Here we are in 2022. I wish you and yours all good things in the year to come.
New Year is traditionally a time of reflection and looking forward: thinking about goals and changes and what we want from the coming months. New Year’s resolutions are talked about, decided upon and probably broken within the first week!
How can we think about this time without setting ourselves unrealistic goals, feeling disappointed that we have “failed”, and sending ourselves the message that we are not good enough?
What is important to you?
What do you want more of in the coming year?
More calm? More adventure? More connection? More creativity?
What have you started that you want to build upon?
When we start with the things that matter, we can plan in more of those things in the coming weeks and months. Perhaps choosing a word (or a couple of words) for the year might help? I often do this – my word for this year is nourish. I want to think more about how I feed myself, both in the food I eat but also in the ways I take care of my other needs. So I am using this as a reminder as I plan my days: how will spending my time in this way nourish me?
The little moments matter
Sometimes we forget that our lives are made up of the minute to minute interactions and actions we take. How we take a moment to smile at someone as we pass them or the way we tell someone we appreciate something that they have done, or we let someone know what we like or remember about them. So creating a more connected and joyful life is often more about tiny things rather than big changes. We live day to day in the little moments.
Nature has given us winter to rest and restore
It may also help to remember that these dark, cold days are times for rest and restoration. We aren’t really designed to embark on big projects and adventures in these times. Now is a time to reflect on what matters to us and how we want to use the time we have. We can make plans and contemplate possibilities.
If you are a gardener, now is the season you sit down with a cuppa and choose the seeds for the coming year. Helpful questions to ask might include:
- what did well where (the places we thrive)
- what you enjoyed looking at or eating (nourishment),
- what needs to move to a new bed (changes to make)
- what is an adventure? An unknown? (creativity, excitement).
Perhaps taking a gardener’s approach to our lives is a good idea? Seeds and bulbs always remind me of buried treasure, promise of what is to come. Let’s plant some seeds…