5<2: 5 Q's to Open an Eye in the Storm

Five ?? in under 2 minutes to elevate your impact.

There's a lot going on... Take two minutes to create an eye in the storm and focus.

5 questions inspired by the Year of the Wood Snake:

• What are you in pursuit of this year? Snakes are stealthy, patient hunters. What will you pursue that requires strategy, persistence and commitment?
• What have you outgrown but not left behind? Snakes shed their skin; trees drop their bark. Is there something constraining your time and energy that’s no longer a fit?
• Are you listening to your intuition? Snakes rely on their sense of smell. Are you regularly taking the conscious, quiet time that research proves we need to thrive?
• Do you need to slow down? Speed up? Replant? Snakes and trees move/grow at their own pace, based on their DNA and environment. Would changing your pace or environment stimulate growth and/or renewal?
• Are you tending the systems that sustain you? Once trees are established their root systems spread out close to the surface, rather than down. Are you cultivating a healthy root system? Reaching out? Checking in? Initiating partnership and collaboration?

Backstory on this 5<2: Happy Year of the Wood Snake!

The driftwood eye that guards my home is a prized possession. It found me in the Year of the Wood Dragon. As we transition from Wood Dragon to Wood Snake, I sense it inviting me to double-down, be more precise, persistent and shed habits of mind I’ve outgrown.

I celebrate Lunar New Year because friends, classmates, colleagues, students and clients of Asian descent have shared their lives, histories and cultures with me. They’ve inspired a Spkwell coaching and consulting residency in Asia in 2026, launching in Singapore, then branching to other capitals where purpose-driven founders, leaders, executives, organizations, incubators, VCs and NGOs, like those I serve in the US and UK, want to connect with confidence, thrive in volatility and elevate their impact. So, growth and renewal are top of mind for me this Year of the Wood Snake!

If you’d like to explore strategic partnership in pursuing your professional or organizational goals, let’s talk! Book a 20-minute Spkwell Hello on my profile or website.

Michaela Ablon is an executive coach, consultant, speaker and facilitator working the roundabout of identity, strategy, communication and change. To learn more, connect on LinkedIn, visit Spkwell.com + Wrkwell.co, and/or request a Q1/Q2 prospectus.

All images and text ? Michaela Ablon 2025

More 5<2s:

Five Niche Strategies to Face 2025 with Grace

#Strategy #SoftSkills #Leadership #Management #EmployeeEngagement #Teams #ChangeLeadership #TalentDevelopment #PersonalDevelopment #PublicSpeaking #Keynote #HumanResources #ExecutiveCoaching #Consulting #ThoughtLeadership #WhatInspiresMe #Asia #LunarNewYear #YearOfTheWoodSnake #VentureCapital #StartUp #StartUps #Entrepreneur #Business #VC #Entrepreneurship #PrivateEquity #Funding #Incubators #Singapore