The Ultimate Winter Protocol: How to Indulge in Slowness Without Losing Track of Your Goals

Not a 5am CEO routine in sight

I know what you’re thinking: well, well, well, if it isn’t another bitch on the internet telling me what to do with me life? And to that I say, I feel you… but please hear me out.

This isn’t a to-do list plucked from some horrific 5am CEO routine—a routine, might I add, that if I ever take part in, I fully authorize you to alert the authorities. Instead, these are just mere suggestions—highly curated, well-thought-out suggestions—that I’m offering as a way to help us all not just survive, but thrive during these winter months. Yes, I do hear the irony of that statement as I write this from my sunny, Los Angeles balcony.

That’s not the point. The reality is, it’s getting dark as fuck real early, most of the country is already cold, and Mariah Carey is defrosting.

I refuse to believe that just because it’s dark and cold outside, we should all just let that seasonal sadness wash right over us. Sometimes, it might—but if and when it does, we’ll be equipped with systems that we’ve already put in place that help us feel on track, blooming, and very much alive.

Taking inspiration from the many creators I’ve seen on the interwebs talking about their winter “curriculums”, I’ve decided to share my own. So here we are.

It’s imperative to emphasize that this isn’t about fighting against winter, but rather working with the magic that this season provides. You might be fearful the below list will take lots of pushing and testosterone and whatever else a man with a microphone will tell you you have to do in order to “win.” None of that. Instead, this guide is about keeping your mind awake, removing the friction we feel when wrestling with the inevitable, and flowing with curiosity while leaning into the delicious wonders of hibernation.

Lean into the magic bb

The way I see it, this list is restorative rather than draining—a way to set you up for success so you’re not caught off guard by warmer months, wondering where all of the time went. Because let’s be real, people, projects, and opportunities, tend to pop up (all at the same time) in the spring and summer. So what are you gonna do? Not stay ready? Not up your game? Not fully prepare and ask for an extension? Didn’t think so.

It’s time to indulge, expand, grow, and move with intentional slowness: that’s the name of the game—at least for me. But you don’t have to take my word for it, try it out for yourself.