Hi Reader -
Is it too late to wish you a happy new year with not much of January left?
I hope 2026 has started gently in your immediate world, even amidst the wider uncertainty and chaos we’re all navigating.
In the December newsletter, I shared that things were shifting for me, both in work and in life. There are some knowns and a lot of unknowns.
Those changes include what’s happening with the Cadence Guide.
After eight years and 104 editions, I’m pressing pause on this newsletter for the next six months.
Here’s why:
First, I want to create space for new projects.
As much as I’ve loved curating and sharing these guides, it feels like the right moment to explore new creative paths.
I’m currently writing twice a month over on my Creating Cadence Substack. And, slightly terrifying, but also very exciting, I also plan to publish a fiction book later this year under a pen name.
Second, the current state of both the marketing and political landscape has given me pause. There’s a lot of noise out there, and I don’t want to add to it.
I’m reflecting on how I engage, share, and connect online, because like many of us, I’ve found the pace and intensity increasingly overwhelming. It’s not good for my mental health and I need more space to explore things offline.
And finally, when I started this newsletter eight years ago, many of the ideas I shared about digital wellbeing, intentional productivity, sustainable performance, etc. weren’t widely accessible. That’s changed.
Much of what I’ve written and created over the years is evergreen. But you can now also more easily access these types of insights directly from original sources without needing an intermediary. So, in a strange way, that feels like progress.
If this newsletter has been useful to you in the past - or if you’ll miss it over the coming months - I’d genuinely love to hear from you. Your messages have always meant a great deal.
I do plan to bring Cadence back in some form in the future. I just don’t yet know what that will look like. So, this pause is about letting things percolate.
In the meantime:
1 - The Creating Cadence podcast continues wherever you get your podcasts. Episode 91 (the first of season 15) is out now.
2 - As you’re on my general subscriber list, you’ll now receive bi-monthly emails from my Substack address (writer@bondesio.com). If those aren’t for you, no worries at all - you’re welcome to unsubscribe, I won't mind.
If you’re not already subscribed to those, here’s the first two from this year - about recovering attention and how cadence beats balance - to give you a taster.
Thank you, truly, for being here and following along on this learning journey.
It’s been a fun, creative, educational and deeply meaningful adventure.
Wishing you a grounded and generous first half of 2026. Please take care out there.
With courage, curiosity, and cadence, until next time.
Mich x
