Caroline GikonyoA Note on the “New” Home
If you’ve been looking for me here and found a digital “Under Construction” sign and an unfinished blog, you weren’t imagining things. I’ve been away from the blog for a long time, refocusing and rebuilding.
While I’ve been very active over on LinkedIn, I realized I needed a dedicated space for these deeper reflections. The site is still getting its makeover, but I decided I couldn’t wait for “perfect” to start sharing again. We’re building in public. It’s good to be back.
I’m closing January with a number that would have terrified me a year ago because my income was less than half of what I had targeted. That’s a significant shortfall.
By any conventional measure, January was a “failure.”
But here’s what I know now that I didn’t know a year ago: revenue is not the only measure of success. Sometimes, the most strategic thing you can do is build the foundation that will carry all future revenue.
And that’s exactly what January was for me.
What January Actually Was
January wasn’t a revenue-generating month. It was what my Coach referred to as a strategic reset month.
I took my first real holiday in over 10 years from December 23, 2025, through January 5, 2026, and unplugged completely. No work. No planning. Nothing to do with business. It was calming, and I had an amazing sense of peace (I wrote about it in this LinkedIn post).
And when I came back in Week 1 of January, I didn’t rush back to client work. I gave myself space to reflect, review, plan, and to get clear on what 2026 actually needed to be.
January was also different compared to other years because I focused 80% of my promotion on ONE thing – the 28 Days of Loving Yourself Challenge (28DC). It’s the first time I’ve done this, and I proved to myself that I can stay focused without chasing shiny objects or adding more offers out of panic.
But what was key was that I protected my peace through my spiritual practices, meditation, and taking Wednesday and Friday afternoons off. These ensured that the peace and calm from December carried forward into January.
I chose alignment over revenue, and I’d make that choice again.
The Trade-Off I Made Consciously
Here’s what I traded January’s revenue for:
- PEACE: A deep, settled peace that I haven’t felt in years. The kind that comes from knowing you’re on the right path, even when the numbers don’t show it yet.
- CLARITY: I know exactly what February needs to be. I have clarity about the ONE Thing that will get 80% of my attention (Elevate enrollment) and the 20% that will be dedicated to hosting this month’s 28DC cohort and refining its content and SOPs for the future.
- THE INBORN STRATEGY: I’ve returned to my “inborn marketing strategy” that has worked very well for me in the past. It’s a strategy I had previously thrown out in search of shiny social media objects that led to stress and low results.
- ALIGNMENT: I feel congruent from the inside out. My inner work and outer work are finally moving in the same direction. I’m now building from a place of wholeness instead of hustling from depletion.
- READINESS: I’m entering February at 8.5/10 readiness. Not because everything is perfect, but because my inner foundation is solid.
What I Learned From My Challenges
January wasn’t perfect. I made mistakes, but each one taught me something vital:
1. Content creation discipline fell apart
I’ve been creating content reactively for almost a year now. It’s done at the last minute, I change plans, and I’ve missed sending the email newsletter many times, which led to subscribers dropping off. It reached a point in January where I had to stop and recalibrate. That recalibration is why I’m back here writing on the blog today, even while the site is still being redone.
2. I promoted 28DC for too long
While experts recommend promoting a program for 3 months, this became exhausting for me and for my audience. The lesson is that shorter promotional windows create more urgency and less fatigue for everyone involved.
3. I need to review how I hire marketers and content creators
I’ve been hiring on the fly, often when I feel overwhelmed. This is not sustainable because I end up hiring due to likability rather than skill fit. I am learning to listen to BOTH my heart and head and to let someone go faster when it’s not a good fit. This is a key lesson as I grow my team this year. (If you have advice on hiring the right way, I’m all ears!)
The Question I’m Exploring
As I step into February, I’ve been wondering:
What if the goal isn’t just to make more money, but to grow your income in a way that doesn’t cost you your peace?
I could have made more in January. I could have worked 80-hour weeks like I used to. But I would have lost my alignment, my spiritual practice, and the ability to show up fully in February.
I’ve learnt that sustainable success isn’t about maximizing revenue every single month. It’s also about building a rhythm that you can maintain for decades.
Stepping Into February
I’m entering February with a sense of alignment and calm, grateful that I hung in there during the messy parts of the last three years.
- Focus: My “ONE Thing” is clear. 80% of my energy is going toward inviting women into Elevate, my group coaching program for women in leadership and business.
- Rhythm: I’m creating and coaching from a place of overflow, not obligation.
- Boundaries: I am strictly protecting my Wednesday and Friday afternoons off, as well as my weekends.
Having 4-day work weeks is something I had wished for when I left employment in 2007. It’s taken a while to get here, but the journey has been more than worth it.
A Question For You
I also have a few questions running through my mind as we kick off February, and I want to share them with you for your own reflection:
- What would change if you measured success not just by revenue, titles, and achievements, but by alignment?
- What if the “low revenue” month or the quiet period when there seemed to be no growth was actually the strategic reset you needed?
- And what if choosing peace and calm instead of pushing and grinding wasn’t a failure, but the wisest decision you could make?
If you’re navigating that tension right now, I’d love to hear your thoughts. And if you have tried slowing down, what were the results?
With love,
Caroline
P.S. Are you a high-achieving woman who’s successful on paper but exhausted in reality? Do you wonder if there’s a way to scale without sacrificing what matters most to you? If the idea of “messy beginnings” and choosing peace over pushing resonates with you, I invite you to join us on this journey of self-grace. I host regular cohorts of the 28 Days of Loving Yourself Challenge (28DC). It’s a space designed to help you practice extending grace to yourself while building a foundation for sustainable success. You can join the waitlist or secure your spot for the next upcoming cohort below.
Click here to join the next 28DC cohort and start your journey of self-grace.
