Personal Note from Rachel

In 2026, our shared theme is listening.
Not as a skill to master, but as a leadership practice that shapes who we become.

Despite all the hope & hype, January doesn’t always start with clarity.

Its often a swirl of conflicting signals.

For some, the holidays were joyful, restful, and restorative.
For others, they were anything but.

Maybe you returned to work recharged.
Maybe you didn’t get the flu vaccine, caught something, and are still carrying post-viral fatigue.
Maybe you spent the break caring for others — or feeling guilty you couldn’t do more.
Maybe your body is still catching up with what your mind expected it to be ready for.

Whatever your circumstances, I invite you to pause.
Not to plan. Not to problem-solve.
But to listen.

Listening to the Quiet Signals

Our shared theme for 2026 is Listening.

Not just to others — but to ourselves.
Not just to symptoms — but to signals.
Not just to plans — but to patterns.

Last Christmas, despite knowing better (!!!), I still entered the holiday season depleted.
I didn’t have the presence I wanted to give to my family — and I felt it.

This year, I planned differently.

Knowing we’d have extended family staying from 16 December to 4 January, I proactively gave myself the time, care, and attention I needed — before the season began.

I tuned in to listen more deeply to my own signals.

• I used my weekly coaching sessions (as a client) to get honest.
• I did an energy audit to track what was giving me energy and what was draining me.
• I paid attention to my Oura ring metrics and made changes when I saw patterns.
• I prioritised sleep, breath-led yoga, walking outdoors, sauna time, connection and probiotic foods (Like a good farming pharmacist, I grow my own Kefir & Kombucha so if you want a SCOBY or Kefir starter, I can share if/when we meet in person!)

I also made a very intentional choice: to give my system the best possible chance to serve me — and the people I love.

This Christmas, nearly everyone in the house who hadn’t received the flu vaccine got sick — temperatures, coughs, fatigue. And while I registered a mild spike in temperature after everyone left, my immune system managed to fight it off without succumbing..

I believe this was because I was listening & responding differently.  
Because I stopped pushing myself and responded early, not late.

For me, this is shift worthy of pausing & reflecting.

Our immune systems do more than fight off viruses — they also reflect the systemic load we carry.
They tell us what’s sustainable, and what’s not.
When to engage. When to rest. When to ask for help. When to stop trying to hold it all together.

When we override these signals, we risk burnout, misalignment, illness, and resentment.

But when we listen early, we create the conditions for resilience.

Listening is a Leadership Practice

Many leaders I coach have started 2026 by naming truths they’ve long been carrying:

“I’ve achieved a lot, but I feel scattered and tired of carrying it all.”
“There’s a version of me that wants to emerge, but I don’t know how to make space for it.”
“I can’t keep leading from depletion. Something needs to change.”

If any of that resonates — you are not alone.

We are living in complex times, leading complex lives, holding complex responsibilities.
Listening — real, honest, strategic listening — is one of the most powerful practices we have.

It’s how we notice the fatigue that doesn’t lift.
The tension that always returns.
The misalignment we can’t quite name.
The big question we’re quietly carrying, even when no one else sees it.

This is where your leadership begins.

Not with more action.
But with more presence.

January Reflection

As you lean into January in your pharmacy, at your desk and with your team & your family, I invite you to ask:

• What is my body telling me about the pace I’ve been keeping?
• What signals have I been overriding or postponing?
• What is quietly asking for my attention — before it becomes a crisis?

Your body knows.
Your energy knows.
Your system knows.

This isn’t about self-care as a luxury.
It’s about sustainable leadership as a necessity.

A January Invitation: Strategic Thinking Session

If you’re already sensing that 2026 needs to be different, this is for you.

My 1:1 Strategic Thinking Session is a confidential 90-minute space to think clearly and listen deeply — not just to the goals, but to the signals underneath.

We’ll explore:

• What’s energising and draining you
• What’s already working, and what’s quietly off
• Where your Sage (wise, resourceful self) is nudging you to move

This is not about fixing.
It’s about clarifying what matters — and what’s next.

This is for leaders who know: How you think now shapes how you lead all year.

Rachel The Pharmacist Coach
MCC | ACTC | NBC-HWC | EMCC
Director of Education, LCI
Founder, 4Front Pharmacy Solutions

If these reflections resonate, you may wish to continue the conversation in quieter moments here:

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