Yet, for many of us, January arrives with life already in motion. Work continues, responsibilities wait. Nervous systems may still be a little active. Beneath it all, there can be a quiet question: how do I keep showing up to what matters in a way that’s steady and sustainable? This question has been close to my heart as I reflect on the year behind us and the year now unfolding.

At Integral Coaching Canada, this past year has been one of deep, thoughtful building. Much of it has happened behind the scenes, in service of supporting learning and development in ways that better meet people where they actually are.

We launched a new learning environment for our Associate Certification Module, re-imagining how students are supported before, during, and after training. As part of that work, we also modernized our ACM materials from the ground up, with great care given to clarity, embodiment, and ease of use. We’re now preparing to extend this work into PCM and MCM in the year ahead.

Along the way, we were reminded how much care and creativity goes into building a learning container like this, and how deeply that care can be felt. One ACM Class Assistant, after spending time in the new environment, shared:

“I have really been admiring how you’ve set up the learning environment. It’s a huge amount of work, and most people have no idea how much thought and creativity goes into it. If I ever need to integrate another learning platform, your work here has set my standard for excellence.” I share this not as a highlight, but as a reflection of something we hold dear at ICC: how people are held while learning matters.

We renamed and refreshed our long-standing Fundamentals course into Coaching Essentials, better reflecting what it truly offers: practical, transferable coaching skills for real conversations. In addition, we deepened our reach through new partnerships, including ICC faculty member Chris Alder representing our work in a four-part teaching series within the Art of Developmental Coaching program at Coaches Rising. We also introduced a new Post-ACM Group Video Call designed to support recent graduates as they apply the method in real life and are introduced to a new developmental lens.

All of this reflects a simple commitment: to evolve ICC in ways that genuinely support coaches applying and embodying this work. 

Which brings me back to what may be most of service right now. You may already have a sense of the energetic tone you tend to rely on when life asks something of you. For some, it’s steadiness and calm. For others, intensity, momentum, and drive. Over time, these familiar ways of being can become a kind of home base, quietly shaping how we meet conversations, commitments, and change.

And yet, certain moments ask something different of us.

A conversation may require more vitality than we’re used to bringing. A season of pressure may call for more grounded-ness than effort alone can provide. Development, in this way, often isn’t about adding strategies so much as expanding the range of energy we can inhabit with comfort and choice.

You might pause for a moment and ask yourself: what quality of energy is this season of my life quietly asking me to develop? Is there a place where a bit more grounded-ness would serve you right now? Or a place where more vitality, movement, or willingness to meet intensity might be needed? There’s no right answer here, just an invitation to notice what would genuinely support you in the moments that matter.

One way we support this at ICC is through how we approach sustaining practice over time. Rather than holding ourselves to an all-or-nothing standard, we invite clarity around what a maximum practice looks like on a day when capacity is high, and what a minimum practice looks like on a day when life is full. The minimum is not a compromise. It is a way of staying connected to the essence of what matters, even when conditions are constrained.

Over time, this does something subtle but powerful. It allows practice to remain alive without relying on willpower. It supports growth without asking us to override ourselves. It creates the conditions for new capacities, energetic and otherwise, to develop naturally.

At ICC, we believe development happens through practice, reflection, and relationship. Through learning how to work skillfully with what is here, rather than waiting for ideal conditions. Through becoming the instrument, not just using one.

As we move further into the year, we look forward to continuing to support this community through our programs, conversations, and shared learning. Whether you are deepening your coaching practice, beginning a new path, or simply seeking steadier ground in how you show up, you are very welcome here.

With warmth,

Val Rosettani (& The ICC Team)