Gathering Guideposts

An alternative to the new year, new you push

As the year comes to a close, we find ourselves surrounded by an avalanche of year-in-review recaps and promises of how to make next year our best year yet. It’s exhausting—or at least it can be.

But what if we approached this crossing of the year differently? What if we leaned into the rhythm of the season, embracing its quiet wisdom? What if we brought in a little magic? ✨

Here at my house, nestled in a valley of the Appalachian Mountains, we honor what I lovingly (sometimes not so lovingly) call this season—“the dark times”—a sacred space where the gradual return to light begins to unfurl.

While I often bemoan the seemingly perpetual darkness and the cold, the truth is I secretly kind of love it. This is a time of rituals, reflection, and reverence for the natural world’s quiet transitions. Our evenings glow with candlelight—a candelabra adorned with beads and gaudy brilliance to pierce the darkness as we gather for dinner. The tree sparkles with fairy lights. Whimsical and handmade advent calendars help us mark the days, each one an invitation to slow down and savor as we get closer to the return of the sun.

We celebrate the Winter Solstice, the turning of the year’s tide, with a Yule fire, sweets, and wishes for the new year offered to the flames. There is magic in the Solstice’s simplicity: the return of light mirrored in nature’s ancient rhythms. Like the light that penetrates the inner sanctum of Newgrange, illuminating what is hidden, this liminal season reveals truths often obscured in busier times.

I use the time between Solstice and New Year to pause and gather Guideposts for the year ahead. These twelve markers—one for each month—emerge from the whispers of the season. They come to me through signs in nature, fleeting interactions, or memories that resurface. Each guidepost feels like a small compass point, offering quiet clarity for the journey to come.

Last year’s guideposts were profound companions through a year I could never have anticipated. My partner’s diagnosis with brain cancer in February turned everything upside down, and yet, the guideposts seemed perfectly attuned.

March’s Guidepost—collected on the third day—was hyacinth bulbs poking up through the compost, a sign I noted of “abandoned and hidden treasures.” I could never have anticipated in December just how important that would be for me in March. March brought us face to face with chemo, radiation, conversations about end-of-life care, and how we wanted to walk this journey together. That reminder of those seemingly haphazard hyacinth bulbs helped us focus on the love that was ever-present amidst the chaos and heartbreak. The year, though marked by loss, also brought profound relational healing—a gift unearthed from the detritus.

As I sit with memories of this past year, I am awed by how each guidepost served its purpose. Now, I look forward to collecting guideposts for 2025—listening, watching, and noticing what the world is whispering.

(Note: In the future, The Wildpreneur Field Guide Section will be for paid subscribers and is where you will find ways to implement the ideas and theories that we talk about at Wildpreneur into your creative practice, your business, and your life.)

Wildpreneur Field Guide: Gathering Your Guideposts

Starting on the Solstice, take time to attune yourself to what the world is showing you. Signs may come from interactions with other people, nature’s subtle signals, or even forgotten memories resurfacing. These signs are your guideposts.

1. Observe the whispers of the season—a stray bloom in unexpected soil, a breeze carrying a message, a forgotten fragment of a dream.

2. Document these moments. Pair a picture and a short reflection for each guidepost—one for each month of the year.

3. Place your guideposts where they will guide you throughout the year—in your planner, on your altar, or wherever your daily life touches.

I’ll be sharing my 2025 guideposts here on Notes and Instagram (@carmenschreffler). Join me in this practice; there’s room for us all in this circle of noticing. I would love to see what arises for you!

Community Gathering 2025

Mark your calendars: Tuesday, January 7, at 12:30 PM ET.

This gathering is for paid subscribers—a space to connect, share, and receive guidance. Over the past twelve years, I’ve worked with coaches, authors, and service providers, helping them build vibrant, soul-aligned businesses. While not everyone can work with me one-on-one, these gatherings are my way of offering support to as many as possible.

Bring your struggles, your questions, and your dreams. Let’s create a space where you can find clarity and take meaningful steps forward in your business and marketing.

Let’s gather in the light of a new year, ready to weave our visions into being with heart-based wisdom.

Zoom Details for January: