As we embark on another year, here at Holstee we have decided to embrace the idea of monthly themes. These themes will guide our products, both our company and personal goals, and will be reflected in our discussions as we navigate each month with a specific outlook in mind.

For January, we rightly decided on the theme of Clarity. Working in a startup and creative space, we are no strangers to the relief that comes with a true “AHA!” moment. In the same strain, we also know what it’s like to struggle to achieve those moments, as they can often seem so few and far between. In work and in life, it’s often easy to lose ourselves in the questions and the what if’s rather than diving deep and learning from the process itself. Being open to the unknown, trying something new or pushing through a longtime challenge often provides the breakthroughs in which clarity can thrive. The past year brought us through a lot of trials and over a lot of hurdles. The benefit, however, is that it helped us solidify our direction, reminded us how well we can work together and given us a stronger sense of purpose: we’re here because we want to be, because we love it and because we care what happens next.

As we start 2014 with a clearer sense of purpose, we are encouraged by the renewed determination that can come with a hard hustle and enlightened by the epiphanies we’ve experienced along the way. Despite this method of digging deep, we’ve also seen the value in the quieter moments of reflection, the ones that can get us lost in thought, keep us grounded and grant us a refreshed perspective. I’ve found that powerful bursts of clarity can be experienced in moments when we aren’t exactly seeking, while we’re in solitude or even in silence. Rather, it settles in and surrounds you just when you need it, an idea popping into your head after a dragging day, a realization that you’re living a life you truly love or that here and now, this moment you’re in, is exactly where you’re meant to be.

May your 2014 be full of pockets of clarity, however and wherever they may come, as long as you’re willing to chase them down with urgency or even just stand still, breathe in and wait.