As we edge towards the twelfth night the weather is finally feeling wintery. The christmas decorations will be coming down and January is upon us.
For many years, on Boxing Day, I made my new year goals. I felt like it was the best time to start making plans for what I wanted to achieve in the next year. Each year, as January hit and the twinkling lights came down, the reality of getting any of my goals achieved ebbed away. Eventually, instead of setting goals or resolutions, I began to use the time to look back on the past year; to journal and to read and to stand still just a little. January would be a time for getting back to life and emerging from my hibernation instead of starting anything new.
This year, I will be continuing this. Twixtmas was a time to eat the leftover food, read books, be still and enjoy being at home and with family. In the next few days, I will be going back to work, getting back in to exercise and getting back to life…slowly.
Slowing down
January is about hibernating; it’s about recuperating from the festive busyness and slowly coming back to life. It’s the coldest month of the year but the days are slowly lengthening. I’ll be using the time to get reacquainted with my early starts, morning gym sessions and cleaning routine while making sure I take the time to rest and recover too.
Reading with a cup of tea and a peice of cake or a plate of cheese and biscuits is one of my favourite things alongside picking a new drama to watch on television. Planning the garden for the year is also on my list for January as is buying a new bow for archery.
Setting an intention
Although I don’t make resolutions anymore, this year I have picked a word of the year as a way of setting an intention.
This year, quite conveniently, my word is Intention which, to me, means living life doing the things that reflect my values and passions, and setting goals around those things.
Keeping the festive mood
January can be awfully dark and dreary but only if you let it. I intend to keep a few lights and decorations up throughout January to keep some wintery cosyness in the house. I’ll also be baking some bread and making ginger cake, rice pudding and a lot of soup.
A short few notes today on my January plans. How is everyone else embracing January?