February notes: a small rest

February always feels like the real start of the year. January is all notebooks and intention. February is when the pace picks up - not dramatically, but enough to need a bit more structure.

This month has been a quiet mix of work and life. A bit of travel. A lot of thinking. Some good conversations, and some space in between.

Earlier in the month, I went to Puttshack in London with a few friends. I lost miserably - it turns out putting is not one of my transferable skills. But we had a great time, and honestly, that’s the point. Not everything has to be done well to be worth doing. It reminded me a little of the messier parts of work - when something doesn’t quite land the way you expected, but you show up anyway, stay engaged, and carry on with a bit of humour. That in itself is a kind of progress.

I also managed to get to the West End and see The Devil Wears Prada. It was big, fast, and unapologetically theatrical - a good reminder that sometimes the best thing you can do for your head is take it somewhere completely different for a couple of hours.

In between everything else, I had a bit of downtime - some of it intentional, some of it just necessary. I played some games on the PS5, I avoided emails on a weekend (mostly), and I reminded myself that thinking isn’t always something you can schedule. Sometimes clarity arrives only after you’ve done something entirely unrelated for a while.

Professionally, this month has been more about pace than volume. A few strategic conversations, some solid progress with writing projects, and the start of a few interesting pieces of HR work - the kind that need patience, good framing, and a willingness to leave space around the problem before you try to solve it.

There’s something valuable in not rushing the rhythm too early in the year. It’s tempting to go full speed by February, but I’m trying to hold on to a more measured pace. It’s not about doing less. It’s about giving things time to unfold properly - and keeping some headroom for what might show up next.

No major insights this month - just a reminder that not everything has to be sharp to be worthwhile. Sometimes the point is simply to stay with it.

Pelwyn HR