Shrinking the Horizon (and Filling the Plate)

I welcome this new month.  February feels like a breath of fresh air.  Even though it’s bitterly cold outside, there is something reviving about a 28 day month.  And, for sure, January has moguls that turned into mountains too hard to climb alone.  

For the past 6 years, I have used February as my launching pad to fill my plate with more greens & veggies; and my workouts with a bonus 1 minute move.  Just this small act of intention, allows me to create the best possible outcome for what’s ahead. The system I use is called “shrinking the horizon”  Before we get to that, let’s set up where my rabbit hole started. 

I, of course, started February 1st, on a Sunday, going gang busters in my piece-mealed half kitchen.  I made seed bars, prepped sheet pans of veggies (more on my go-to method below), and did all the things to set myself up for a good week ahead.  

On Monday morning, literally the next day, I noticed how quickly my brain wanted to jump ahead and do more:
Solve everything.
Plan everything.
Prepare for every possible outcome.

That impulse makes sense. When things feel chaotic, the nervous system looks for control. Urgency creeps in, and suddenly we’re doing more and more in the name of feeling safe.

One of the simplest ways I know to reclaim calm is to practice the skill of shrinking the time horizon.

Not the week.
Not the month.
Not the whole picture.

Just the next right action.

Drink some water.
Eat something nourishing.
Step outside and take a few deep breaths.
Send one honest message.
Finish one small task—and stop.

This is a “skills” thing. Calm is often restored by reducing scope, not increasing effort.

It’s the same principle I use with nutrition and training: simplify, stabilize blood sugar and hormones, then build—supporting your beautiful vessel that is YOU.

When we overwhelm the system—whether with too many goals, too many rules, or too much restriction—nothing sticks. But when we focus on one supportive action at a time, momentum returns quietly and steadily.

That’s exactly how I’m choosing to approach nutrition this month.

February is the shortest month of the year, which makes it feel… doable. Instead of chasing perfection, I’m leaning into intention: more greens, more plant-forward meals, more nutrients that actually support energy, digestion, and recovery. Not in an extreme way. Not with rigid rules. Just choosing foods that give more than they take.

Add a vegetable. Try my favorite 4 sheet pan veggies for meal prep [here].
Build meals around plants.
Let color and fiber do the heavy lifting.

You don’t need a perfect plan.
You need a manageable next step.

Whether it’s calming your nervous system or nourishing your body, the work is the same: meet today where it is. One reasonable choice. One supportive action. Then let that be enough.

Food for thought:
What happens if today only asks one reasonable thing of you?

Two spots left in my next 8 Week Small Group Nutrition Program, starting next week. If you want to learn how to keep things simple and build a dense plate that gets your beautiful body whole again, let’s hop on a call here.