008: The In-Between Week | Why What Looks Quiet Is Actually Decisive

This short episode is for the in-between—the quiet space between Christmas and New Year’s when routines are paused and the next season hasn’t fully arrived.

Winter may look still on the outside, but beneath the surface, important preparation is happening. Just like in nature, this is a powerful time to make intentional decisions that shape what comes next.

In this episode, Mandi shares why this week matters more than most—and three simple, decisive ways to prepare for the year ahead without drifting into January on autopilot.

Reflection Questions:

• What am I ready to release so I can move forward cleanly?
• What kind of life am I actively cultivating right now?
• What decision, if I made it before January, would change how the next year unfolds?

Sponsor:

This episode is sponsored by Manifesting + Mimosas, a strategic vision workshop designed to help you clarify your direction, identify your top priorities, and align your calendar with the life you actually want to live.

The workshop takes place January 3, and this in-between week is the ideal time to do this work—before routines and obligations fill your calendar again.

Register for Manifesting + Mimosas (virtual or in-person): https://connect.themindherco.com/2026-manifesting

Follow Mandi & The MindHER Company:

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Transcript

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You are listening to The Mind Her podcast where mindset, leadership and personal growth come together to help you create a life and business you truly love. I'm your host, Mandy Casey, and today's episode is for the in-between that space between Christmas and New Year's when routines haven't fully restarted, when the noise is lower, and the next season hasn't demanded anything from you yet. Most people treat this week like a pause. It's not, it's actually one of the most decisive weeks of the entire year in nature. Winter is not inactivity. It's a pause. It's actually a preparatory season. Plants don't bloom in the winter, but beneath the surface at the cellular level. Everything is reorganizing. They're not blooming, but they are becoming. Roots are growing deeper. Energy is conserved and redirected. Nutrients are stored. Systems are recalibrated. Everything is quietly aligning. For what comes next, what looks like it's still outside, is actually really strategic. And here's the part that most people miss. Spring growth is determined by winter decisions. I'm gonna say that again just for emphasis sake. Spring growth is determined by winter decisions not intention. Decisions. So this week isn't for drifting, it's for choosing, because let's be honest, once January hits, momentum takes over, your calendars start to fill, and old patterns reassert themselves. And most people end up trying to build a new year on top of an old structure, and that just doesn't work, let's be honest. So today we're gonna talk about three decisions you can make this week that will prepare you quietly and powerfully for what you actually want to cultivate next. The first decision I want you to make is to clear one space with intention. Choose one physical space in your home, not because it's messy, but because it's symbolic, because it's ready to serve you differently in the next season. And as you clear out that space, as you clean the junk drawer in your home or the closet or that counter beneath the bathroom sink, whatever space you choose. I want you to ask yourself one question as you clear it, what do I want this space to make possible in 2026? Is it calm? Maybe it's focus or creativity or ease. You're not just removing things, but you are declaring what belongs in the next season of your life, and it starts by clearing out that space. That decision, that declaration, it's a really powerful move for taking you into what comes next. The second decision I want you to make is to choose what carries you forward. And listen, I love this concept. It actually came from Gay Hendrix, one of my favorite authors of the Big Leap. I want you to go through your shoes. Only keep the pairs that make you feel confident, supported, grounded, good in your body. Let go of all the other pairs of shoes in your closet that don't. I don't care if they were expensive or if they were a gift or if you just recently bought them. If you do not love that pair of shoes, they have got to go. Here's why. The only pair of shoes that remain in your closet are the ones that you absolutely love. And this isn't about getting rid of anything that's wrong, but it's about choosing what carries you forward with love and intention. The shoes you keep should match where you're going, and every step you take forward literally should reinforce the version of who you're becoming. So each step you take into 2026 will be taken literally out of love because you know that from the bottom of the feet all the way up, you are taking steps with intention. That's not symbolic. It's identity level alignment, and it's really important in cultivating a life in business that you don't wanna escape. So the third decision is to make one clean calendar decision. This is where your leadership really starts to show up. I want you to pick one recurring commitment that you are ending, renegotiating, or not carrying forward into January. Just one, because you cannot build a new life on a calendar that is already full. You have to create white space. And white space isn't laziness or emptiness, it's leverage. That margin in your life is fertile ground. It's where the vision takes root and your direction becomes obvious. So I'm gonna pause here for a moment. If you're listening to this and thinking, listen, I know I need to be more intentional, but I don't wanna just drift into another year. That is the very reason I created manifesting in Mimosas now in its eighth year. It's not just a vision board party, it's a strategic vision workshop where you will clarify the direction you're cultivating. In 2026, you'll identify your top three priorities and you'll align your calendar and decisions with the life you actually want to live. The workshop is coming up January 3rd, and this in-between week is the best time to do this work before momentum takes over, you'll find the link for the virtual and in-person tickets in the show notes. And if you're ready to stop circling the block and start choosing your direction with intentionality, this is your room. I wanna see you in it. So let's get back to the message. Here's what I want you to hear clearly in today's episode. What's happening right now, even if no one can see it matters. The season isn't about seeing results yet. It's the season where alignment happens quietly so that the growth doesn't feel chaotic later. It's about cultivating your energy, your direction, your alignment, and just like nature, the most important work often happens behind the scenes where no one else can see it. It matters you guys. So remember, slowing down this week and getting intentional, it doesn't make you behind. It means you're preparing and preparation requires decisions. So as I wrap up, I want you to sit with these three questions, not someday, but today. Ask yourself, what am I ready to release so I can move forward cleanly. What kind of life am I actively cultivating right now, and what decision if I made it before January would change how the next year unfolds? Vision doesn't start with motivation. It starts with choice. If you want guidance, making these choices and translating them into real direction, join us for manifesting in Mim Moses on January 3rd. As I said, the link is in your show notes, so yeah. This week might actually be quieter than most, but that's what makes it so powerful. Use it wisely. Until next time, I'm sending you so much love and gratitude. Thanks for listening.