Watching the fireworks from an empty sandpit in Dubai, the word that kept circling through my mind as we stepped into 2026 was spaciousness. While the sky erupted in an array of colours, I found myself standing still in a moment that felt both vast and intimate.
On most days, the sandpit sits quietly - a stretch of beige, a metaphorical pause in a city that never sleeps. But on the weekends, it turns into a cricket ground for delivery drivers. During the school run, it becomes an offroad track for parents trying to beat the traffic. And once a year, it turns into a gathering place for local residents looking up at the sky in wonder. So yes it's empty, but it has the capacity to hold different things at different times - play, movement, community. Spaciousness isn't the absence of activity, it's the presence of potential.
More than resolutions, I've found it useful to have one word as my focal point for the year. It anchors me during times of uncertainty or indecision. It also reminds me of a quality that I want to have more of in my life. When you think of spaciousness, it probably brings to mind images of a clear desk, a well-paced calendar or even a wide open field. I'm a strong proponent of decluttering and the saying 'a tidy space is a tidy mind' but I am no Marie Kondo. Even as I write this piece, I'm acutely aware of how I declutter - my decluttering spree at home takes the form of an ambush (on my family), despite being highly therapeutic (for me). Decluttering helps me regain a sense of order and balance when I feel overwhelmed. Research has shown that clutter and disorganisation can be a drain on our cognitive resources, reducing our ability to focus. However, my reasons for choosing 'spaciousness' this year have a different intent. In this edition, I wanted to explore 3 ways we can create more spaciousness in our lives.
Creating (internal) space
I first learned about the importance of creating space on the tennis court. To hit well, you have to move away from the ball to create room for a full swing, allowing for better contact, power and control. When you don't create space, you end up crowding the ball and this results in weak, inconsistent shots.
The same thing often happens in life. We press our noses against our daily battles - stuck in the details, losing sight of the big picture, losing perspective. This lack of space/distance keeps solutions out of reach. When we don't take the time to create space in the body and mind, we might find ourselves reacting with the same old patterns that produce muddled, inconsistent results.
In his book, Essentialism, Greg McKeown writes about the disciplined pursuit of less. He argues that we've become so busy that we've lost the space to discern what truly matters. Without space - both physical and mental - we cannot explore, think, or simply be. We operate on autopilot, chasing goals in a relentless pursuit to feel productive, worthy, successful. The size of our mind is not limited to the size of our head. It is vast, unbounded, like the sky allowing thoughts, worries, memories to pass through like clouds, but not limited by them. By creating space in our minds, we develop the capacity to observe life with some distance - not allowing ourselves to be pulled into the drama.
It is equally important to create space in our body. Why? Because despite our best insights, our nervous system memorises and stores patterns that helped us survive and feel safe while growing up, like people-pleasing, perfectionism, hypervigilance, overachievement and emotional suppression. Despite our intentions, we find it difficult to affect change because our nervous system inhibits us. After a grounding and centering practice, a client of mine said 'I didn't realise how much tightness I was holding in my body'. This tightness keeps us small and constricted and stops us exploring what's possible beyond limitations. This client had left a corporate role to start their own business. Spaciousness for the self-employed becomes even more critical, even though it might feel indulgent. Without creating space within, busyness gets mistaken for business so your space to think clearly and sustain your energy becomes your primary competitive advantage.
Creating internal space in your mind and body doesn't require elaborate rituals. It could be as simple as using movement to get rid of built-up tension in the body, paced breathing before a difficult conversation or inserting some 'white space' in the calendar for reflective writing or even daydreaming!
Taking up space
I've observed talented, highly competent individuals playing small, shrinking to fit in, so that they avoid being perceived as 'too difficult' or 'too demanding'. You might have heard yourself saying "Sorry, this is probably a silly question" or 'Sorry, could I just add…'
When we become clear about what truly matters, we stop shrinking. Spaciousness is about claiming room for yourself, expanding your presence - allowing your voice, ideas, opinions to be heard. For another client, impostor syndrome took hold when presenting to a room full of peers, more senior than them. They were often interrupted mid-sentence or challenged on various points. Taking up space meant owning their expertise and holding their authority in that moment. They embodied this through grounded presence - finding their feet, taking a breath and pausing before responding. They used open body language, a dignified posture and maintained eye contact. They paced their speech. They used more silence. They got rid of the qualifiers. They led with questions. They felt comfortable acknowledging what they didn't know, while asserting what they did and not being afraid to disagree. When recognition and praise came their way, they graciously accepted it, without deflecting or minimising them. With more confidence and self-belief, she stepped into a leadership role.
The idea of taking up space might be perceived as arrogance. But they are very different in practice. Taking up space is about expressing yourself fully and confidently, being clear about your value without being loud or demanding attention. Arrogance, on the other hand, is characterised by loud overconfidence that dominates and takes up space by pushing others down. Taking up space is about respecting self and others.
Giving others space
The third dimension of spaciousness is relational. One leader I worked with had a tendency to rescue team members - highly responsive to their needs, stepping in quickly and efficiently to solve problems. However, he found himself drowning, resenting his team for not being able to think for themselves and resenting himself for not having time to focus on his own priorities.
What could giving others space look like in this instance? For him, it was about stepping back and letting go of wanting to be in control. It was about listening to understand, allowing room for mistakes, investing energy in developing his team instead of prioritising speed and urgency all the time. It was also about taking a coaching stance. Instead of "Here's what you should do", he tried: "What options have you already considered?". He learned to sit with his own discomfort while empathising, but also learnt to leave behind what didn't belong to him. Spacious leaders ensure the quiet voices are heard, the unconventional ideas are explored and they resist the urge to micromanage. Part of giving others space, I believe, is also about trusting yourself to support someone's success without taking over - whether they are team members or clients.
The cost of clutter
What happens when we don't have spaciousness? Burnout, strained relationships, missed opportunities, decision fatigue. For entrepreneurs and businesses, clutter accumulates in the form of unfinished projects, scattered ideas, meetings with no purpose, multiple email threads and outdated processes. According to a report by Workhuman, the estimated cost to businesses globally of burnout alone is $322 billion in turnover and lost productivity. Without space, the costs are real.
So, in choosing spaciousness this year, the invitation is to create room for what wants to emerge. Not by doing more, but by being more deliberate about what we allow in. To create space for what matters. To claim space for who we are. To give space for others to grow. If this word resonates with you, I encourage you to choose one dimension and experiment!
