitement for the new season is contagious. We spent weeks together soaking up the warmth and expansiveness of a Spanish summer, but now it’s time to readjust routines and reengage with daily rhythms: seeing familiar faces, resuming activities, finding flow again. Beyond the passage of time, the freshness of new beginnings also brings the energy of new projects and milestones.

In our hometown, this transition has been quite literal. As school began, the roasting temperatures of the past weeks suddenly gave way to soft, rainy days —as if nature was officially declaring the seasonal change. It sets the mood for a slower, more focused rentrée. A welcome shift, as there is work to be done.

The first thing I wanted to do upon returning this year was reconnect with the blog. I started it a little over a year ago as a personal experiment, with no goal other than to push myself to write more: to provoke my thinking, clarify my ideas, and spark connections. The past year was intense —juggling work, family, and other endeavors— and I didn’t manage to write regularly. That’s something I’d like to change. Making space to think, read, write, and create feels like a necessity right now. A way to step consciously out of the noise and the hustle, and cultivate my own ideas.

So far, I’ve written mostly about our relationship with time and presence, and a zen approach to life and work —topics I intend to continue exploring. But as a brand strategist by trade, I’m also constantly drawn to thoughts around branding and strategy, especially where they intersect with simplicity and zen. I haven’t yet shaped those ideas fully, but I may share some of them this year –perhaps here, perhaps in a dedicated space. If that resonates with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Another major focus for the year will be Mure. We’ve been quiet because we’ve been working, but progress looks great, and we’ll start sharing news soon. Our goal was to have a beta version by year’s end, and we’re getting close. Building a startup is often glorified in the media, but the reality —especially when bootstrapping— is a messy, bumpy road. Still, I’m lucky to have great partners who share a love for the craft and an obsessive care for detail, which makes the journey so much more joyful. More on that soon.

Alongside that, I’ll keep honing my strategy practice. I’m deeply grateful for the work opportunities that come my way and the chance to collaborate with amazing teams. This year will be special in another sense too: I was offered two opportunities to teach, which I’m really looking forward to. Teaching is the best way to learn, and it will help me reflect on my practice as a strategist —which beautifully circles back to writing.

Of course, no back-to-school reflection would be complete without a resolution list. Here's the one I’ve been carrying forward for a couple of years now. It’s high-level, but it works for me.

Looking back, I’ve made good progress with healthy habits —better eating, hydration, exercise, more walking, more time outdoors, more time with people who matter to me. Meditation slipped a little this summer, but I’m catching up. Cutting down online time remains a challenge. While my screen-time ratio is decent, I know I could still be more intentional about reducing it. The bigger challenge, though, is shifting my output: creating more, diving deeper, and working more with my hands. That last one has been elusive, but as I carve out time, I’ll seek to truly get my hands dirty. I’ve reprioritized the list this year and added one important focus: less dependency, more agency.

As a kind of meta-resolution, I want to be more in the driver’s seat of life. Freedom and control, in the most positive sense, are not just liberating but enabling. This desire shows up across many areas of my personal and professional life. The dots are there; they just need connecting. I want to create a more balanced, fulfilling rhythm —one where I’m not carried away by the environment, but dancing with it instead, setting the pace myself.

The months ahead look exciting. I’m looking forward to exploring some of these topics more deeply as the year unfolds, calmly, but steadily. Wishing you a wonderful start to the school year. Thanks for reading.