When your window is closing...

I think I’m still recovering.

Don’t get me wrong–Ignite Your Best Year Yet was incredible, and I loved every minute.

But as an “extroverted introvert” (is that even a thing?), it did take a lot out of me.

And it wasn’t just the 7 straight days of live teaching.

It was also that I was actually doing the deep work myself, in real time. Sharing my own messy process and getting super vulnerable. Being super honest about where I’m at in life right now, and the changes I want to make in the coming year.

And a lot of what I uncovered this past week surprised me.

My goals for 2026 didn’t end up being what I expected them to.

After all, I've been setting goals for a long time. I have systems. I teach the systems. I know how to get clear, dream big, break things down, and follow through. It’s a muscle I’ve been exercising regularly for most of my adult life, and especially since starting my business 15 years ago.

And my team and I mapped out our 2026 business goals at our team retreat months ago. 

But when I sat down to do the actual work for Ignite Your Best Year Yet—to get brutally honest about what I want most in my life and in the year ahead—the thing that rose to the top wasn't actually business-related at all.

It was my girls.

Both of my daughters are in this strange in-between stage of life. They’re technically almost grown, but still dependent on us. Not little kids anymore, but certainly not full-fledged adults quite yet. 

My oldest daughter Maggie is coming home to live with us again for six months while she transfers schools (which we weren't expecting but are totally fine with, and honestly I'm kind of looking forward to it). My youngest daughter Annie is a junior in high school, but getting closer and closer to leaving the nest for good.

Her dream is to move back to my hometown in Washington State, 3000 miles away.

And the thing that struck me most this past week is that this is it.

This is my window.

I have a short, precious stretch of time left to pour into them intentionally, to not just be a mom, but a mentor.

And that realization hit me harder than I expected.

Because I've spent the last 15 years mentoring women in my business. 

I've built programs. I've created curriculum. I've walked thousands of women through frameworks for change. It's what I do—I take chaos and turn it into clarity. I build roadmaps.

But somehow, it never occurred to me to use that same gift in my parenting.

I think I always tend to hold back a little with my kids. I’m always afraid of coming on too strong or being too much or overwhelming them with my intensity. (Because let's be real, I can be a lot.) I've wanted to be the fun mom. Or at least the not-cringe mom.

But the truth is, they don't need me to tone it down.

They need me to be me.

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Your children will become who you are, so be who you want them to be." And James Baldwin once wrote, "Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them."

In other words? The example we set matters more than the words we say.

And I honestly don’t know if I’ve done a good enough job at preparing them for adulthood. 

I’m sure on some level, no parent ever feels ready to let go.

In any case, I've decided that one of my biggest priorities for 2026 is to create a quiet, behind-the-scenes "mama mentoring plan"—a guide for myself, not for them. 

Something that helps me be intentional about the conversations I want to have. The life skills I want to make sure they have. The values I want to reinforce. The boundaries I want to protect.

Honestly, I don't know exactly what it will look like yet. 

But I do know that if I don't take the time to do this now, I'll regret it. It’s a short window.

Because this is my real job. Not just to raise good girls (which they are), but to launch capable, confident women into the world.

So I guess that’s my challenge for you this week as well–to be intentional with the people who matter most. Whether it's your kids, your marriage, your friendships, or even with yourself—make a plan. Create space. Say the thing. Start the conversation. Do the work now, before the moment's gone.

Live with purpose, friend, and have a joy-filled week!

xoxo, Ruth

P.S. If you missed out on Ignite Your Best Year Yet last week, but you still want to be intentional about your own goals for 2026, I’d love to have you join me for a free workshop I’m hosting tomorrow at 12pm ET called “How to Set Goals You Will Actually Follow Through On.” You can get the details and get signed up HERE.

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