What if that heaviness you feel is not because you are carrying too much, but because you are carrying old skin?
Read that again, slowly, because it lands differently when life and business are going well, yet you are starting a “New Year” feeling tired and depleted. Many entrepreneurs assume the fix is more effort, more discipline, or a better morning routine. What if the heaviness is coming from an outdated version of you that no longer fits who you are becoming?
Personally, I do not follow the Chinese zodiac, but I recently learned that 2025 was associated with “Snake” energy and that the Lunar New Year shifts into the “Year of the Fire Horse” on February 17, 2026.
A quick search brought up words like freedom, energy, and bold movement. I began to think about what happens when speed has no strategy or direction. It usually results in chaos.
If this season invites bold movement, the real question is how to move forward without burning out or rushing past what matters most?
So before we run off to chase the “horse” energy, let’s focus on the “snake” first, because it is the part most entrepreneurs skip.
Snakes grow by shedding what no longer fits, and businesses grow the same way. Old skin can be the belief that you must be available 24/7, or that you must respond instantly to prove you care. Old skin can also be saying yes before you check your capacity, your energy, and your calendar.
Here are three simple tips you can practice to help you shed the old and run with the new.
1) Pick one old rule you are done living by.
Choose one sentence you have been living by that is quietly exhausting you. It might be “I always reach out first,” or “If I rest, I fall behind,” or “I can handle this myself.” Write it down, then replace it with a rule that fits the person you are becoming, and make it practical enough to follow.
For example, your old rule might be: “You can reach me anytime.” Your new rule could be: “I read and respond to messages at 11:00 AM and 4:30 PM.”
That’s not being mean, ignoring, or ghosting anyone, you are directing your attention. That is leadership.
2) Replace one automatic yes with one breath.
Most burnout is not caused by one big bad decision. It is caused by hundreds of tiny yeses that were automatic and never got questioned. Today, or this week, be mindful to pause for one full breath between any request and your response, even if you end up saying yes. The goal is to stop agreeing on autopilot, because that is where your time disappears.
Next time you are invited to a meeting, a coffee date to “catch up” or “pick your brain,” or an event that sounds exciting but feels heavy, take one breath first. Then try: “Let me check my calendar and my capacity, and I will get back to you.”
That one breath will empower you, and it can save you hours of regret.
3) Create one constraint that gives your week direction.
Freedom does not mean having no structure. Freedom is having structure that protects what matters most, so your energy can go toward meaningful work. Choose one simple constraint for the upcoming week and put it on your calendar, because a boundary that is not scheduled is rarely honored. Consider creating one of these constraints:
“One top priority for the week”
“No meetings before deep work”
“Two meeting free afternoons”
“A 15 minute buffer between calls.”
Constraints reduce decision fatigue, and they turn bold intentions into real movement. They also make your “yes” more valuable, because it is no longer automatic or competing with chaos.
If you want a simple reset you can do right now, start here. Share one “old skin” you are ready to shed, and make it specific enough to act on today. Then choose one constraint that protects your focus for the coming week, and schedule it like you mean it. That is often enough to feel lighter, and lightness is what makes bold movement sustainable.
If you have been feeling heavy lately, you are not behind, you are not weak or broken. You may simply be carrying a layer of skin that was meant for a previous season of your life and business. Shed what is not serving you anymore, then move forward with purpose.
Leadership gets lighter when it’s fueled by presence, not horsepower.
marly q casanova
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