As the year comes to an end, it can feel like a door quietly closing behind us. We often measure time by the calendar alone—January to December, tick to tock.

But if we measure our journey in heart, in the small pivotal moments, and in the ways we’ve grown as humans, the end of a year becomes something different. It becomes a continuation—a gentle step along the Heart Path rather than a hard reset.

We don’t simply leave the old behind.

We carry our “heart luggage” with us:

Some moments tucked safely into the Heart Bank,

Some lessons added to our How We Are file,

and some truths placed carefully into our Inventory of Intentions—the things we know need our conscious focus as we move forward.

Because ECE is meaningful work. It’s heart-full work.

And a year can feel long when we’re giving so much of ourselves to children, whānau, and one another. We often begin the year brimming with zest, yet somewhere along the way, that bright spark can dim without us noticing.

So now is the moment to pause. To breathe. To ask:

Are we burning bright—or burning out?

Serving children is our core purpose.

But how we serve them matters just as much as what we do.

We can meet only their physical needs… or we can meet their whole selves with our whole hearts. Heart-led practice isn’t an extra—it’s the essence of what young children need from us.

And when it comes to our programme and practice, “because we’ve always done it this way” is not a reason to hold on. Tradition can be beautiful, but not when it weighs us down.

The courage to say, “This no longer serves us” is a profound act of professionalism—and of heart-wisdom.

The strongest teams are built not on sameness, but on shared foundations.

Each individual brings their own flavour, their own spark, their own style. But underneath that diversity is a deep alignment:

• on what you stand for,
• on what you hold sacred,
• on your shared non-negotiables,
• on what gives you zest,
• on what you resist,
• and on what you wholeheartedly believe in.
  
  

Is your team in full understanding of your who, why, and what?

Do you truly know what you share?

We are often taught to look outward—to experts, to strategies, to “the right way”.
But the most important path is the one inward.

Because when we journey inward, we discover who we really are—what drives us, shapes us, and lights us up.

And when we know who we are, we can show up as the very best version of ourselves.

We can be authentic. Aligned. Grounded. Connected.

As individuals.

And as a team.

This is the kind of adult our children need—not just head-skilled, but heart-wise.

Not just knowledgeable, but deeply human.

Not just doing the work, but living it.

Here’s to tending your heart, knowing your heart, and carrying it with intention into the year ahead—together.